Photo of the Week-7/19-7/26

in G.O.'s vision statement we speak on transformational partnerships. in my mind, partnership means a lot of things. financial partnership with a national, a missionary or a child in our school or nutrition centers. prayerful partnership and encouraging one another through communication with our Father. christian partnership and being the body of Christ, being like-minded in our cause and mission while here on earth. there are so many facets to the word partnership.

and maybe, partnership doesn't mean the same thing to everyone but transformation is something we can all grasp.

when i look at the picture above, i am initially drawn to the little girls' amazing smile. there is no doubt about the fact that she is having a blast. and maybe that's what we may all see initially when looking at the photo. but shortly there after, i am drawn to the transformed face behind hers. his smile is genuine. his happiness is real. he is being transformed by her just as much as she is being transformed by him. so often when we do missions, whether short-term or long-term, we come to the conclusion that we are going to help. we are going to make a difference. we are going to change the world. and as real and and true as that may be, how many of us know where the actual transformation occurs? it happens within ourselves. when we serve others, when we give our whole selves to other people, we are transformed in ways that we can only feel, and not explain.

we were never meant to be alone. we were designed to live in partnership, serving others, whether it be next door or half-way across the world.

Photo of the Week-7/12-7/19

Imagine for a moment being a Mama the day your baby is going to be born. All the excitement and anticipation of nine months of waiting. Wondering what your little one will be like. Who's personality she will take on. What she will look like. Now, imagine your child being born and seeing a concerned look on the doctor's face. And when you hold your baby you see that she was born with a cleft lip and palette. In the States, its not a problem. Your child has many opportunities available to have the deformity fixed. In most other places in the world, that is not the case.

The first picture was of Daadli in March of 2009. Just a little baby then. Today, Daadli can smile, eat and drink normally...thanks to Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN. Their partnership with Moise and the church and nutrition center in Brisas de Ocampo, resulted in meeting Daadli. Feeling compassion for her and the circumstances she was living in, Cross Point wanted to act. They found a way to change a little girl's life.

Many of the people that were on that trip where they first met Daadli, were here this week. What an awesome testimony to partnership. Who knows? If Daadli hadn't been born in Brisas and if Pastor Moise didn't have a church there and if Cross Point didn't partner with that community, maybe none of this would have ever happened.

God has set bigger plans in motion before.

Photo of the Week-7/5-7/12

Girl in the Red Dress

I saw you and you saw me
Quiet and reserved you didn't say a thing
Even though the other kids were playing
To none of the gringos' arms did you cling

Do you know who you are in the kingdom of God
Do you know there is a crown waiting for you
Do you know that a grand house is ready
That a king is there to carry you through

Your tattered clothes will melt away
Replaced by a gown made of white
Your mismatched shoes will fall from your feet
And you will be lifted to a place beaming with light

You may be unknown in this foreign land
It's inhabitants less than friendly
But in your Father's kingdom there awaits
Love that is never-ending

And maybe you're hungry most of the time
And your plate is almost bare
At your Father's table you will see
A magnificent banquet for you, he's prepared

Although there is strife now and times when you're scared
Your reward isn't here on Earth
For when you invite the King in your heart
In your spirit there is rebirth

Though your little eyes have seen more than they should
And your life has been hard-pressed
Remember your royalty in the Kingdom of Heaven
My little girl in the red dress

EXTRA Photo of the Week-6/28-7/5

do you remember my little godson, marvin? if you don't, you can see his story here. well, this adorable little thing is ten months old now. i can't believe how time has flown.

in the past few weeks i've had a lot of time down in the hole. and i've cherished every second. i've been spending a lot of time with marvin's mom and a new mom that I have met this summer. it's been more than rewarding walking into joanna's house and seeing little marvin smile at me. i even got to give him his bottle the other day and within minutes of his bottle he fell asleep in my arms.

as his mom was hustling around the house cleaning dishes and preparing some food for his sisters, i was just reveling in holding his naked little body close to me. many nights i've been up praying for this family. god never ceases to amaze me at his timing. as i've gotten to spend more time with his mama, around this time his daddy left the family. joanna has been with him since she was 12 and he decided it was enough, apparently. now, this 20 year old mom is left to figure out how to pay rent, feed her children and survive with no income.

the day she told me that he left her, i could see the defeat in her eyes. i wanted to sit there and cry with her, but she wasn't crying, so i decided to do my best and be tough. but god did give me the opportunity to do something i've never done. talk to her about jesus. tell her that he is all we need. tell her that he is the only man that will never let us down. tell her that, if she trusts him, he will provide in ways beyond her comprehension. tell her that he will carry her through this, and that she is not alone.

i can't help but look at little marvin and feel hopeful. hopeful that there will be a man in his life to teach him about being a good husband and father. that will tell him to be committed to his wife and children and to never abandon them. a man; someone; anyone; that will teach him about jesus so he can be different than the other men he is surrounded by.

Photo of the Week-6/28-7/5

i love this picture. this boy, during basketball week, was so amazing. it was like he belonged in the dominican republic. he belonged with all the other boys he was there to play alongside and serve. he cheered and high-fived when their team won and consoled and back-patted when someone missed a shot. at one point, his team won a game of knock-out and he led them on an all-court victory lap, hootin' and hollerin' with arms in the air.

he rarely sat in a group with other americans. i always found him huddled with his dominican teammates. he used what little spanish he knew and hand gestures to have in depth conversations with them. and they were always laughing.

what an awesome testament to this camp that has been running for over ten years. older generations that were part of it more than ten years ago have come and gone, some have remained. but a new generation is being introduced to this legendary basketball trip. and man, they've come to play.