Apathy and Evil

"Apathy and evil. The two work hand in hand...evil wills it. Apathy allows it. Evil hates the innocent and the defenseless most of all. Apathy doesn't care as long as it's not personally inconvenienced."
-Jack Thoene

"If anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help--how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions." 1 John 3:17-18

True Blessing -lessons from Kenya

A few weeks ago I went to Kenya on a mission trip with Project 82. We visited and played with some of the kids in their orphanages. We held training conferences for Kenyan pastors and we even sneaked in a mini-safari. The trip was amazing and my mind is still trying to process all that I learned. My heart was simultaneously broken and warmed at the orphanages. Seeing such precious children without families is hard. Seeing such amazing people take care of these children was incredible. In countries like Kenya you see a lot of poverty and suffering. Yet, you also see resiliency and joy. Behind the hardship lies great spiritual strength. Meeting with the Kenyan pastors and seeing their hunger for God's Word was an incredible site. There is no paid time off in Kenya and most of the pastors have other jobs. Thus, most of the ministers gave up a day's wage to be at the conference. Many walked miles to get there. Their example has challenged  me and my own desire to learn. 

This trip also clarified my own calling in life to...

Seek God's Presence

Preach the Gospel

Serve the least of these

Be a voice for the voiceless

Obviously my life includes numerous other elements. Having a calling does not mean I stop changing diapers and washing dishes (although it would be great if it did). But I'm beginning to realize that God is pulling my heart into different places. He is giving me opportunities to serve in ways that stretch me. This can be hard at times, but I pray for more. I see a reoccurring theme in my own life: my greatest joys come through service and sacrifice. Whenever I live for something bigger than myself, I gain a greater intimacy with Christ. My self-centered prayers are slowly becoming externally focused. Instead of asking God to bless me, I'm beginning to ask him to do something with me. I desire being used by God more than I desire my own needs being met. 

I think sometimes we desire God's blessings more than we desire his presence. We desire his gifts more than we desire his glory. We fail to realize our true blessing is knowing God and being used by God. We fail to realize our true blessing is found in blessing others. I tend to forget these truths...Kenya was a great reminder. 

Necessary Suffering

There are many reasons why people don't pray. Some people don't pray because they don't believe. Others may not pray due to busyness or lack of discipline. However, a few people are timid to pray because “I’m afraid of what God will ask me to do.” And in all reality, that is a very good reason not to pray. At the very least, this reason implies that they know the power of prayer. It's interesting that whenever angels appear in scripture, the first thing they say is “fear not.” They say “fear not,” but we are afraid, and we have every right to be. To be used and changed by God is a scary thing.

I wonder sometimes if one of the reasons many (American) Christians struggle to grow spiritually is because we do not expect to suffer. In fact, we do everything we can to avoid it. Most of us are willing to serve...as long as it doesn't interfere too much with my schedule. Most of us are willing to help others...as long as it doesn't require me to sacrifice. Most of us are willing to give...as long as it doesn't affect my current life style. We seem to assume that we should not have to bear any heavy burdens. We seem to assume we have no cross to carry. We are quick to conclude that God would never want us to struggle or suffer for the sake of others. 

A few disclaimers before we move on: (1) I struggle with this "comfort" mentality as much as anyone. (2) I am not advocating that we work ourselves to death. (3) I am not saying we should seek out pain and suffering for the sake of being spiritual.

With that said, I rarely see God call someone to a life of comfort and ease in the Bible. I'm still looking (because I really want to find it), but it's not there. God's call typically requires people to leave their comfort zone and it usually includes trials of some sort. The early church did not seek out pain and persecution. However, their view of suffering was much different than ours. They rejoiced when they suffered for the cause of Christ. They even counted suffering as a privilege! I know...weird, right? 

But maybe they understood something we don't. Maybe really loving others requires sacrifice and struggle. Maybe really serving God requires surrender and faith. Maybe suffering brings us closer to Christ in ways that are not possible otherwise.

Don't get me wrong: it is not a sin to own a couch or to go on a vacation. However, in our culture we need to be careful that comfort and ease do not become our main priorities. We need to be careful that self-indulgence does not become our god. We need to be careful to heed God's call even if it requires suffering...because it probably will. 

