Day Four: Mission Accomplished

Well friends, our work down here is done. It's been a hard four days, but our tasks are accomplished. The trees have been planted, cracks sealed, cars (and bus) washed, gardens weeded and mulched and the wall demolished. And through all of this we've been able to help translate the Bible around the world! It has been incredibly encouraging to see how the Lord has knitted our group together through our work and made us a blessing to those around us.


Plus it has also been great to see how encouraged the workers down here have been by us coming down. Everyone has been commenting on how encouraged they are to have us and that we were able to help them out so much in their work to further the Kingdom. But at the same time too we have been so encouraged to know these men and women as well. The Lord has been faithful for decade upon decade to each of these saints to preserve and strengthen their faiths and now when many wind down their lives they are following Paul's exhortation to Timothy to fight the good fight and to finish the race strong. Oh, that the Lord would allow us to be the same way.

Another prayer request for the few of us who have been here all three years and it looks like this will be our last trip. For me it has been quite a melancholy day, because I love the friends that I have down here, but it's hard to think that this may be the last time I will see some of them. Especially some of the men like John, Marlin and Darrell who I've come to know over the years. But our time in 1 Thesselonians has been encouraging on this point. Tonight we were studying chapter 4 where Paul encourages the church that they should not grieve like the world does because of the hope of the Gospel, that even though some of their number have died they will all spend eternity together in heaven with Christ.

So for those of us looking at our potentially last trip for PSU DCF Spring Break, please pray that we would trust in the hope of the Gospel that the goodness that we taste here on earth is just a momentary, dry, bland foretaste of the eternal marriage banquet that we'll enjoy in heaven with Christ and every other believing friend that geography, time or death separates from us for this short, momentary life.

Please also be praying for this last day coming up that we would have safe travel to Busch Gardens, enjoy great fellowship in the park and that our final time with our friends who are snowbirding it down here in Orlando would be God glorifying. Plus while you're praying please thank God for awesome roller coasters, because well they're awesome and only God could think up something so crazy as a roller coaster to give to the minds of men for our enjoyment.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and encouragement!