A Great Weekend!

This past weekend was BUSY! It seems my life has been alot more that way lately :). My family was very blessed to have the Smith family at our house Saturday night. I met Mr. and Mrs. Smith when I went to Bible college at FaithWay. Mr. Smith was the fix-everything-guy, and Mrs. Smith worked in the office. She also taught speech class. That is a very memorable class! They were scheduled to be at our church Sunday and present the new ministry they are starting. It is a work ministry called CLAIM. That stands for "Christian Laymen Assisting International Missionaries." You can read more about it on their website, www.claim4god.com.
My Mom cooked an amazing meal Saturday night, and we had a great evening of fellowship just talking and laughing. It was really nice to see people from FaithWay, and catching up on things. I do miss being there sometimes... but I definitely do love it here :).
I think the ministry that the Smith's are heading up is so needed today. It's true that there are many people who want to help missionaries even though they themselves are not called to full-time missions. I've done several short term missions trips, and so has my Mom. In fact she went on one of the first building trips that Mr. Smith did. There's no doubt that going on a mission trip entirely changes your perspective of the world. In the Bible Jeremiah says "... mine eye affecteth my heart." What we see has a big impact on how we act. Being in a foreign country away from the comforts of home just makes me realize how fortunate and BLESSED we are to live in Canada. GOD IS GOOD!!! Just the basic necessities that we take so for granted such as heat, lights, a home, food, running water, clothes, health care, Wal-mart... truly the list could go on and on!
One of the things I love about a short-term mission trip is that it allows me an opportunity to serve God in a great way. I can meet new people, have new experiences, travel, and ultimately grow in my spiritual life.
On Sunday Pastor Smith preached, and also showed a short DVD explaining what exactly they were going to do with the CLAIM ministry. Right now they are on deputation raising financial and prayer support, as well as making contact with people who may be interested in going on one of their trips. I love having missionaries come to our church and sharing what God has called them to. I believe that God has called every Christian to serve Him in some way. It doesn't matter if it's in a foreign country or if it's in their home town. We can all do something for Christ!