Wow. Yesterday I thought it almost impossible to gather the team before leaving (4 were coming from San Pedro and one was en route to the hospital after a soccer injury), but somehow we were ended up around a campfire to talk about our hopes and fears for the week. We were all in agreement that God has some pretty amazing plans set out for this time.

I won’t blabber much, because Carlos wrote up a little reflection to share… but I do want to mention that I was the brave one to hunt out a mouse this morning in our dorm, which sprinted up my leg. We still haven’t found it, so I might have a sleeping buddy. Today, we gave a cultural seminar and the PCA staff/students spoke in chapel. Then we went to admire the city from a lookout point on the way down the mountain before we headed to the orphanage for the afternoon. Okay – enough details. Here’s Carlos and his reflection:

God calls his servants to aid others in any way we can. There are numerous ways we can do this. For example, we can donate to good causes, give money to our church, go to orphanages, give food to the poor, go on mission trips, and many more. This week our school, Academia Los Pinares, has joined Prestonwood Christian Academy, for a second year in a row, to do a mission trip. A mission trip is defined as a trip with specific plans to benefit specific people or groups, outiside your culture.

So, we, the ALP students, are on an outreach project or service project in our country, Honduras, while the students and staff from PCA are on a mission trip; they are serving outside American territory.  Anyway, whether you participate in a mission trip or outreach project, the goal is to spread God’s Holy Word, the gospel, to others through acts of service. Also, another goal is to help the individuals, spreading the gospel, to draw closer to God by sacrificing their commodity, work, money, etc. and just focusing on what God has planned for them. For example, sacrificing luxuries (hot water, good food, cozy bed, etc.) allows you to see that earthly things are not essential to your spiritual life. Sometimes, it is easier to see God’s work in your life and how He is working in it. Also, it lets you realize that all the things you have aren’t your,s but are from the Lord. The things you have, are lent to you by the Lord, who can take them away whenever He wants.

During the week of the mission trip, both ALP and PCA students and staff have decided to give up many things, such as luxury, to be able to come to Valle de Angeles and Tela to preach about God’s free and eternal gift of salvation.  Finally, by sacrificing ourselves to serve others, we show love. In John 15:13, it says “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

So, that’s the first of many students to share. I hope you are encouraged tonight! Tomorrow is a big day, so keep us in your prayers.

May the Lord strengthen us in His WORD and guide us in His light!!

let LOVE fly like cRaZy!