Snapshots

As this week has progressed, what has been burned into my heart are images, visual snapshots, pictures of my teammates:

Carrie sitting with a beautiful young woman at Bright Hope School, looking at her school notebook, complimenting her work, laughing together, both of them totally engaged, eyes dancing, smiling and talking.

Zoe playing clapping games with young boys at Onesimus and holding that precious little girl until she fell asleep. 

Tim pulling fighting boys apart with firm but gentle hands, the perfect picture of fatherly discipline as it should be.

Dick giving up a whole day of his mission trip to sit at the guest house and supervise the Ethiopian electrician so that we could all be safe and have power and hot water.

Carlos standing in a tree at CFI, acting out the story of Zaccheus for the children.

Kidist holding hands and playing with other little Ethiopian girls her age, so very much alike and yet so very different. 

Terri stirring the cooking pot at CFI’s family day, helping the staff and mothers cook the food for our luncheon today.

Dean spending so much time with Carlos, playing cards, talking, watching him play computer games, consoling him after the fire, selflessly engaging a 9 year boy, just because he’s kind and good.

Neil loving on and being loved by every single child we come into contact with, acting goofy, making them laugh, playing, teasing.

Mark taking the time to shake the hand of every single mother/guardian at CFI this morning and watching their faces open up and smile and some of them duck their heads shyly, as he paid them respect and attention.

Erica jumping out of our group picture (more than once) to hug and say good-bye to yet another CFI child who is precious to her.

Michelle T. in intense discussions with Peter and Elizabeth, Ephrim, Derejet, Nega, Jonathan and Jess, and others about the present and the future of the ministries Hope for His Children supports in this place because her heart is on fire for the women and children here.

Cindy flawlessly coordinating more donations than a whole team of people can keep track of, along with all the suitcases and duffel bags that carried those donations here.

Michelle R. paying tribute to her husband’s sweet service on this trip and talking about how proud their girls would be of their dad, tears flowing.

Kathy B. passing out hugs which bring people to tears because in her arms you are safe and at peace and loved, at least for that moment.

Dave staying up way too late to prepare a Bible story for the kids at CFI, just in case the person on tap to give it doesn’t make it there on time.

Deacon so eager to be a team leader to the kids at CFI, excited to participate and be a part of the team and serve.

Kathy L. offering that calm wisdom that blesses me so often.

I confess I felt a little guilty about that.  The trip, after all, is about sharing the love of Jesus.  We are here to serve in His name and bring Him glory.  I shouldn’t be so focused on my teammates, right?  And then I realized:  these snapshots are so intensely sweet for me because my teammates are reflecting the very face of Jesus.  They are the perfect image of Him as they love, serve, laugh, share, and listen.  I love them so very much, because they are so very much like Him.  Those images are so pressed upon my heart because my heart recognizes His Spirit within them.  It is about them, because they are about Him.

Thank You, Lord, for this team.  They are precious to me, and I know they are precious to You.  Bless them, please.  Show Yourself gloriously through them in these last two days.