Second time around...

I feel incredibly lucky that I get to return to Honduras,  so I’m going to try and learn from last summer. Here are my goals for this time, my thoughts, and some little tid bits from my journal from last summer are included too. So here goes. 

1) Use every second. Every second.  Because time flies, and I’ll have plenty of time later to reflect on all the opportunities I missed out on. And that feeling sucks. 

2) Be HONORED to serve Tony, Nidia, the boys, my community, and Tegucigalpa.  Not pridefully, not publicly, and with no benefit to myself.

I am the Lord’s servant, therefore I am their servant, and I should expect absolutely nothing in return for anything I pour out to them. I need to see them with God’s eyes, seeing the good and the progress and the potential and the worth within each of them. I am to show them God’s love by being their servant. – 6/20/11

3) Focus on God, not distractions. I need nothing more in my life but the love of Christ, so why waste time searching for other things.

Full satisfaction with Him, satisfied as it feels to no longer hunger or thirst: exactly what I need, fully filled, content. -6/29/11

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”   Hebrews 12:1 

4) Love God, discover the beauty and freedom. Bask in everything that is God.

Freedom from the past and guilt. Freedom from this world. Freedom from circumstances. Freedom from anything that isn’t of God. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. -6/9/11

5) Go outside of my comfort zone, and be intentional with all the boys, not just the ones I’m comfortable with.  I’m going to be honest, last summer when I first found out that the core of our ministry would be simply forming relationships and doing life with these boys, I might have had a little panic attack inside. Build a house, sure no problem, but relationships are much more difficult. They require vulnerability with people I barely know and I’m not that outgoing, super personable person that would be good at this. But God gave me the tools to make it work. So let’s see what crazy situations He throws me in this summer, and pray I embrace them. 

6) Actively be a part of a community. Because the Holy Spirit tends to show up in communities. And remember that fellowship doesn’t change you until it’s costly.

So those are the goals. They’ll probably grow over time. I just feel like this summer is going to be completely different than anything I’m expecting or that I’ve ever experienced before. It’s almost as if God is looking at all my expectations and laughing (not mockingly, of course, just in an I’m-gonna-blow-your-mind-this-summer-and-you’ll-be-changed-forever kind of way).  Please be praying!