Orphan Care-How We Can Help

Why We Care for the Orphan?

Our calling is clear:

“Learn to do good! Seek justice! Help the oppressed! Defend the orphan! Fight for the rights of widows!” Isaiah 1:17

“Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.” James 1:27

The need is great:

There are an estimated 153 million orphaned and vulnerable children around the world. Here in the United States there are nearly 400,000 children in the foster care system.

How Our Church Helps:

1. United Methodist Children’s Home-our church assists with any needs our group home may have and promotes adoption and foster care training through our United Methodist Children’s home. Our church is also used for training classes as needed. Our senior pastor is also on their advocacy board and we take up a special offering for this ministry annually on Christmas Eve.

2. Project 82 Kenya-the mission of Project 82 is to be the evidence of God’s grace and perfect love to orphans in Kenya. They protect, shelter, clothe, feed, educate, disciple and support the precious children of Kenya in an environment of family and community. We partner with this ministry through child sponsorship, special donations, and an annual short-term mission trip to Kenya.

3. Belarus Mission-each year a team from our church travels to Belarus to assist with a variety of projects including home repair, Bible School, and orphan care.

4.Child Sponsorship through World Vision and/or Project 82 Kenya-we promote individuals sponsoring children through organizations like World Vision and Project 82 Kenya. These ministries assist children and families by tackling the root causes of poverty.

5. Operation Christmas Child-each year we pack and collect gift boxes that will be distributed to orphans and other vulnerable children around the world.

6. Imagine No Malaria-unlike many other diseases that are awaiting a cure, malaria was eliminated in the U.S. in the 1950s. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, malaria continues to kill a person every 60 seconds causing many children to become orphans. But there is hope! In 2007, the World Health Organization estimated there were more than 1,000,000 malaria related fatalities. By 2012, the number had been reduced to 627,000. While that is still a staggering number, a nearly 50% increase in life is worth celebrating! Thanks to the efforts of The United Methodist Church and our partners, we are on our way to beating malaria for good. Our church will highlight this ministry during the season of Lent and take up a special offering to support it.

7. Orphan Sunday-each year we celebrate Orphan Sunday in order to raise awareness and gain greater participation for each of our ministries.

Thoughts on Ferguson...

Watching the news last night left me sad. I am sad for Michael Brown's family. I am sad for good police officers who are given a black eye due to events and actions they have no control over. I am sad for the whole city of Ferguson. I feel sad for the continued divide our nation has about race. This division is amplified by my social media feeds. The majority of my white friends either rejoiced or remained silent when they heard the news of no indictment. The majority of my African American friends were disappointed and discouraged.

On the one hand, I have family and friends who are police officers that work hard every day to protect and serve their community. I am very thankful for their service. On the other hand, I have friends with black children who have legitimate concerns about their safety and the fairness of our legal system. Regardless of how you feel about this particular case, the statistics concerning the justice system and African Americans are staggering. In the U.S., African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites. White people by far use the most illegal drugs, but African Americans are ten times more likely to be sent to prison for drug offenses. Also, the mounting number of young black men who have been killed unarmed is disturbing.

Our son, who we adopted last year, is African American. Right now he is 11 months. He is a chubby, adorable baby that everyone loves. But one day he will become a young man and I fear how people may treat him. In fact, I will even have to talk to him about how people (including law enforcement) may treat him differently due to the color of his skin. I hate that I (and many other families) must have this conversation. Our country has come a long way when it comes to race, but cases like Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown reveal that we still have a long way to go.

We need to pray.
We need to listen and learn.
We need to work for healing and reconciliation.

What is the Lord's Will for My Life?

As a pastor, one request I hear repeatedly from people is their desire to know God's will for their life. And by "God's will" they are usually wanting to know about a career to pursue, place to live, school to attend, and whom to marry. These are not bad questions and I certainly agree that we should pray and think about these matters. However, when I read about "God's will" in scripture I rarely see it used in this way. While the Bible doesn't tell every person on earth specifically what his or her life's calling will be, it does give us a lot of general direction:

"You are to serve the least of these." Yes.
"You are to care for the orphan and the widow." Yes.
"You are to deny yourself and follow Jesus." Yes.
"You are to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor. And your neighbor includes sinners, tax collectors, and even your enemies." Yes.
"You are to go and make disciples." Yes.
"You are to show mercy and walk humbly with God." Yes.
"You are to be holy because God is holy." Yes.

I wonder sometimes if we focused more on doing the revealed will of God, perhaps the specifics of our lives would fall into place. Don't get me wrong...God cares about the school you attend, but he cares more about your heart and the way you live.

"Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." Psalm 25:4-5

Marriage and Other Stuff

Today marks 8 years of marriage with my amazing and beautiful wife. It's been an amazing journey so far. Just thinking about what has taken place during our marriage makes me tired...

Over a decade working in student ministry: retreats, lock-ins (what were we thinking), small groups, mission trips, service projects, and eating way too much pizza.

Moving to Wilmore, Kentucky so that I could attend Asbury Theological Seminary.

Buying this guy… (roll tide!)

Going on some incredible trips including New York, Haiti, and the Holy Land!

Getting ordained in The United Methodist Church. (what were they thinking)

The birth of our first child…Kenzie Claire. She's the greatest little girl in the entire world in my bias opinion.

Going through the process of adoption...

Finalizing the adoption of our son…Caleb Kyrie. He's the greatest baby boy in the world by far.

Keeping up with these two crazy kids on a daily basis.

Like I said, it's been an amazing journey so far and I look forward to what God has in store for us in the future. 

(But one non-crazy year would be nice)

Caleb's Big Weekend -Adoption Update

Last weekend was a big one for our son Caleb. On Friday, March 14th, his adoption was finalized by the state of Florida. Caleb is "officially" our son. Then on Sunday I baptized Caleb. Below is a letter we wrote for him and read at church. As always, thank you for your continued prayers and support. This adoption was made possible by so many people besides ourselves. We are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.

Our family with the Judge

Dear Caleb Kyrie Dasinger,

We are so excited that today is your baptism. Getting to this point has been an adventure to say the least. Often times adoption is seen as something embarrassing or strange. We pray and hope your adoption story is one that you take pride in. We fully realize that a child being raised by their loving birth parents is plan A. We understand that we are plan B and yet what an amazing privlege that is. Our God is good. He can take all things and redeem them for good.

Your birth mom was not able to take care of you and she made a very courageous decision in giving you to us. We will be forever grateful for her decision. We want you to know that we have been praying for you and thinking about you even before you were born. We want you to know that we fought hard to have you in our family. You are worth every penny spent, every sleepless night, every mile travelled, every piece of paper filled out, every phone call, every obstacle, every hard day. Being your mommy and daddy is one of the greatest things God has ever called us to. Having you as our son is a blessing beyond words.

As your parents, we promise to love you and take care of you each and every day. We hope to be great examples of compassion and grace. Your sister Kenzie was just as excited to meet you as we were. She couldn’t wait to have a little brother. No family is perfect, but we pray that our family will show God’s incredible power and faithfulness. 

You will also have an amazing church family who will support you and pray for you as well. In fact, it is your church family that helped make this adoption possible. The church is not perfect, and being a pastor’s son will not always be easy. But hopefully you will see and meet people who really love Jesus and really love you. Today you become a part of God’s church family.

You will always be surrounded by people who love you, but unfortunately you will also grow up in a fallen world. We’re sorry that you may face mistreatment due solely to the color of your skin. We’re sorry people may think your family is odd or weird. We believe our family is amazing. We believe our family reflects God’s kingdom…a kingdom that includes every nation, race, and tribe. We’re sorry that you will grow up in a culture that teaches men to be chauvinistic, prideful, and angry. Our culture defines real men as cocky, arrogant, and egotistical. We hope and pray you will become a Godly man. We hope you are selfless, compassionate, and kind. We hope you are strong in the way you honor women and in the way you care for the least of these. We hope you’re strong in your beliefs and that you will live by faith. This is real strength.

We hope you find your identity in God’s love for you. And this brings us back to this special day. The baptismal covenant is God’s word to us, proclaiming our adoption into God’s family by God’s grace. Baptism is a symbol of God’s love for you. It’s a reminder that you are fearfully and wonderfully made in his image. Life is an up and down journey. It is filled with victories and defeats. Your baptism declares that nothing can change God’s love and commitment to you. You are his and he is yours. Follow him son.  

