By Kyle Gibbons,
How do you begin a blog when you are surrounded by the lushest of plants and crystal blue waters?
This paradise is just a taste of what could be heaven with God. Here in Belize I have had the chance to experience what it truly means to be in community. The local kids play frequent games of pick up soccer, where you truly feel apart of a team. At the craft table, the kids help each other construct their wildest ideas. In volleyball, the kids group each other to pass the ball, and then spike it to the opposite team. I have been incredibly lucky to be able experience this through my own eyes. It’s like experiencing a movie as the camera man. You experience all the emotions, challenges, and circumstances. You also get to see through lens of Christ, and truly understand the inner workings of His good work. I have had the privilege to be able to see that in every thing we did here. The passion I see in my peers eyes is enough to keep pushing through the hard work, even in the crazy heat. I truly see God moving through us in our work and laying foundations in these kids that can stand the test of time.
This week I was given a letter from my youth group leader and one thing that stood out was this scripture from Matthew 18:12-13 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.”
This truly shows the mentality we went with this week in helping find the one who went astray. As I sit in the uncomfortable seat on the back of the van next to teammates that, before this trip, I did not know much about, but now am able to tell dad jokes that are so unfunny that I may be kicked off this van. (I’m obviously kidding because my jokes are amazing.) I came into this trip with anxiety and fear, but I can say for certain that i am going to leave rejuvenated.
How do you begin a blog when you are surrounded by the lushest of plants and crystal blue waters?
This paradise is just a taste of what could be heaven with God. Here in Belize I have had the chance to experience what it truly means to be in community. The local kids play frequent games of pick up soccer, where you truly feel apart of a team. At the craft table, the kids help each other construct their wildest ideas. In volleyball, the kids group each other to pass the ball, and then spike it to the opposite team. I have been incredibly lucky to be able experience this through my own eyes. It’s like experiencing a movie as the camera man. You experience all the emotions, challenges, and circumstances. You also get to see through lens of Christ, and truly understand the inner workings of His good work. I have had the privilege to be able to see that in every thing we did here. The passion I see in my peers eyes is enough to keep pushing through the hard work, even in the crazy heat. I truly see God moving through us in our work and laying foundations in these kids that can stand the test of time.
This week I was given a letter from my youth group leader and one thing that stood out was this scripture from Matthew 18:12-13 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.”
This truly shows the mentality we went with this week in helping find the one who went astray. As I sit in the uncomfortable seat on the back of the van next to teammates that, before this trip, I did not know much about, but now am able to tell dad jokes that are so unfunny that I may be kicked off this van. (I’m obviously kidding because my jokes are amazing.) I came into this trip with anxiety and fear, but I can say for certain that i am going to leave rejuvenated.