I’m delinquent in getting the blog out this week. I was working on it Thursday when I came down with the stomach bug. I thought I had a summer cold. I had a sore throat earlier in the week that ended up going to my larynx and making me hoarse, (which I was big-time, after speaking on Wednesday night). However, I thought it was nothing more than that. Well…hold your horses…Thursday morning, BANG…let’s just say for the next 6 hours, I was in and out of the bathroom. I was hit with vomiting and diarrhea. UGH!
Let me tell you…I’m so appreciative of my health. Our health in our wealth. You know that don’t you? You can have all the money and time and in the world, but if you don’t have your health, you have nothing. Being well is a blessing. I’m thankful I’m not sick that often, but when I am, it really makes me SO thankful to be well! For those who deal with chronic illness and sickness, you are my heroes! It takes a special gift of grace from the Lord to endure long seasons of sickness.
Thankfully, I was blessed to be feeling much better by Saturday about 11 am. Honestly, it was like someone flipped a light switch. I went from terrible nausea and a splitting headache to feeling much, much better. I was weak as water…but, at least I was no longer to nauseated. Again, what a relief!
I preached three times today and as I preached I got stronger. Isn’t that crazy? Only the Lord can do that. I didn’t broadcast to the world that I had been sick. That’s annoying when a speaker gets up and tells how sick they’ve been. Just get up and speak. And certainly, as a preacher…I knew I would need to lean into Jesus…and that’s what I did. In our weakness, He is strong and strength comes from Him. I say that and as I do…I realize that what I did today is nothing compared to what some people do every day just trying to get out of bed. They are the strong ones. Nonetheless, I’m thankful I was able to preach and that I’m finally back in the world of feeling better.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “There’s nothing like going on a mission trip!” Oh yes, it’s hard, but it’s oh so good! It’s exhausting, yes…but it’s also so exhilarating! What a joy! We had a team doing work in Mexico/TX and another team in China. Here’s our China team:
You’ll see mom’s and daughters…
That’s no a coincidence. As a church we have always done mission work as a family. We don’t have age-segregated mission trips.
This was a Facebook post on our church Facebook page from the trip:
“The MPBC China Mission team is having a great time! We finally got to meet our translators and children! Some of us were matched with younger children, while some of us were matched with older teenagers, all with different types of needs.
We know that the matching process was no coincidence, and we are trusting that the Lord put these specific people into each of our hands. We so wish we could share photos of these precious children, but we would never do anything to harm the work that is being done here. We can, however, share photos of our translators. Please be in prayer for not only the children, but these young Chinese adults serving along side us. They all possess such sweet spirits, and are desperate to know the Truth.”
One of the teens on the trip said this after returning: Y’all !!!! First off I know I can say this from behalf of the entire team, from the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU for all of the prayers this trip!! God has completely changed my life this trip, and he has shown nothing but grace and mercy over us. Our little boy was the absolute sweetest, and the fact that he called me big sister made him even sweeter. I’m so thankful for all the amazing people I’ve met this week! China will forever have a special place in my heart, and I can’t wait to come back soon.
Praise the Lord for their dedication and desire to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus! We are truly blessed to have a church that’s willing to send out two teams to the “uttermost parts” during the same week!
Here’s our Mexico/TX team. My family and I were on this team…
You’ll see more families. Dads, moms, daughters, sons… I’ll tell you…there is nothing greater you can do for your kids than to take them on a mission trip! If you are reading this and have children around the age of 12 and older…consider it. The cost of the trip is around $400 per person. That’s cheap for a mission trip out of the country that can show your children how blessed we are and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Make that part of your “to do” list going forward. Ask me or Pastor Dale about it if you have questions. If you are part of another church, we’ve got open dates on the calendar for your church to go down. Contact Jason Church to schedule a week for your church at forhisglorychurch.jc@gmail.com.
We had a great week in Weslaco, Texas working with Jason and Katie Church at New Life Baptist Church in their VBS. It started out with a great concert with Iron Bell Music on Sunday Night…
I love the kids…
The kids loved the face painting!
Aren’t they precious!
The men worked on building a home for one of the Elders in the church in Mexico. Remember, the church was renamed from: El Laurel Baptist, to Mt. Pleasant Baptist last year.
See the name in the background! Andrew and I went down for that celebration, “renaming” service in January of 2018. We got to spend time with Jason and Katie and their special, wonderful family in Weslaco while we were there.
Folks, it’s so special to know that we’ve helped plant a church in Weslaco, TX and Progreso, MX. Truly, I believe this is what Jesus meant when He gave us the Great Commission.
I took a picture of some of the past teams that have gone down. We’ve been doing the work since 2009. That’s hard to believe…
On this trip, we worked hard on building a church for an Elder in the church. He and his wife and their four children lived in a home that had been destroyed by termites. So, we built them a block house.
