First in a series.
Reward Reflections
On the surface, participating in a mission trip is all about being of service to the people who are the focus of the mission. In our case, the people are generally Haitian folk and specifically people in the immediate vicinity of the teeming metropolis of Port au Prince, Haiti. At the very heart and soul of every missionary’s call is the reward that comes from one of life’s mysterious divine paradoxes: by giving, one receives, (see Matthew 10:29-31). The reward which comes back to the giver is always bigger, deeper, richer than the original act. It is Grace rolling like circular ripples from a pebble tossed into a still and quiet pond.
A year ago, I was preparing to participate in my very first mission trip. I had placed my complete trust in an ebullient strawberry blond woman named Patti. She was an experienced mission veteran having been to Haiti five straight years. At the time, she was my girlfriend. She is now my wife and my reward. I am a blessed man. This year I am transitioning from mission rookie into a barely seasoned veteran and from being a roomie with Charles, one of our Mission Leaders, to now bunking with my new bride. The honeymoon is not over.
2017 Missionaries
At our St. Andrew United Methodist Church there is a middle schooler named C.J. Barfield. He is being raised by his grandparents. I first became aware of him when during Sunday service announcements it was pointed out, that in celebration of his birthday C.J. had set up a donation box to raise money for this Haiti Mission trip. He is the youngest member of our mission supporters. He has suggested humanity’s reward-
John 3:16- as scripture. It is the basis for a simple preparatory devotion.
C.J. Barfield
John 3:16 (NIV)
I am partial to the old fashion tried and true way of reading a book, opening the cover and turning pages. I resist opportunities to try digitized eBooks. There is something that furthers my engagement with a story that the sense of touch gives me. In reading the Word of God, I’ll take this preference a step further. Oftentimes when I go to look up a specific piece of referenced scripture, verses coming before or after grab and speak more loudly to me. It is the case with C.J.’s recommendation today: John 3:15:
“that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
Everyone who is a member of this mission team is a believer. Our local support translator/interpreters are believers and the people who are patients at the clinics we set up are believers. The ministering back and forth between and amongst all in this cast of characters fosters within the eternal mindset of Christ. We find ourselves in the world not of the world and fruit springs forth in a barren land. There are instants when we all stand amazed in silence without words, speaking together the silent language of Love which needs not an interpreter.
The noise of poverty becomes a joyful song pouring grace out over the rocky rubble of a hope filled land. All believers long to keep the gifts of grace and mercy bestowed upon them. To do so we must constantly give them away.
Abba, thank you for the mysteries of your creation. May we always remain abiding in your eternal Love as represented by your precious Son. Amen
*****
Tap Tap - Haitian Rapid Transit
Patti & Brad's 2018 Sponsors
David Galloway, Patti and Hal Bosworth, Ed Hogg, Brenda and (Warren Taylor in Memoriam), Susan and John Fleming, Diane and Randy Pettit, The Tuscany Girls’ Bible Study, (Gaye, Kelly, Sharon, Marguerite, Margaret, and Cookie).
Were someone to ask me to rank the most rewarding moments or perhaps most rewarding aspects of my life, I would list personal relationships as #1. I am hard pressed to live without love. Love underlies all our most cherished and memorable relationships. I remember in the early 80’s as a new- commission only- sales trainee in the financial services business a man named Tom O’Haren declaring the simplicity of the job as, “It’s all about the relationship!” The names of the sponsors listed above epitomize that statement! Four are sponsors returning from last year and three are new for 2018.
One is a best friend relationship going all the way back to high school days in Chattanooga, Tn. Counting a half century now we’ve witnessed each others successes and failures. Another is now my only surviving sibling. A blood brother relationship, he has been present for me in my most crowning achievements and on my darkest days. The women we share our lives with have the same first name and just recently the last name as well. A friend who became a widow this year and her husband- in memoriam- is a relationship born of recovery and sobriety. It is a relationship where their presence taught and allowed me to become able to be truly present for others. Two men who were my roommates 35 years ago and sat in that same training room and heard from the same man exclaim, “It’s all about the relationship!” The three of us would reconnect after a quarter century via “Walk to Emmaus.” There’s a couple, dear friends whom I have known for thirty years. He hired me and was my boss for fifteen years. I sponsored both on “Walk to Emmaus.” My wife Patti’s bible study group of Godly women whose fellowship relationship has been so critical to her and now my faith walk. We thank Abba for all these angels in our life path and pray that we might be angels in the path of all we meet on our Haiti journey. Amen
Child at Haiti Deaf Academy silently signing "I love you!"
John 15:12-17
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Amen Brothers and Sisters
Bradford Bosworth
September 2018
On another note:
Get the flavor of our mission to Haiti and an orientation for next week's devotional series by checking out the series from 2017.
Here are the links:
