Mission Trips

Three of our boys participated in two different mission trips this summer.  The first one was a week in a local inner city, and you can see from this commissioning service photo that it was a big team!  Three fourths of the team ran a VBS style day camp for children who live in one of the poorest zip codes in the country.  Son C was in this group of kids.  The other one fourth of the team did physical labor type work projects in the same impoverished neighborhood, and Little Man was in this group.

When we dropped them off we prayed AGAIN!  (can't ever have too much prayer!)

The man in the red shirt and baseball cap is one of our two wonderful youth leaders.  Son C is in the foreground.

Both our youth leaders.  So thankful for these godly men who invest in the lives of my kids!

One week after this mission trip ended, sons G and C went on a similar mission trip to Puerto Rico!

They partnered with a local church there, putting on a VBS program for children, doing work projects at the church, a community center, and a local nursing home, but also participating in outreach events to give the church a greater presence in the neighborhood.

Even though the work was similar to that done on the previous mission trip, it felt different because they were working in a different culture and there was a language barrier to work around.

All three boys were greatly impacted by these mission trips, and I am so thankful they had the opportunity to go!

Re-united

Sons G and L got back from their week long mission trip on Saturday.  They had a fabulous week, serving alongside staff members from an organization that works in the inner city year round.  They came home with so many stories to tell, and so much fresh perspective!

To celebrate their return, we had a home-made milk shake/family game night.

We played the old youth group standard, "Honey, if you love me, smile."  It was pretty hilarious!

But these pictures are special not only because our boys were home and we were all physically back together.  They represent emotional unity, too.

Leaving and cleaving can be hard work.  It can be hard in the early stages of marriage, and it can be hard in the early stages of adopting an older child.  We had done some hard, hard work in the hours leading up to G and L's return.

God gives us so many incredible gifts.  Of course, salvation!  And daily grace and wisdom.  But there are just so many more.... forgiveness, mercy, love for one another, the gift of listening, the gift of humility, the gift of understanding, the gift of perspective....the gift of being at peace with a situation not of your choosing and not in your power to change.

Only God can give all that, out of His abundance, and only God can make good come from hard, yucky things.

This

mama

is

so

thankful

that

her

family

is

re-united!

Wordless Wednesday