Texas in a nutshell

We leave next Wednesday for the ship!  It feels like all of a sudden and finally here all at once.  I’d like to sum up our time in Texas but I’m not sure that is possible.  Now that we are at the end of these 5 weeks  I can say this time has been really good.  It has stretched and grown us in new ways and we are grateful for that.  We feel as ready and prepared as we think is possible.  Much of what we have to learn is yet to come and we hope that we are entering this next phase of our lives with open hearts to what God wants to teach us.

Part of the focus of our time here in Texas was on what missions is really about.  This was the part of the training that hit home the most for us.  I (Tracey) have always had a fear of going into missions as the rich white people coming to save the day for the poor starving Africans.  I know that I don’t want it to be this way, but unfortunately that is what relief and development often looks like.  I am still a long way from totally understanding God’s plan in missions but I do feel like we have gleaned some wisdom from our training that is really key in serving the people of West Africa.

For our final project here we had to come up with something that showed what we had learned.  I wrote this acrostic and I think it really does sum up what I want my heart to be as we board the Africa Mercy and open our lives to being used.

Meet them in the work they’re already doing

-if the work we do is to have any lasting value we must join alongside the people of the country to help them reach goals that they already have and help implement ways to helping them attain those

Invest in them as people first

-Jesus loved people.  He was not just out to heal the sick but to love them and draw them to himself.  Our role is the same.

Serve them with humility

-We may think we have all the right answers to their problems but it is not our job to think for them.  We are there to serve them and not ourselves.

See the world through their glasses

-We all have a different view of the world based on how we were raised and in order to serve them well I have to try to understand the world through their eyes

It is the work of God alone

-The best way to make a mess of things is to think for any amount of time that what we are doing is our own.  This is God’s work that we are joining in, not our work that we are asking him to join us in.

Only God receives the credit

                -Our motivation is the Kingdom of God, not a pat on our own backs

No agenda of my own

                -How many nations have been hurt by the agendas of others being imposed on them?

Salvation’s truth is for everyone

-Biblical truth is truth for every generation of every nation.  We are not bringing “our” religion to them we are helping them to see the truth of Jesus that has already been revealed to them

Please pray for us that we would live this out in our lives aboard the ship.  Please pray also for our flight as we are a bit apprehensive flying that far with two lap children.

On a lighter note, here are some recent pics from our time in Texas:

Last weekend we went to the zoo!

      Adalynn was in charge of the zoo map.

  It was REALLY hot. This was just before our snow cone break.

  The fishies were Adalynn's favorite.  Maybe it was the air conditioning!

 Last weekend we spent 2 days with our friends the DeLisi's who live near Tyler.

  6 of the 11 DeLisi kids entertaining Cora.

We said goodbye to Grandma on Wednesday. She was here for 4 weeks helping with the girls. We were so greatful to have her here!