The Reflecting Begins

So, it's been a couple of weeks now since we've been in Peru. We've gotten together one time now to reflect on our experiences. It was good to bring the trip to the front of our memories again. It can seem like these trips are simply a dream at times. Time's of reflection are good to bring things back to life. We laughed at the fun things we remembered, like the water fight, my spelling issues, and little jokes between team members. We also contemplated the difficult issues that we experienced while on the trip as well. Now, a mission trip like this could just be a 1 week gig, but that would make the whole exercise simply futile in my eyes. I'm of the firm opinion that a trip like this is only the first step for those who participate. Something that some on this trip are starting to realize. Only yesterday I was talking with a couple who were commenting to someone else as I approached them that there as alot of homework to do now that we are back. And they are correct. I handed out a 5 pager at the end of our reflection time that covers some evaluation stuff for the trip, but mostly gets people thinking about ways they can continue this element of serving now that they are back in Ottawa. Granted, some are well on their way already, but some need some prodding. For those willing to take the time and make the effort, we will be working on a couple of different things. First, we will be trying to find ways we can support our friends in Peru. We'd love to find ways to make an impact in the lives of those we met. I'm not sure how that will happen yet, but I'm excited about the possibilities. Second, we will be discussing ways we can minister with others right here in our own city of Ottawa. My hope is that each participant finds one thing they can make a part of their life when it comes to ministering in our community. This should be as natural as breathing for us, but often times it isn't. If you are interested in continuing to learn about what begins to happen with the group, simply check back here periodically. We are now gearing up for our reflection evening for our congregation and anyone else who's interested. It will be held at Calvin CRC on Tuesday, April 22nd from 7 - 9 pm. Rumor has it we will even have some Inca Cola to serve during the evening. We hope those that were prayer partners and other supporters will come on out for this evening to share our learning opportunities with you. Until next time.