I always talk about this, but being a part of hundreds of mission trips over the years as a translator has had such a huge impact in my life. It wasn't by coincidence that I served during my teen years; in fact, I am just now seeing how God worked through that and how He molded me through summer missions. I know I would have been a troubled teen hadn't it been for that first summer. My first summer serving in Mexico happened to be the summer my grandmother passed away. God had a way of working things out because I'm sure that since they were gone, I didn't really have a reason to visit Mexico anymore. That summer I was introduced to the world of missions and was exposed to many talks about continuing to serve as a missionary in other parts of the world. Most importantly, I learned more about God- who He is, how He loves, and ways in which I can serve- in those five weeks than in the five years or so that I had been attending church.
Now, every time I hear anything regarding missions work, my heart burns. I have felt that my calling since I was twelve and have been preparing myself for the field ever since. A couple of hours ago, though, my pastor talked a little about missions. I felt the same feelings as always (especially after just getting back from a mission trip): heart raced, mind tried to capture everything he was saying…and then he dropped it- "If you don't have a heart for home first, how can you have a heart for the nations?"
All semester I have been convicted about sharing Christ with people I encounter every day. It's so hard to take initiative and just listen to God's voice and His promise that He will always go before us and He will be the one speaking, not us. It seems like it would be easier to share in other countries where people are more open to the gospel than a lot of people here in America, but the truth is that we are ALL broken. Everyone is in need of some Good News and it's selfish and pretty much a sin (as my pastor put it) to not share it with those who are hurting, trying to figure life out without God. So many people are dying daily for sharing Christ with others and here I am, not using my freedom to bring hope and truth to others.
Another thought that keeps happening in my mind is that I'm almost limiting God to how and where I want to be used. I love Mexico- I know the language, I grew up spending pretty much every vacation time there, and being Mexican myself, I find myself connecting with the people. I think God's been trying to tell me that I'm too comfortable with knowing…that thought scares me a little because it's true. I've never been in a place where I don't understand the language, haven't really experienced major cultural varieties, and have never had super exotic food—that's why Mexico makes sense to me. I do believe I have a heart for this country, but I also want to get to the point where I will be willing to follow wherever He leads me, whenever He calls me.
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"' Romans 10:14-15
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