My Top Ten Funny Experiences on Mission

On By YvonneIn Inspirational Stories16 Comments

Funny Mission Experiences

Spending time doing mission work in foreign lands can be trying and exhausting. The trips can also offer many chances for new and funny experiences. I found that learning to laugh with the people we serve can break down many barriers and make ministry together easier. “Laughter is good medicine” proves to be true even on the mission field.

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)

I think we take ourselves too seriously sometimes and forget to laugh along the path of life. Laughter and rejoicing are mentioned throughout the Bible. God gave us laughter to lighten our burdens. When our hearts feel light enough to laugh, we can easily rejoice at all God has done for us.

When our hearts feel light enough to laugh, we can easily rejoice at all God has done for us. Click To Tweet

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” Psalm 126:2 (ESV)

Today, I want to take the time to share some of the lighter moments from my journeys.

  1. Kissed by a giraffe.
  2. Learned to braid goat intestines.
  3. A local tricked into watching them butcher a cow for dinner.
  4. Had a baboon watch me as I went to the bathroom behind a rock.
  5. Petted a real, live cheetah and survived it.
  6. Helped construct a building using cow manure for plaster.
  7. Taught an orphan how to get on an escalator.
  8. Learned to call myself “Crazy White Person” in a tribal language.
  9. Bathed in an outdoor shower while someone milked a cow in the stall next to me.
  10. Learned how to “knock” on a door for a house constructed of plastic sheeting. (clue – you clapped your hands loudly).

I pray you find some laughter in your day. I would love to hear about some of the funny experiences God provided for you during a time of ministry. Please share them in the comment section below.

Blessings,

Yvonne – #blogger, #speaker, and #author

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

100% of the proceeds from sales of my book, Turning Mountains Into Molehills, go to help the orphans at Orphan Relief Effort, Inc

A Drive Through the Desert

On By YvonneIn Inspirational Stories9 Comments

A Drive Through the Desert Blog

My husband needed to go to California for his job. He decided to drive so that I could accompany him on the trip. We both love to drive places so we can see the incredible diversity of landscapes across the USA. This trip would take us across the desert regions in New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada. We scouted out routes that would allow us some time to get off the freeways and into the back country roads. I felt a rush of excitement as we prepared to head out.

These journeys into nature usually provide me some insights into my relationship with my Savior and this one was no different. At a roadside stop in the middle of a dry and dusty land, I noticed a patch of brilliant purple nearby. I walked over to inspect the item and found a patch of brightly colored weeds growing up through the dry, red clay earth. The contrast in color between the dirt and the plant made it even more beautiful. The verse in Isaiah came to mind as I glanced out over the desert.

Isaiah 35:1 God will cause the deserts to bloom

The drive continued onward. The next stop brought us face to face with giant boulders eroded by the wind. The patterns etched in the face of the rock revealed the power of the winds over time to damage the stone. If a massive stone could not stand against the winds of change, then I knew I could not either. God was in the wind that shapes and changes our lives on a daily basis. I pondered the verse from John of how we don’t know where the wind comes from or where it goes.

If a massive stone could not stand against the winds of change, then I knew I could not either. Click To Tweet

desert rock eroded by the wind over many years

Everything I saw around me on this drive made me reflect on Christ. His incredible strength as seen in the winds. The beauty He provides in the wildness for us to see and enjoy. His intense love for us because He created all these things just for our pleasure, His creation. Christ is all around us every day if we stop and take the time to notice Him. I notice Him when I get away from the daily grind like on this trip. But now, I need to get more intentional about seeing Him day after day in my surroundings. What can each of us do differently do find Christ in our daily busyness? What can each of us do differently do find Christ in our daily busyness?. Click To Tweet

Blessings,

Yvonne – #blogger, #speaker, and #author

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

100% of the proceeds from sales of my book, Turning Mountains Into Molehills, go to help the orphans at Orphan Relief Effort, Inc

The Power of One

On By YvonneIn Blog9 Comments

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After my first mission trip ever, I came home energized and ready to change the world. The poverty I witnessed in Haiti disturbed me more than I had expected and I wanted to find a way to make it better. I did not know where to begin to make a difference. Before long, life returned to its regular pace, and daily responsibilities put saving the world on the back burner.

The desire to help others did not diminish with time. But life did keep getting in the way of serving those in need. At times, I felt discouraged in the efforts. I even thought of giving up. In desperation, I prayed and searched my Bible for answers. Then, one day it hit me. I am trying to do all this work on my own. I do not have the power to change the world. I realized I was not the Power of One that could cause a change to happen, and only God could do it.

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Our Almighty God is the Power of One that created our planet, whose voice calls down the thunder and causes lightning to flash (Jeremiah 10:12-13 NIV). And to help the poor, I needed to plug into the Power of The One, God. Once I learned to follow instead of trying to lead, the pathway became smoother. God wants our help in the world, but He certainly does not need it. We are blessed to participate in His work. Click To Tweet

1 Corinthians 14:1 (NIV) Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.

Following Christ instead of trying to pursue my agenda gave me a new superpower for changing the world. My superpower became saying “YES” to God’s calling on my life. I no longer had to figure it all out. I waited for the Lord to move and then when I felt called to follow, I said yes. Now, twenty years later, I still follow this model and it still works. Following Christ has taken me places I never expected to go. And each new experience with Him enriches my life.

Galatians 6:9 (NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Following Christ into a ministry of any kind will never be free from problems. The road that follows Christ is narrow, and few will take it (Matthew 7:14 NIV). But Christ will reward those who chose His pathway. The secret I discovered is to follow His lead down the road and to say yes when I feel His nudge. Once I plugged into the Power source, God allowed me to see how He could change my world.

Blessings,

Yvonne – #blogger, #speaker, and #author

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

All proceed from the sale of my book, Turning Mountains into Molehills, go to fund our charitable work with Orphan Relief Effort, Inc. The book is available on Amazon.