Sharing Burdens, Showing Love

August 17, 2008

Thursday began with a team breakfast in our hotel, the Plaza Camelinas. Both our team and the church staff congregated and shared fellowship amongst warm dishes of huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, sopes, and some amazing fresh fruit. With our stomachs full, everyone headed out to do our daily devotional, focused on thanksgiving. We spread around the Camelinas’ grounds to read Psalm 8, Psalm 100, & Romans 12:1-2 and reflect on the people & things in our lives that we’re thankful for.

When we reconvened, we dug a little deeper into the burdens on our hearts. Without going into much detail, suffice to say, we’ve all got issues. They affect our souls, our families, our friends, our work. And it can be incredibly difficult to place those burdens before God. But one thing that came out of the discussion was that, regardless of our nationalities, we share similar problems & fears and can always turn to Christ for grace & mercy.

For our next activity, our team again counted on Christ, taking a page out of His playbook. Silently bringing the Horizonte staff into our meeting space, we individually washed their feet. How remarkable and wonderful! Both groups were deeply moved by this event and many tears were shed. We finished by gathering together in a circle and praying to/praising God.

After a short lunch, the Buckhead team started preparing for a Horizonte volunteer event that evening. In addition to uniting with the church’s staff, we wanted to encourage their key volunteers as well. Brief social time was followed by the wackiest, zaniest photo scavenger hunt you have ever seen. Teams of volunteers, staff, and missionaries were tasked with taking various photos throughout our hotel. In all honesty, Jim thought the Camelinas’ management might have us removed from the hotel, but they seemed to take our craziness in stride. We guess that it’s just how they roll down here.