What was it about?

Well now that I've been home from Mexico for a few days. I can settle a bit and tell you what the trip was about, what it was like, and what it most definatly was not about...me. I distinctly remember walking and talking with Heather Merrill one day while we were back on the campus one evening. We chatted a bit about the days experience, and eventually she asked me if I was having a good time. All I could remember thinking was "Who cares if I have a good time." I think I just told her that to say I was having a good time would be the wrong way to describe it, and I changed the subject. But this trip was not about taking kids to go see another country for awhile, or maybe just taking the message down south.
This trip was about so much more. It was about doing everything in our power to help and serve the workers already in place to help the hurting people in Monterrey. We did this by serving with missionaries and local pastors and workers who knew the area and what it needed. Pastor Jose Angel being one of those pastors, is one I think Corey has decided we will commit to by helping his vision of a ministry center in Catereyta.
Catereyta is a horrible plot of land that the government set aside for people who had nowhere else to go. They charge $90 a month for a plot of land with nothing on it, no electricity, no water, no sewage, and the plot is smaller than most one bedroom apartments. Most of the people there struggled to make 2 or 3 dollars a day. Can you imagine paying 90 dollars a month? Most of these people can't afford it, so they don't, and they just hope the government won't come and kick them off. We spent a good deal of time there, handing out food, handing out diapers, working on the ministry center, handing out bibles, praying with the people there, meeting their needs, and playing with the children. We served a meal one night for the entire village which consisted of a hot dog and a juice bottle. You can't imagine the turn out, and how greatful these people were for even that small amount of food. And that will never be enough sadly, there's so much to be done there to help those people, and sadly a lot of it has to come at the government level.

As God would have it though, my little Brother Brian is studying at the London School of Economic's this summer. Brian is into learning about the way governments, economics, polotics, and other factors affect world poverty. He wants to figure out how to make a change at the government level to end poverty. He thinks super big picture, and I love that about him. And as God would have it, I got a message from him when I got home. While he was studying in London, a professor threw out a bible verse to talk about how the way governments try to fix these situations isn't working.

Ecclesiastes 9:14-16 says "There was a small town with only a few people living in it, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. There was a poor, wise man living there who knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought any more about him. Then I realized that though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long."

He and I talked about it for a little while. At that moment I had an even greater appreciation for Back2back and the way they do their ministry. They work with local pastors, local laborers for the lord, who have a vision for what needs to be fixed in their area, but they may lack the resources, money, man power, to make their dreams come true. Back2back comes behind those people, and brings in groups like us to help them get the work done. We didn't charge in with our bibles flying, try to convert everyone to our ways, throw a lot of money at the problem and hope it get's fixed. We listened to those people who knew what the needs were, and we tried our best to meet those immediate needs (giving people food, supplies, and medical aid), as well as trying to create something permanant. (helping build the ministry center, pouring the roof on the future boys home, etc.)

All in all, this was a trip I hope I never forget. God's kingdom, His name and renown, was advanced in Monterrey last week. And the weird thing is, we didn't have to say anything most of the time about Him. People saw the love of Christ in our care for them, our offering them food, playing with their kids, offering medical help, and just being there and open to what they needed us to do for them. It was humbling to just say literally "God, I'm a tool, use me." All joking aside, that's what it was all about. Whether I had a good time, a horrible time, or an amazing time, it doesn't matter. God's kindgom was advanced, and his people were loved this week. That's what it was about. It wasn't about GCC kids, although they all benefited greatly from this trip. It wasn't about the Coopers, although they felt loved by what we brought them and helped them do. It wasn't about Corey or John, although they had the best trip experience of their life. And it lastly was not about Me. Last week marked me for eternity. I am a changed man after just one week of service in Monterrey, Mexico. And it wasn't even about Me. Funny how I can get so much out of a trip, when it wasn't even about me at all. I love the way God works, and I pray that the next groups that follow us down there, and the future groups from GCC continue the work down there until it's done.