The Limitless Power of the Gospel

I am just getting settled from my recent mission trip to Kenya. It was an amazing experience and I hope that I can find the right words to properly describe the mind blowing experience that I had the opportunity of being a part of. Our mission was pretty simple, we went to build intentional relationships with the students of St. Mary's Secondary Boys School and Belwops Rescue Center in Nyeri, Kenya. The students at the the school and the girls at the rescue center have a pretty solid foundation and are very knowledgeable about the Bible. Because of this, we didn't go to evangelize but we went to encourage and reinforce the fact that we serve a "Limitless" King. The theme was pretty simple. In the world we experience limited family, limited possibilities, limited healing, limited life, and limited love. Because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the things in this world that are limited have become limitless. I got to speak on limitless healing. Primarily the message was grounded around the story of the woman who had bled for 12 years. Because of her condition she was unclean. She had become an outcast in her society. Her family would have abandoned her. Her husband would have nothing to do her. Her friends had certainly deserted her. No one could touch her, no one would talk to her, and no one would look at her. As she crawled through the crowd towards Jesus I can only imagine that profanities were proclaimed towards her. She reaches Jesus and grabs the corner of his robe and is immediately healed. When he feels the power leave him he searches for the person who touched him. I imagine that at this moment the woman felt any last bit of humanity gone. She had just made the great teacher unclean in front of a great crowd. Desperately she tells Jesus her story, about how for 12 years she has been outcasted, unloved, and abandoned. Then Jesus addresses her as daughter. I still get goose bumps to think about it. After 12 years of abandonment she is finally welcomed warmly by the Christ, adopted into the family of God. In an instance Jesus erases her painful past. He heals her physically but more importantly he restores the humanity that she had lost. No amount of brokenness is too much for Jesus to restore. Limitless healing.

I must say that this was one of the most meaningful Holy Week/Easters that I have had. Nothing solidified the amazing sacrifice of Christ more then being across the world hanging out with the orphans and the little children that Jesus loves so much. I was simply dumb founded at times by the boys that I met. So many hard working, dedicated, and intelligent students. My heart was so broken for them. They deserve so much more then the world has offered them. They are working so hard to earn it, I want to see them blessed in this life for their hard work. They had such a deep knowledge of the Bible. Often times I felt like they were testing me with their questions to see if I had really studied and educated myself in the teachings of the Bible. Thankful for the Spirit that resides in me which led me through some amazingly difficult discussions about evolution vs. creationism, the implications of original sin, the trinity, at so much more. Much like I experienced in South Africa, I have left a part of my heat in Kenya. I have been back in the U.S. for almost 24 hours now and I already find myself thinking of and craving for the next time that I can go visit my brothers and sisters in Nyeri.

Imagine this sight on a bright and beautiful Easter morning: A wild pride of lions basking in glorious morning sun. I am still blown away that I can say that is how my Easter Sunday started. While on our Safari drive and looking at the beauty written in God's creation there in Kenya I was humbled by the very messages and lessons that we had brought to Kenya. Limitless possibilities. There I was in Kenya on a Safari. WHAT!? Never would I have imagined myself experiencing that but through Jesus Christ there I found myself across the world experiencing things that once seemed near impossible. Limitless family. It was weird to be so far from my family on Easter with no way of contacting them and talking to them. Yet I found peace and joy in my heart because I stood amongst people that I share a bond stronger then friendship with. We had invested so much of our time, heart, and soul into the preparations and mission of our trip and through that we had turned from 17 ministry students into brothers and sisters in the family of Christ. Limitless love. John 15:13 says, "Greater love has none than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Love is sacrifice. I believe that Love Never Fails. As I gazed upon the regal beauty of the lions I thought about the Lion who became the Sacrificial Lamb because of his great love for us. God manifested the greatest form of love by sacrificing his son to redeem all of creation. Love Never Fails. Because this is true I will always run the race with endurance. I will not get discouraged for the victory has already been won. Whether in California or out into the very ends of the earth I will sacrifice myself for the work of the kingdom.

Thank you so much to all who have supported our team both financially and through prayers. The very fact that we were able to raise funds and go on this trip is a testament to the limitless power in Christ. I know that all of us who went came back changed. We have built relationships for eternity. The lessons that we learned in Kenya will impact our lives and our ministries for the rest of our lives. I pray that you all continue to seek out the Gospel and go to the ends of the earth to see and be a part of the redeeming work of Christ. Always remember, the victory has already been won because of the Sacrifice of Christ. Love Never Fails. Amen.