my last day

my group leaves tomorrow morning. one week down tonight! no getting lost, no meltdowns, and lots of laughs. i had a hard-core group of mountain kids from colorado. energetic and straight-forward, they plowed through the week with gusto. we continuously amazed our sites with their work ethic and stamina. i was continuously amazed by how much they eat! three huge meals a day plus 5 granola bars, chips, another sandwich and juice three or four times in between. they're skinny mountain kids the appetite of a pack of wolves!

last night we talked about works and salvation. liz read from ephesians and james and we stirred up a little discussion. the honesty of the kids was lovely. many of them have been on mission trips before. last year they went to LA and the year before a few of them went to chicago. they know how to work. but they're very fuzzy on the idea of salvation and of jesus: his life and works and its relationship to us. there were no rote sunday school answers. i asked them, if they didn't need to do this trip to be saved, why do it?

"we do good things because we're good people and i guess that's what good people do" one boy said.

"i do it because i like to travel and think why not help people while getting to do something i like" another guy added.

"to help people."

"because we should."

then what does christianity have to do with what you're doing?

"i think," one girl said, "that we need to be an example and show people that christians can help people too".

none of them mentioned calling or direction from the bible. none of them said that we had been told to do anything. as i sat and looked around the room i realized that these kids, while being well practiced in service, hadn't been fed the bible like so many of the groups that we get. they didn't know the "right" answers and really just threw out what they thought. it was so frank and exposing.

i read from ephesisans about works being the outpouring of our love for god from his love for us and left them with encouragement and a bunch of candles for H's birthday cake.

this summer is going to be a learning experience for sure.
i'm excited.