So this mission trip is really church camp on steroids…replace craft time, nap time, and activity time with hard core work for others and you have this mission trip. The normal Bible study and devotional time is still included for growth but the real lessons are the life lesson of service.
After a slow start this morning the seventy souls on this mission where divided into work projects including building a house, re-roofing a barn, building a shed, vacation Bible school, and hauling/stockpiling firewood for use by the locals this winter.
All of these projects help Paul break down tremendous cultural barriers in the Navajo community in Tuba City. Little by little he is gaining their trust and spreading the gospel…every soul counts.
Paul is uniquely qualified, after twenty plus years of work, he has developed a no nonsense approach that combines to the point directions with loving hugs and back pats…extend a devotional a few minutes past schedule and he will stand up and loudly proclaim the speaker has three minutes (after which he cutes them off). Leave the door open and he shuts off the air conditioning.
Everything here is (Loudly) “for Jesus.”. This is part of the Soldier instructions given by Paul on night one. This command was perfectly illustrated when a young girl asked if she could use the restroom…Paul’s answer, “can you do it for Jesus?”
More prim Christians will have trouble with this proclamation but not me (granted I’m far from prim but hear me out) because it perfectly illustrates the sold out believers dedication to Christ. All things means all things and if we stop doing even one thing for Jesus we will inequitably find more to stop…
It’s been a long hot day (I’m on the shed build crew) and I need sleep but first i need to brush my teeth…for Jesus.
Shalowm.