Guatemala!

Dear Friends:

Matthew 28:19 tells us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

For most of my life I added the words “Select Christians” at the beginning of that verse. It was my understanding that some people were “called” to missions. I guess I’m not the only one that thought that because only .05% of Christians actually go into the mission field.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.

Now that’s a good verse to cling to, isn’t it? Why is it that we all want the privileges of being a Christian yet we don’twant anything to do with the obligations?

These are the questions posed by my pastor early last year during a series called “Impact” that I have been wrestling with ever since. I knew he was very passionate about missions but for a long time I just wished he would preach about something else. Then one day it finally “clicked.” Later in the year we went through the book of James and two verses really stuck out in James. They are James 1:27 and James 2: 14-17.

In light of those two verses how can I go about my life of comfort and ignore the urgent physical and spiritual needs that surround me? Over a billion people in the world live on less than $1 a day and 26,000 children die from hunger or preventable diseases. There is just no excuse for that.

During the James series and then later in more detail, our pastor challenged us to commit to a “Radical Experiment” for the year 2010 of which I committed to. One of the five aspects to this challenge was to spend 2% of our year in another context spreading the Gospel. By doing this, God will most likely radically transform the way we spend 98% of our year in Birmingham.

As with all of the other aspects of this experiment, we were provided with resources as to how to we can serve in another context. In December our church held a “Global Link” where we could find out about the different mission trips that are available for 2010 either through our church or with a mission organization. I was so overwhelmed but tried to talk to as many people there as possible. That night I researched each country that I thought I might be able to go to (based on when the trip was) and over the next week or so God kept leading me to go to Guatemala with One Way Ministries.

This July 24th through 31st I will go on my first mission trip ever! These are the primary activities that we will most likely be involved in:

1) Tabitha House – a preschool for children who live in the dump. We will be teaching basic lessons, singing songs, playing games, holding children, etc.

(2) City Dump – we will deliver food bags to families, spend time with them and pray with them.

(3) Local churches – we will have the opportunity to do a VBS type event in a couple of churches. We will lead music, teach Bible stories, play games and make crafts.

I cannot imagine children living in a DUMP. That is just mind boggling. I pray that God will prepare me for what I am going to be witnessing first hand. I love children and that is one of the reasons I chose this trip. However, I am not sure how I am going to be able to rest on July 31st knowing that these children that I have just played with, fed, sang with and held in my arms for the past week are sleeping outside on a pile of trash. On July 31st I will go to sleep in my comfortable bed, in my air conditioned home, with my two dogs. My dogs have, by far, better living conditions than these children.

I would like to ask for your prayers over the next few months as I prepare for this trip. When man works, man works but when man prays, God works. Pray that God will prepare my heart. Pray that God will prepare the hearts of the people our team will come in contact with so that they will be receptive to hearing about Him. Pray for their health. Pray that there will be an end to their starvation. Pray that medical care will be available to them soon and abundantly. Pray that God will use us for His work beyond what we can imagine so that in the end He is the one that gets all the credit and the glory. Lastly, pray that God will transform my life while I am on this trip and there are. As of right now I do not know a single person that is going on this trip and I am completely walking out on faith. I couldn’t be more excited!

As you pray, if you feel the Lord leading you to assist financially for this trip, tax deductible donations can be mailed to One Way (105 Silver Leaf Lane, Alabaster, AL 35007) or made online at www.1wayministries.org, please put “Amanda McCollum – Guatemala” in the memo field. Also, if you think you might want to love on my dogs while I am away please email me at manda2839@aol.com.

Thank you in advance for your prayers and support. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people!

God Bless!

Amanda

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows inthere distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27