Love,

Mom, Dad, and Kenzie

Worth the Wait -Adoption Update

Meet Caleb Kyrie Dasinger! For those who don't know, our family has been on the journey of adoption for some time now. This has been a long and sometimes difficult journey. Tedious paper work, unexpected expenses, and a few disappointments have come along the way.

However, as soon as we held Caleb in our arms we knew he was worth the journey. All the disappointments and difficulties faded to the background as we immediately fell in love with our second child. Caleb is healthy and doing well, and our daughter Kenzie loves being a big sister. The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. Our bodies are tired, but our hearts are full! God is good! 

Our family has chosen to document and write about our journey as a way of raising awareness for adoption and orphan care. We've often been asked the question: "Why adopt? Why go through this messy and expensive process when you can have kids the old fashion way?" Glad you asked! There are several reasons really...

1. God cares for the orphan and therefore we should too! The Bible speaks about this in several places. (see Psalm 68:5-6, Isaiah 1:17, James 1:17)

2. Adoption is at the heart of the gospel! Through Christ, God not only declares us not guilty, but he then adopts us as his sons and daughters! Our adoption cost God a lot, but he believed we were worth it. Adoption is our highest privilege as Christians. 

(see Romans 8, Galatians 4, 1 John 3)

3. We choose adoption because we believe every life matters. And I don't mean this in the pro-life bumper sticker kind of way. I mean we believe every kid deserves a family. Every kid deserves to be loved and cherished. Following Jesus means loving others, especially those who have been marginalized and forgotten. This truth can be lived out in different ways: visiting prisoners, foster care, serving the poor, or assisting widows (just to name a few).

4. However, the best answer I have is sometimes there are moments in our lives where we do not reason things out, we just know in our hearts that God has called us to do something and so we do it. I believe these are the best moments. If we walk by faith, we will get to be a part of some amazing opportunities. Don't be mistaken, following God's call will probably make life more challenging in some ways, but in the end it will be worth it.

Orphan Awareness Month

For those who may not know, November is Orphan Awareness Month. As Christians, our call to care for orphans is pretty clear in the Bible. Here are just two examples:

"Learn to do good! Seek justice! Help the oppressed! Defend the orphan! Fight for the rights of widows!" Isaiah 1:17

"Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us." James 1:27

The mandate is clear. So why do we hesitate to help? (1) Helping orphans seems overwhelming and unending. (2) Helping orphans is a complex problem with complex solutions. However, here are some good ways to get started:

1. Pray. Sounds simple, but the most important thing we can do is intercede for others. Plus, as we pray, God will begin to give us his desires. Our hearts will begin to break for the things that break his.

2. Get educated. There is a lot of great information on blogs and in books. Here are a few suggestions: 

"Orphanology" By Tony Merida and Rick Morton

"Orphan Justice" By Johnny Carr

"The Hole in Our Gospel"By Richard Stearns

3. Support others. Support and encourage foster parents. Get them gift cards for date nights and offer to babysit. Give monetary gifts to those who are adopting. Everyone is not called to adoption, but we should support those who are. Adoption is expensive and every gift helps!

4. Sponsor a child. Help support a child and their family through organizations like World Vision and Compassion International. 

5. Consider becoming a foster parent. Consider adoption. Again, every family may not be able to foster or adopt, but every family should think about it.

The vast number of orphans can seem overwhelming. It can seem that no matter what we do, nothing will really help. However, as Christians we believe every life is worth fighting for. One adoption helps one child. It's worth it. One foster family provides a safe place for one child. It's worth it. I believe God can take the small things we do and multiply them in amazing ways. Never underestimate what our God can do! Never underestimate the power of love! 

Stuck in the Middle

Have you ever felt stuck? Have you ever felt the frustration of waiting? You're not where you were, but you're not where you want to be either. You're stuck in the middle and sometimes the "middle" feels like nowhere. For a variety of reasons, I have felt stuck lately. I feel anxious sometimes and I don't even know why. Don't get me wrong, my life is great. I have an amazing family and I'm doing ministry at a wonderful church. However, my heart feels restless. I'm guessing that God has something for us in the near future. In the mean time, I will use this middle time to trust and to wait...to pray and to seek. These words from Psalm 130 have been precious to me during this season and I hope they are an encouragement to you as well.

I am counting on the Lord;
yes, I am counting on him.
I have put my hope in his word...
for with the Lord there is unfailing love
and an overflowing supply of salvation.
-Psalm 130

Heavenly Father, it is for you that I wait, in you that I hope, and with you that I am. May your presence shine in the middle of it all. Give me strength and wisdom as I wait. Amen.

Waiting Stinks -Adoption Update

We've jumped through all the hoops, filled out all the paper work, and completed the medical tests and blood-work. We've been approved to adopt and now the hard part...waiting. Waiting stinks! Whether it is waiting in traffic or waiting in lines or waiting in a doctor's office, waiting is never fun. Waiting to adopt your child is even worse.

But maybe there is a purpose in waiting. In fact, the Bible tells us in several places to "Wait on the Lord." I've never fully understood what that meant. I am by nature a doer. I don't like to wait. I'm a patient person until my patience is tested...which means I'm not really patient.

Perhaps waiting is how God prepares our hearts for something special. Maybe waiting helps us to realize that everything is in God's timing, not ours. Waiting forces us to depend on God's strength and God's wisdom. Waiting is a reminder that we do not complete acts of faith in our own ability. We play a part, but God is the main participant. Waiting teaches us to trust. God is working in this world for good. God cares more about our future child than we do. God is love and he will bring our adoption to completion.

Don't get me wrong...waiting still stinks. But waiting does have a purpose.

"Those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Quitting "Normal" -Learning from Mission Trips

In a few days I will be taking some Senior High students and our youth team to Haiti. Other than myself, this will be the first international mission trip for everyone in our group. I am very excited to be going back to Haiti, but I am even more excited for everyone else in our group. My hope is that the mission trip will have the same impact on them as it did on me several years ago.

Of course our prime objective is to serve and encourage the church we will be visiting. Our desire is to love on the children and give support to their ministry team. However, there is no doubt that we will receive way more than we give. One of my biggest desires for our group is that this trip will ruin them from having a "normal" life. I've always loved the phrase: "Jesus wrecked my life...in a good way!"

My hope is this trip is more than just a "cool" experience. I hope we see what life is really about and that returning to "normal" is no longer possible. I hope we begin to realize that God wants more than normal. I hope we realize that God wants more from us and that we begin to want more of him. Normal is making life all about us and what we want. Normal is accumulating stuff because we think possessions make us happy. Normal is turning a blind eye to the needs of others. Normal is about getting instead of giving. I want to quit normal because normal is not good enough. I don't think normal works very well.

I pray and hope that what we do for one week would change us forever.

Freedom of Simplicity pt. 1

"Models of simplicity are desperately needed today. Our task is urgent and and relevant. Our century thirsts for the authenticity of simplicity, the spirit of prayer, and the life of obedience. May we be the embodiment of that kind of authentic living." -Richard Foster 

Let me say from the start that what I am about to write is not meant to criticize others. My goal is not to judge people. Also, I confess that my family is far from perfect when it comes to the issue of simplicity. With that said, I believe the practice of simplicity is one that desperately needs to be heard in our culture. We live in a world obsessed with more. We live in a world obsessed with consumption. If we are not careful, we will fall into patterns of materialism and greed without even knowing it. With that said, here are 5 suggestions we are trying to do as a family...

1. Give things away on a regular basis. Go through your house and give away items you are not using. Not just the junky stuff, but nice things. We do not need 3 toasters or 15 jackets. Get rid of the clutter. You will help someone else and feel better yourself.

2. Reduce the amount of items you own. The more you own, the more you have to take care of. The more you have to take care of, the less time you have to spend on what is most important (i.e. relationship with Christ, family, serving others). More is not always better.

3. Look to downsize. I know this sounds crazy because we live in a world where we are encouraged to buy the biggest house we can afford. We have been convinced that we "must have" a certain amount of space. Again, this is not to criticize those who have large homes. I am simply offering a different perspective. Again, we must realize that bigger houses and bigger yards require more maintenance  and therefore more time.

4. Do not spend money you do not have. Do not stretch your money so tight that you cannot give to others. Look to increase the amount you can give each year. This year may not be much, but next year can be better.

5. Learn to say "No." Everyone wants our time and typically their requests are good ones. However, we cannot do everything and we must say "no" sometimes so we do not lose sight of what is most important. Make a list of your top 5 priorities and be diligent to protect them. Sometimes you will have time to do other things. But if you don't...say no!

We live in a culture that is plagued by the obsession to possess. We have more stuff and yet we still feel strained, hurried, and restless. It seems there is no escape from the rat race. The problem is we will never have enough. No amount of money or stuff can save us. Perhaps we are pursuing the wrong things. Again, I confess that I struggle with the desire for more as much as anybody else. However, when I'm alone with God, I realize the rat race is pointless. I was made to run another race.

Upside Down

Here is a video about a couple whose lives were turned upside down by Jesus. Life with Jesus is upside down because it seems so opposite of our world's values:

Forgiving instead of getting even.

Serving instead of controlling.

Giving instead of getting.

Grace instead of earning.

Peace instead of hate.

Love instead of fear.

I am so thankful Jesus turned my life upside down!

Beyond Guilt

WARNING: The video below is amazing but also challenging. However, I'm not big on guilt trips. I think when God pierces our hearts it is an opportunity to repent, not just to feel guilty. Repentance is a good thing...it means to turn around...to change the way we think or act. It is letting go of self and allowing God to shape us. Repentance is the opportunity to walk with God...to see the world as he sees it...to partner with him in his mission of redemption. Repentance is a big part of the gospel! The good news is that we have a second chance at life. We get a new start and a new way to live! May God help us go beyond guilt and lead us to repentance! 

Politics (and Adoption)

People get pretty heated about politics so I do not usually say too much about them. I do think politics are important and I do think people should vote. However, I do not believe politicians or government will ever solve the real problems in this world. Governments cannot transform hearts. Politicians cannot redeem our communities. It seems people believe that if "their candidate" or party wins everything will be right in our country. I think that is overly optimistic. On the flip side, people believe if the other party wins then we are all doomed. I think that is overly pessimistic. Maybe are passions are misguided.

What if all the passion we had about politics was directed somewhere else?

What if we used our energy differently? What if we did something?

What if being pro-life was more than just a political slogan? What would happen if we were really pro-life? What would change if we all cared for orphans? What would happen if we actually lived out James 1:27?

What if we stopped talking about the poor and entitlements and instead actually served the poor (Matthew 25)?

What would change if we lived the gospel and didn't just preach it? What would happen if we followed the example of Christ and didn't just call ourselves Christian?

What if we stopped getting angry at other people and got angry at our own sin?

People do get heated about politics...and sometimes rightly so. But why are we not "heated" about the thousands of children without families? Why are we not "heated" about kids sold into slavery? I don't think we should stop caring about politics, but I do think we should care about other things more. And if I sound preachy, please know that I am preaching to myself as well. (Plus, I'm a preacher so I can't really help it.)

I pray God would break my heart for the things that break his heart. I pray I would share his desires and passions. I'm not always there, but I'm getting better. I realize that many people are already doing the very things I mentioned. I know many people who are loving orphans, serving the poor, and living the gospel. I am very grateful for these individuals. God's kingdom work is being done, we just need to join the movement.

Haiti Mission Trip

“Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father 

means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles…” –James 1:27

When? June 15-21 2013

Where? Haiti

Who? 9^th-12^th grade students

What? This Caribbean country is known for its vast poverty and devastating earthquake in 2010. However, it is also a place with amazing people who are currently in midst of a national revival. Our team will have the opportunity to participate in this beautiful revival through leading church services, construction projects, and ministering at orphanages.

Why?

Be a Blessing

·         Fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)

·          Invest in the lives of others (Philippians 2:1-4)

·         Care for people in need (Matthew 10:42, Matthew 25, James 1:27)

·         Use the gifts God has given you for his purposes (1 Peter 4:10)

Be Blessed

·         Deepen your walk with Christ

·         Build lifelong relationships with your team members

·         Experience a new culture and the worldwide body of Christ

·         See God’s grace and power in a new way