Laughter

I don’t really know when it happens along the day, but somewhere in between the fourth fifth or sixth presentation, the faces begin to be blurred by time and repetition. After you’ve been in front of thousands of students their stories, smiles, schools and uniforms all seem to mesh together to form an immense pull on your heart. A deep longing in your heart develops, a desire to be able to rescue all of them and save them from the loneliness and darkness that covers their lives. Somewhere along the day you can’t seem to get away from the realization that what you’re doing is most likely the only time in their lives when they can escape the reality in which they live.

We provide them with a short break from the day to day. We are there to rescue some and awaken others. The school assembly is our invitation to them, to leave their burdens for just a few moments.

Because those few moments are when their lives seem to be better, their father’s are home again to care for and love them, their mother’s don’t have to depend on their income of selling candy on the streets to tourists. They are not abused every morning before they leave to school and they’re not fearful of returning home that night. Those minutes when something in their hearts stirs and tells them that this is what they’ve been looking for. This message these Americans have brought brings hope where the failed relationships or the drugs and alcohol could not.

The assembly begins with some reservation, why have you come to my school? What are you going to expect from me? Soon the realization is made that there is truth in the message and the only thing the American’s expect or ask for is my attention. Then the laughter begins, things that are said or a funny face from one of the actors causes waves of it across the schoolyard.

The children’s laughter is heavy, but filled with a hidden joy. Filled with the sounds of stolen innocence being shaken off. Their laughter is full of the life that has been hidden and pressed down through their few years. The children are allowing themselves to be children. The children are allowing themselves to laugh if even just for a moment to relieve themselves of the real world they struggle to survive in. And the laughing feels good.

But then the stories continue and a message of hope is heard in it all. The opportunity to be able to understand the same joy these people have and the chance to live every day with the same peace that is present in this moment. Where and how can I find this?

As the presentation continues the anticipation builds, what is this book that you keep talking about? Who is this best friend that cares so much about you? Does he care about me as well? Tell me again that someone cares for me, that I can have a friend that will never leave me. Tell me again that someone knows my name and I have a purpose. Tell me again that everything is going to be ok. Tell me again that the things that happen to me aren’t my fault.

Everyday, in countless countries, in nameless cities and villages and counties God’s Word is being distributed to children who are hurting and searching for a message that will bring some sense of hope to their lives. Something that will bring even the smallest gleam of hope that things in life can be better.

And as I sit here writing these thoughts, the street is filled with that sound of children. I look out the window and see them running through the streets in their blue and white school uniforms with torches lit to mark a celebration of their schools anniversary. The same students that we will face in a few days are now running past my window hand in hand with each other. I hear them laughing and it brings back memories of the kids in the schools who’ve already received their books, whose lives’ have been altered. Yet in the same moment I am reminded that there are still many more.

Healing Places

Healing takes place in many ways and in many different settings. It sometimes happens during times of great stress or when we step out of our comfortable lives. When we step away from our world of cell phones, iPods, computers, school, work, church and familiar places to enter their world of poverty, hopelessness, confusion and fear; we place ourselves at risk of being moved with compassion and our lives being shaken. One of the greatest motivators for doing what I do is when I see this healing first hand, sometimes within a short ten days in another country with a team of people I’ve never met.

God begins this process far before the actual trip as we are stretched and grown to trust Him for finances, environmental changes and of course the unkown. For those who dare to take these steps and follow through with these commitments there is an incredible perspective or lifestyle change waiting on the other side.

Once on the field there are breaking points that bring about another part of this healing process. Seeing a homeless person on a street can sometimes awaken us to the world around us. Watching as hundreds of students desperately read a message of truth handed to them. Sometimes it is the story of one of the children that opens our hearts to expose the wounds and thus allow God to heal the hurt, mistrust, confusion or fears that plague our lives.

God never expects perfection, but he desires wholeness, a continuing process we will never finish in this life. He desires that we be open to His voice changing and shaping us, He is making us into people He can depend on and be proud of.

When we step out and rely on the God who created us with the exact characteristics that we have we find that our stories bring this same healing and encouragement to others’ lives as well. The most amazing part about this life is that God can take us as we are, beat-up, bruised, broken and failing, to change, restore and gently piece us back together. Then He has the faith in us to let us take His hope and truth to the hurting world around us.

He believes in us enough to actually be His arms, hands and feet to carry His Love to the people we used to be. When these events take place, God can truly shine through us as He changes our story from one of defeat to one of destiny. God help us view our world always keeping Your destiny in mind.

Regardless of whether we meet again on a missions field somewhere or not, I trust that God will lead and direct each of you in your lives.

Travis the Money Changer, Phil (We need God in America), P.Van, Francisco Mi Héroe, Rhoda Letter, Messy Jessie, Meghann (if you start feeling sick… too late), Victoria (Walk of Lifer), Sarina Beana, Abby (the flirt), Autumn (look at that!), Melissa (Horchata mmmm), Ashley (stop licking toes), Sonia (close your eyes) and Felicia (always cool stories)…

As I watched your plane taxi and then take off into the blue rain-clouded Guatemala City skies I thought about this; God called each of you away from the ordinary, normal, everyday life to live for ten days in the extraordinary world beyond your borders. As you sit at your computers reading this at home or work or school, His question still remains:

“How much more can you give”?

Vaya con Dios