Thursday, August 19, 2010

Colombia Mission Adventures

I and the other 160+ Americans who served with Missions Without Boarders(MWOB) gathered together in Barranquilla Colombia under a large outdoors hut, to look back on our week of ministry and pray for one another. It was Sunday, July 25th. As we started one of the leaders from a church in New York shared from her heart.

She opened to 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. the verse that she emphasized was verse 20 "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal though us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." She explained that we are His ambassadors and He wants to make His appeal through us! What an honor to be used in mighty ways by our Lord and Savior. She went on to say that we need to push forward with this in mind and remember to tell ourselves, "No Compromises, No excuses, and No Regrets." These words really challenged me after seeing the Lord stretch me to reconcile others to him all week in Colombia.

As we continued the meeting and broke up in small groups to pray for one another, it started pouring down rain. I remember feeling the Holy Spirit move so strongly in that outside hut area as we lifted up our praises and prayers to Him. It was beautiful to hear the rain pour down. At one moment, I was in prayer with my group and i looked around the covered area at the other groups in prayer. All around me I heard some speaking in tongues, some receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, some praying and crying out for healing, and i thought in my heart, this is what the body of Christ should be like everyday. Shortly after that thought, a loud crash thundered through the whole area. It was so loud, i felt it shake my whole body! Everyone stopped for a moment to stand in awe, i knew it was the power of the Holy Spirit in our midst. It is even hard to type this in words, because words can not come close to explaining that glorious moment. As we finished praying after about two hours, the rain started to ease up, and as i walked away from the covering it was back to complete sunshine. I felt like i was walking away from a dream, except i knew it was real!

I will never forget my trip. It has helped me grow tremendously, and thousands were reconciled to God and received Him for the first time. Thank you for all your prayers and support and for reading this. May you be encouraged and empowered to be His ambassador! There is no greater adventure than serving and trusting Him!