Doing Good and Not Growing Weary!

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."  Galatians 6:9-10

Doing the right thing is always at the forefront of our minds as we serve others.  Sometimes we can grow weary in doing the good and right over and over again when we see no results.  We need reminders that spur us on to continue to do the good thing and anticipate a harvest above what we think may be possible.  This past week I saw this lived out in front of my eyes!

Our largest team landed in two groups in Guatemala last week.  One team landed on Friday and went to children's camp to serve a couple of days prior to the medical clinic that would follow.  The second half of the team arrived Saturday and settled in to prepare for a long week of serving in a Mayan community outside the city.  When the two teams met on Sunday the Lord had already begun a good work in our hearts and the two teams became one!  The Father had a plan and He was orchestrating every detail for His glory.

The week was an amazing example of doing good and not growing weary!  The team divided into smaller groups to tackle all of the tasks of the week.  The medical team began to settle into a plan for serving the needs of the people, the construction team quickly planned the best method to accomplish a house rebuild, and the VBS team continued to rehearse the Biblical truths that were to be so vital to the teaching of His Word.  The evangelistic hearts began to organize into a team to share both at the clinic and in homes across the community as the logistics all seemed to find their way into their place in the puzzle.  The pharmacy team settled in to be the final act of encouragement we had to offer to a hurting and desperate community.  All of this would in some way adjust and change throughout the week to form a team of Christ-followers determined to do good and not grow weary.

Through the challenges of Monday and Tuesday, the team adjusted and adapted to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting community.  The whole time, this amazing team reflecting the love of the Savior toward one another.  We remembered regularly Jesus' words, " They will know you are my disciples by the way you love one another."  We saw countless acts of sacrifice and service that allowed the Holy Spirit to remain powerfully present in our daily journey of faith.  The week came to a close with a wonderful sense of accomplishment and success based on His strength and power He granted all during the week.

In the end, over 1000 patients seen by doctors, 1500 toothbrushes and toothpastes given out with better understanding of how to use them, over 200 children involved in VBS each day and over 120 decisions of men and women to follow Jesus fully.  This week was a great reminder of the joy of serving the Lord along side other believers who are willing to sacrifice and serve for the sake of His Name!  This past week was a wonder picture of continually doing good and not growing weary!

One predominant theme prevailed all week: Allow the system to work and we will see the Lord bless.!  This is exactly what we saw.  We allowed a collaborative system to develop and then let the Holy Spirit work in the lives of the team and the community as we allowed the system to work.  As a result, hundreds of lives have been touched with the love of the Savior.

As the pics pop up on Facebook and the memories begin to become the stories of an amazing week of service, let us be reminded to do the good thing and serve others in the Name of Jesus.  It is through this serving that the harvest comes.  It is through the serving and doing good to all we can, that the harvest of souls will be seen as we continue to be obedient to follow His heart.

Thank you to the team that formed this past week for an awesome week of serving in Guatemala!  Now let us not grow weary in doing good!  Let us press on as we see His hand at work all around us and He uses us to bring in the harvest of souls He so desires to find peace and hope that will not disappoint.  Let us keep pressing on for the prize that is laid before us and know that He will sustain every step of our journey through His amazing grace and faithfulness!  Thank you for reminding me to not grow weary but to press on!

In His Grip,
JT