the finale

yes it's true...the summer of fun is officially coming to an end. i realize it's a bit of a stretch to refer to the early days of october as part of summer, but that's the way it goes.

it's been a fabulous few months. i spent a lot of time with people i love and i enjoyed them immensely. i often found myself talking with a friend and being a bit overwhelmed at how glad i am that we met. i have some fun, inspiring and lovable friends for sure!

one thing i wanted to do this summer was to simply be available and be generous with my time. sometimes that meant just spending time with someone, and other times it meant helping out with work, kids or other tasks. the summer finale is that kind of opportunity. tomorrow my mom and i are heading to mexico with three other people from calvary. we'll be helping some missionaries there who are working to transform a facility that has been used for summer camps in the past into a full time home for kids.

i think  people often wonder what the point is to short term mission trips. why not just send the money directly to the missionary or project and let them use it to buy materials, hire workers, etc? it's a good questions, and one i ask myself on occasion, but i do think there is a reason. part of it is for our own benefit, so we can be a part of something bigger than ourselves. like this cademan's call song says...

He doesn't need us, but He lets us put our hands in

so we can see, HIs love is bigger than you and me

it's also because people are people, not just numbers. you can send money, but money can't give a kid a hug, and sometimes that's what they need. our last night in honduras the kids did a drama to a song called "child of the street". here's the chorus...

i don't need money, i don't need compassion

what i need is love, i am a child of the street

when you travel somewhere, whether across the world or across the street, you're showing people that someone cares for them and that they are not forgotten.