More on New Orleans

Last night the New Orleans Missions Trip gave their official report to our church body. So many people contributed to the evening. Several led singing, a couple helped with sound and tech stuff, and others shared about their experiences in New Orleans. Of those around the area (at least one has already left for college), we had 100 percent participation. The church body came out en masse to support their missionaries. From the 12 minute PowerPoint (150 pictures!) to the heartfelt statements about life-change I relived many of the highlights.

I am glad that the lessons learned brought emotions, but were not controlled by emotions. Maybe that's the heart of this post. I heard students talk about emotional highlights and the way their heart was moved. And I alos heard a ton of talk about how God is using trips like this to guide and direct our students in His service. So here are a couple of summary statements:

• Start serving! By beginning to serve you develop a servant's heart. Did you ever think that it worked the other way ("Once I get a servant's heart I will start to serve")? It doesn't. So many times God uses our experiences to encourage us toward deeper obedience. It's NOT our behavior that determines what we believe, I don't believe that. But I do believe that working hard toward common goals with God's people is a privilege that is (generally) self-sustaining. It is so rewarding to give!
• Serve in areas that you are uncomfortable in. I can't tell you how many people I have met that have basically relegated themselves to do only the tasks that tend to fall within their areas of "giftedness." I know that's how God has generally put the church together, but can you imagine how many monumental tasks would have NEVER been completed if the person who did them opted out because they didn't feel it was their "area"? Moses almost messed things up, Paul, I could go on and on. So embrace the fun of serving. Serve wherever there is a need. You may find out where you are NOT gifted, but you may find an additional gift or passion that lies submerged beneath your surface.
• Don't consider a foreign "Missions" trip unless you are engaged in the mission here and now. It kills me that so many people will display a heart of service in Ethiopia (or wherever) but they would not dream of serving their mom or wife or neighbor. If you aren't serving in your private life, don't fake it in the public eye. I'm not saying, "Don't ever go." I am saying, "Start serving now in your local church and then sign-up later for the big trip." The mission is not a "foreign field" mission, it's global. And if you live on the globe, your neck of the woods is the field.
• It's not what you do, it's who you are. That's my favorite lesson learned. Some people asked me, "What did you get done?" I don't know, we pulled weeds, we deconstrcuted walls, we moved stuff and we played with kids. I am amazed by the narratives that tell us about what Jesus did while He was here on the earth. He was unwilling to do anything that wasn't part of His purpose (He came to seek and to save that which was lost). But along the way he attended weddings, ate with tax collectors, showed compassion on people and connected with children. He didn't do one act of organization that produced a life-changing organization. He produced a shift in the way people should think about their lives. The Spirit has produced the organism, the Church. I'm not saying, "Don't accomplish something," I am saying, "Love compassionately while you accomplish things." "Be," not just "do."

Check out our trip Blog here.

I thank my God for His grace in allowing Nikki and me to lead this trip with the other adults. What a privilege to serve our Lord like this!

A Trip to New Orleans

You probably know that I have been in New Orleans for the past week on a missions trip with 22 amazing students and adults from my church fam. We had a great time together! God provided safety, opportunities to grow in our love for each other and understanding of how He made each of us and tons of learning.

Here are a couple of tips that I took away from our experience:

• If you have the choice for transportation, DRIVE. Sure it takes a lot longer, but the conversations and experiences cannot be duplicated. We stopped in Memphis and just happened to be near "Graceland." We had emergency restroom stops for almost every member of our travelling potty. (Whoops, I meant, "party.") Our two vans stayed connected via two-way radio, and even that was fun. And we met new friends at the Grace Evangelical Free Church in Memphis who amazed us with their hospitality.

• Go with no expectations. It's ironic, isn't it that we ask people to plan, house and feed us on a missions trip and then get very picky and crabby if they do things their way instead of ours. My prayer and mindset going in was, "this is Urban Impact's week. We will do whatever they ask us with a gracious heart. We will not critique their ways or plans." So I DID have to fight my own critical heart into submission. Sometimes I lost. I learned a lot from them along the way.

• Let the emotions be the icing on the cake. All of us as adults know this, but our kids live as they feel from day-to-day. Missions is about a choice to give of yourself (love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself). You can do that in New Orleans or in your own hometown. You can do that when it "feels good" and when it is the last thing you want to do. You can do that when it gives you warm fuzzies and when you have to grit it out. The cake is your commitment and choice to serve Jesus Christ no matter how you feel. The icing is the way it makes you feel. I really don't like much icing on my cake.

• If possible, find a way to report back to the families left at home. We started a blog that was pretty cool. Maybe there are other ways, too.

• Listen. I found myself trying to discipline myself to be quiet throughout the week. I needed quiet to renew my soul. Other leaders needed quiet from me, except in specific and crucial moments. The Urban Impact staff needed quiet from me when they were doing their jobs, but encouragement at other times. And the students needed quiet from me in group times, so they could speak. The older I get, the more I love trying to become a little more quiet. (Stop laughing everyone.)

• Pray. Obviously, this is first in priority. I think I will try to flesh out certain lessons I learned along the way at different times on this blog. But if there's one over-arching element it is that a group of people (like our New Orleans Team) could experience exactly the same external stimuli (week-long experiences) and react in two opposing ways. I can react in the flesh ("What did "I" or "my students get out of it or feel?") and live through the duration of the commitment (spend time doing something). Or, we can walk in the Spirit ("God taught me about my gifts," etc.). God keep me from walking students through a series of experiences that are of the flesh only! May your Spirit be doing what I/we could NEVER do.

So the trip was a life-changing experience--hopefully for all of us. Some of us had icing, and some of us only had cake. But we all participated in building the Kingdom. We helped to build it in others, but again found that God is busy building it in us.