Mexico + Flexibility = NYC

Great title, right? I know, I know – I can be awesome sometimes. 

As many of you know, Hannah and I have been fundraising to join students on a spring break missions trip to Mexico. I have actually never been to Mexico and we had never been on a mission trip together. I was looking forward to brushing up on my Spanish and anytime I can eat carnitas and it counts as part of ministry, count me in! As we all got back on campus, we began to discuss the trip and the details.

Unfortunately, we ran into some obstacles. We didn’t have as many students sign-up as we had expected. Our team’s skill set didn’t match the projects available. There were more staff going than there were students.

As a team, we decided that it would be best to join up with other the spring break missions trip which is going to NYC to serve with the Dream Center. It was clear that we could make a bigger impact in one location than in two and that our resources would go a lot further. So, we are not going to Mexico. And that’s okay. Why? It’s less about the plan and more about the mission.  The plan was going to Mexico. But the mission is to serve, love and minister to people.

I will be the first to admit that I struggle when plans change. I like stability and I tend to become uncomfortable when an audible is called. As I think back over last semester and even my time at Family Life Church, the opportunity to choose to be flexible occurs often. And when I shy away from that, I am admitting something: I want to be in control. Planning is not the problem. The problem is when we serve the plan instead of allowing our plans to serve the mission. The mission is unchanging, but the way we go about it within a certain context of circumstances, may require us to change.

The thing is, if you and I refuse to be flexible, then we can miss out. I think about Philip and his encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch. It wasn’t an appointment in Philip’s iCal. It was a seemingly spare-of-the-moment opportunity presented by an angel. What if he hadn’t listened? What if he hadn’t changed his plans that day?

When we are inflexible, we make this thing about us. And so not only do we miss out, others may as well.

Support Raising Update

One of the positive side effects of this change, is that the amount of money we need to raise has drastically decreased. Originally, we had to $2,600 but now we only need to raise $1,400.  Due to the generous support of friends and family alike, we have raised $1,000 and only need $400. Thank you!  If you are interested in giving, you can do so online.