June 27, 2014
Submitted by: Kim
I have to start with the end of this trip because that’s when I met the man who helped bring this trip all together for me. His name is Phil. I met him on the final plane ride home. Phil was originally from Ann Arbor. He is a dentist who has taken many mission trips to Honduras. He now lives in Texas. He had heard Mark Hogan giving his devotional on the plane. Mark had walked up and down the aisle of the plane boldly declaring the good works we had been able to do in Jesus’ name. He got just about everyone’s attention. After he sat down, Phil turned to us to ask what church we belonged to.
I talked to him about our trip and what we had done there. I then spoke to Phil of my personal difficulties on the mission field. My struggles with cleaning windows at the orphanage with dirty rags, using a machete to cut weeds around the fence line, endless cleaning of dirty sidewalks, and meeting children for just a day. What difference am I making? How could it possibly be enough. So much time and energy put into a week’s worth of work and so much more needed to be done.
Phil turned to me and showed me a book he was re-reading called “One Way Love” by Tullian Tchividjian. Phil talked about God’s grace and how anything we do is by God’s grace alone. That is where we get the strength to do it. And then he said this to me. When the little girl from the orphanage is crying out to God and asks who ever loved me God and where have you been all my life, God will bring to memory of what you did for her Kim, in His name. She will be marked by the love that you showed to her. And she will know that God loved her through you.
The light came on to me at that moment. What it looks like in the physical means nothing at all…nothing.. But in the heart of a little girl, it could be life itself.
At the beginning of our work week, we had gone to the orphanage. I met a girl there. She immediately took a hold of me and was near my side almost the entire time. She quickly wanted me to sit with her when they were eating and pulled me to her spot. She smiled the whole time, and I just fell in love with her. Sadly, because of language, I couldn’t really communicate without an interpreter, but we spoke through those smiles and signs. When it was time to go, the instructors at the orphanage told us that the children wanted to pray for us before we left. That’s when that same girl ran over to me and laid hands on me. I can tell you this, my heart was torn for her. I was a mother for a few hours and then gone forever to her. It would seem to make things worse for her instead of better. But now, hearing what Phil said, that by God’s grace in my life and hers, that maybe, just maybe, I could be the one to mark her with His love! And that, my friends, makes all the difference in what we did and how we loved.
To end this story, I knew that meeting Phil on the plane was not coincidence. My heart was torn, and he had the answer. I needed an answer straight from God’s heart to mine.
And I knew another man on the plane who may have a few things in common with Phil.
Phil is a dentist, went to U of M, and did mission trips. Immediately, I thought this man had to meet Pastor Don. I brought Pastor Don to him, and they talked on the plane for hours. They had people in common and many stories to share. I believe they were both blessed in the time they shared.
God has an amazing way of bringing all things together, and I am thankful for the experience, and yes, so many more things than this. This was the one thing that changed the picture of the why we do what we do, at least for me. And as I close this out, I am thinking of the one who was marked for our sins, wounded for our transgressions, and died for our sins. And we too are marked when we have received Christ as Savior and receive his Spirit to do His will. Eph. 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.
Thank you for reading and following along this journey with me. Continue to pray for our team, Mexico, and pray for me as I continue on in God’s plan and purpose in my life. I hope to do more for the kingdom in His power, glory, and strength.
Love always,
Kimberly Mott