Could it be any worse?

Some of our first impressions of the trip are interesting for us to share and we have been since arriving here on Saturday at around 11:30 AM. We have met two times as a Team to process some of our initial thoughts before beginning work tomorrow morning--bright and early. For those of us who came "last year, three years ago, in 1996" (a team joke regarding how I keep time!)--really in 2006--the impressions have been striking. I think each one of us being impressed with the scale of poverty we saw then thought we couldn't see anything worse. We were wrong. I am sure that you will see pictures of the events of this week (and already have) and you will see then and certainly in our report to the church that this place is plagued with deep and debilitating poverty. And this poverty is palpable as we drive and walk through the streets. It was good as a team to be reminded by the Lord through Pastor Fisher's sermon last Sunday morning that God takes note of the poor and we, as His people, are to take note of them as well. Caring for the poor is taking on new meaning here as we prepare to enter their lives and bring the hope of the Gospel. We sang a hymn this evening in our time together that has taken on additional meaning to us as we prepare to work this week:

O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing

He breaks the power of canceled sin
He sets the prisoner free
His blood can make the foulest clean
His blood availed for me.

He speaks and listening to His voice
New life the dead receive
The mournful broken hearts rejoice
The humble poor believe.

It has been good for each one of us to be reminded how poor in spirit we really are and how dependent we are upon the mercy and grace of God on a daily basis! Just like the people we will be meeting tomorrow who are lost without Christ. We may not be able to relate to the tangible poverty we see with our eyes, but we can surely relate to that poverty of spirit common to us all.

So I guess it couldn't be any worse than it really is with each one of us--all sinners desperately in need of His grace. But our Savior is far better than any of us really know or understand fully and that is what gives us great hope as we begin the week!

Please continue to pray for us all and we will keep you all up to date as much as possible...

Blessings in Him...
PT