I am not a person who reads the newspaper everyday or sit and watch the news every evening before I eat dinner. I do read the news each morning for a couple of minutes before school starts and will watch Fox news every now and then when I get home from coaching soccer to see what’s up. You never know when something will happen that will be a conversation starter in class. I try to incorporate a current event into my classes to check the pulse of my student’s awareness of what is going on around them. Interestingly, many of them are quite up on the world around them, which is a good thing.
But it does not take a rocket scientist or a CSI investigator to know that something is up with the economy. The media is preaching gloom and doom from their soapboxes and we have to sit back and watch the cost of everything from soap to salad continue to go up. Why, it might not be long before loan officers from banks have office branches at the local gas stations to help people secure money to fill up their cars with fuel! All joking aside, something is up and it is not just here in the United States, it’s a global concern.
So, how does this affect us as we get ready to go to Honduras this summer for our mission trip? Actually, it affects us quite a bit. Airline ticket prices continue to soar (no pun intended) as summer approaches. Hopefully you have secured your flights by now because if you have not, the waiting game might turn ugly. Tickets are higher than at any time that I can remember in the past 15 years. Blame it on fuel prices, the economy, or corporate greed, but reality is what it is, and right now, it is expensive.
Food prices are skyrocketing around the world. Why? I don’t know. But what I do know is that the cost of food is up and it is going to cost more, much more, to do our food distributions this summer. Last year the price for a tuck load of food for distribution was $1,250.00. The same amount of food right now is $1,600.00. By the time we get to Honduras this summer it is probably going to be higher. The cost of lumber has gone up again. So has the cost of tin. Calculate the increase in fuel prices and it won’t take long to realize that it is going to cost more for transportation this year to operate our buses.
The bottom line is the fact that the money we are trying to raise for the work fund this summer isn’t going to go as far as it has in the past. Simple reality tells us that we are going to have to bring more money to the table to do our projected work projects or we are going to have to cut back. As group leaders we need to make sure we do our part to secure funds as discussed in the team leader’s packet I sent out several weeks ago. As individuals we need to try to help too. If each team member brings just $25.00 with them to go towards the work fund we would be able to add enough money to offset the cost increase of the food we will buy for the food distribution.
Our trip is not about projects or numbers. Our trip is not about how many houses we build or how many families we deliver food to on the mountains. Our trip is about being the hands and feet of Jesus. Our trip is about taking the good news about Jesus to the people of Honduras. Our trip is about sharing and caring. Just being there is important enough to go. Certainly God will provide and we will make a difference. Let us rise to the challenges before us and walk with the assurance that the Lord is with us and we are walking in His light. Let us constantly be all things to all men that by all possible means we might win some. It is going to be an amazing trip, I am excited about the trip and I hope you are too. God is bringing an amazing group of people together to do His good will. I can’t wait to see what He has in store for us!
God is good all of the time.
TR
4 comments:
Terry is so right, God is good ALL the TIME. All the TIME, God is GOOD!! We can all as a team do more to raise some more funds for the work fund!!!! Don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask for an entire house, worst case they only give a portion of that and best case is, they give you 1k for the work fund!!! NEVER be AFRAID to ask in HIS name!! YOU CAN DO IT!! (Direct quote from the fabulous Water Boy) Jenny Lovell
Since we are getting in on Saturday (at least most of us) why don't we plan on having our own worship service at the Mission House. We could pass the plate and use the money to help offset the inflation prices we are facing. Just a thought.
Good idea, I agree. Let's take up a collection on sunday when we get down there. If we know ahead of time we can bring extra money for it.
It sounds like the group is seeing the highs and lows as expected. However there is nothing in the way of personal so that those back home can feel a sense of participate and support. I think back to the epistles, which were often addressed a group, often found ways of mentioned specifics about people as well.
Of course it isn't clear who exactly has access to make blog entries. Further explanation of this might help. While there are a limited number of workers, there are probably double, triple, or more supporters back home, who want to know more.
Thanks for your great work! May God bless you.
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