The cool thing about this work is that our children could help in the work. Not to be a broken record, but I can’t say enough to you what it means to take your children on a mission trip to another country and see how blessed we really are and to push them outside of their comfort zone.
The work is hard. It’s hot. We’re up early and we go full throttle for 16-18 hours a day. But, ask a family after they get back if it’s worth it. They’ll say, “You better believe it!” I guarantee it!
The ladies did a great job with the VBS in Mexico…
Those dear ladies fixed us lunch each day! It was scrumptious! What a blessed time for the Mount Pleasant of North Carolina to be with our brothers and sisters of Mount Pleasant of Progreso, MX.
Oh yeah…it was hot down there! We’re headed back after VBS and work in Mexico…
Pastor Oscar took a selfie as we were packed with 24 people in a 15-passenger van! Thankfully we just had to ride about 10 minutes like this to the border from the church. Otherwise, this old boy would have been riding on the roof! Tight places make we go a little off my rocker! Those dear souls in the back of the van…oh man…they were the real troopers…there was like ZERO air back there!
We “stick-built” a roof system for Manuel and his family. Randy Brooks is getting it done up there!
This picture is hilarious! This is the “Pastors’ Wall.” Pastor Oscar built that left side…Andrew, Benji Anderson and I built the right side. If you sighted the wall from the corner, you’d see that Pastor Oscar’s wall was leaning out and my wall was leaning in. Ha! Everyone said, “You guys need to stick to preaching!” My answer, “Amen!”
I’m grateful that the header we poured tied everything together and it works! I’m also glad there aren’t any building inspectors checking our work! Yikes!!!
See this picture below.
Manuel and his wife Paula are in the middle. He has on the blue shirt and hat and Paula has on the lime-green shirt. One of their daughters is in the blue jean jacket and their son, Daniel is seated below them. He has trouble walking and we’ve helped him through the years with special prosthetics. We took up money as a team to get him new braces. Manuel’s and Paula’s other two children are in the front row. All six of them will be living in the house behind them. One small living room, one small bathroom (they have had an outhouse all their lives), one bedroom for Manuel and Paula and a room for all four children. I’d estimate about 600 square feet (at the most).
There are many things I could say about the issues going on at the border. I could say to those who pontificate and make photo ops…do more! Go and work! Go and spend your money to make the lives of others better. Don’t use their lives for your political gain. Might I also say that those who are camping out and lined up to take asylum are mostly folks who are dressed nicely, have smart phones and are adults. What is being purported by the mainstream media is so bogus in so many ways!
Something else you might find interesting…those in Weslaco, TX are NOT for open borders. They told me over and over again, “We worked to come here the right way and it’s not fair to just let people walk across and get what we got when we abided by the law.” Those aren’t my words. I was told by a man running a Mexican restaurant in Weslaco, “The politicians only want votes…so, they’ll load this country up with people to put on the government programs that I’ll have to pay more taxes to cover, just so those politicians can stay in office and make a career out of it.” Again, not my words.
My encouragement…don’t believe what you hear in the media. Ask somebody who’s been there. Talk to the people who live on the border. Talk to the border patrol agents yourself. And yes, while we were there, a group of 50 chose to try to break through a crossing 15 minutes from where we cross. They chose to do so at 4 am in the morning, but were rebuffed and stopped. See article here: http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/us-world-news/border-agents-use-tear-gas-to-stop-nearly-50-undocumented-migrants-who-stormed-rio-grande-bridge (You will not hear about this story in the mainstream media, because it doesn’t fit their progressive liberal narrative.)
On Wednesday, when we came across the border…we were the last group to get across before the Border Control closed the border and emptied the bridge across the Rio Grande.
I asked a Border Patrol Agent… “What’s going on? Do you mind me asking?” He said, “It’s just a drill, Sir.” It was that evening at 4 am that the 50 (mentioned above) tried to burst across at the bridge just to the north of that location. I believe the Border Patrol had “Intel” on what was going on and were preparing. Folks, for me…this is the bottom line… I’m all for helping people. I just spent a week of my life…time, money, and sweat doing so… but, at the end of the day, this is a country of laws, and if those laws aren’t enforced, then this country will turn into a place of anarchy and that will be just like the very countries these folks are fleeing from.
Do you think Andrew was tired on the van heading to the airport coming home?
I’ve I told you lately that I love this lady!!!
Do you think Charlotte is excited about her latest coloring project?
I’ll say!
And the latest photo of Milly! Pardon the yawn! 🙂
My son-in-law had a birthday this week! The big 24! Happy Birthday Clark! I’m so proud of you and love you and I’m so thankful the Lord brought you into Kandace’s life.
Kevin
