I just read someone’s mission trip follow-up letter. You know the one that’s sent to supporters after the fact to reiterate appreciation and to share how much the trip impacted them? That kind of letter.
The letter I read was sent to supporters over five years ago.
It was written by someone who was dramatically changed by God on the mission field. This was clearly evident in the letter she sent out after she got home. It’s also very easy to see in her life even now, so many years later. Going on a mission trip has that effect. I know that very well.
But reading this letter caused my eyes to fill with tears. It is an amazing thing to see how far someone has come. It is a breathtaking moment when you get a glimpse of the miraculous work of God in someone’s life.
But mostly I was moved because all those years ago, the trip she went on was to South Africa, to serve with our ministry. To see firsthand a destiny that was transformed by us—both directly and indirectly—is a humbling thing. To think of the other futures that will also be affected through the ripple eeffect of her life causes a lump to form in my throat.
This girl went on to become an intern at Thrive. And then a friend.
So to get this glimpse back to her first experience with us, so very long ago, was pretty incredible. And more than enough motivation to keep doing what I’m doing.
:) mmhmm. <3 very yes. keep at it.
By: roo on May 27, 2008
at 7:19 pm
“very yes” made me smile really big.
thank you.
By: alece on May 27, 2008
at 7:28 pm
rock it!
I’m awaiting my experience…but am so amazed that you got to be such a big part of so many other’s life changing, soul moving, heart thumping rides! I’m ramping up, girlfriend!
By: cathi stegall on May 27, 2008
at 7:44 pm
I love those moments when we can go back and see how God touched our lives - those moments refresh us for new memories to be! Serve him with greater passion then ever alece !!
By: Indian Lake Papa on May 27, 2008
at 7:50 pm
np, alece.
whether or not i ever make it back to work with you: you, your husband, the staff, and your ministry… well, yeah. i have no concept of who i might be right now without you. YOU make me smile really big.
By: roo on May 27, 2008
at 7:51 pm
Wow - that is so awesome. What a privileged person you are.
By: @ngie on May 27, 2008
at 8:47 pm
cathi — keep ramping. and email me your thoughts, ok?
papa — thank you for that challenge…
roo — “no concept of who i might be right now without you” made me shake my head in disbelief. i’m gonna reread that a lot more times so that it can sink in through my hard-headedness. i love you.
@ngie — i am indeed.
By: alece on May 27, 2008
at 8:51 pm
so glad you have found an extra dose of motivation today
By: danielle on May 27, 2008
at 8:54 pm
fo’ sho’!
By: alece on May 27, 2008
at 8:55 pm
i was hoping you’d find oxygen in the states.
By: mandythompson on May 27, 2008
at 9:11 pm
yesssss… this breath of fresh air here in good ol’ wisconsin has been a strong dose of straight O2.
By: alece on May 27, 2008
at 9:12 pm
:)
i guess you like the smell of cheese? ;)
By: mandythompson on May 27, 2008
at 10:16 pm
Wow…I spent some time on your ministry site…that two week trip looks tempting!!! Praying for you girl…you rock! :)
By: 1godsgal on May 27, 2008
at 10:24 pm
Sweet.
By: whatireallywanttosayis on May 27, 2008
at 11:01 pm
Your vacation is doing you some good!
i knew it would :wink:
soak it up - then go out ‘renewed’ again.
if that’s what you and He both WANT you to do - of course :-)
<B
By: lovewillbringustogether on May 27, 2008
at 11:25 pm
God is so faithful to take our little faith and multiply it by His eternal purposes through the lives of others.
Very :cool:
By: Michelle on May 27, 2008
at 11:32 pm
What you do is one of the most important jobs God ever designed, see He took ordinary people and CHANGED them into extraordinary people so they can reach the depths of the world to share His love. His constant love..
Thank You
By: Heidi on May 27, 2008
at 11:49 pm
that is so cool Alece!
I am so glad you are being refreshed and renewed like this. God is pretty smart like that!
you are doing a mighty big work for Him friend!
love you!
By: tam on May 28, 2008
at 1:57 am
: ) i like this person very much indeed. you have a good friend there.
By: Hannah on May 28, 2008
at 2:02 am
mandymo — you know it. cheese makes everything better.
debs — you wanna come out this july?! it’ll change your life forever!
bub — this definitely feels like a season of renewal and refreshing for me. like a shower for my soul. okay that sounds weirder than i meant it…
michelle — absolutely!
heidi — thank YOU!
tam — thank you for making me feel so special.
hannah — meeeee tooooo!
By: alece on May 28, 2008
at 2:27 am
lol
that didn’t sound weird to me in the slightest - until i read your ‘rider’.
I think you might be rubbing off on me Leesh!
ok - that Could sound weird?
See? :-)
Should i be worried yet???
<B
By: lovewillbringustogether on May 28, 2008
at 2:35 am
my rider?
By: alece on May 28, 2008
at 2:39 am
I’m gonna need some tips on how to start…i’m stuck at “ready-set-go”
By: cathi stegall on May 28, 2008
at 3:09 am
how to start? set a goal - make a plan (with God’s input). decide when you’d like to come and for how long. and we’ll take it from there.
how’s that sound?
By: alece on May 28, 2008
at 3:15 am
can do, cantaloupe!
By: cathi stegall on May 28, 2008
at 3:21 am
look forward to hearing your thoughts, melonhead.
By: alece on May 28, 2008
at 3:23 am
[ssshhhhh...i'm supposed to be quiet when everyone else is sleeping...]
By: cathi stegall on May 28, 2008
at 3:24 am
ooops. sorry.
what time zone are you in? it’s 2:30 AM in central time (where i am!)
By: alece on May 28, 2008
at 3:26 am
eastern…yeah 3:40 am here…
I really should get to bed. Even just to lay still like roadkill may make it easier to wake up tomorrow and look like it.
By: cathi stegall on May 28, 2008
at 3:40 am
why aren’t you sleeping?
By: cathi stegall on May 28, 2008
at 3:41 am
ummm… well, i was trying to get pictures uploaded into facebook to link to from my new blog post that just went up…. NOW!
By: alece on May 28, 2008
at 3:47 am
on my WAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!
By: cathi stegall on May 28, 2008
at 3:52 am
and… why aren’t YOU sleeping?
By: alece on May 28, 2008
at 3:53 am
I want to think of some witty response…but I’m toast.
Ok, to bed I go.
By: cathi stegall on May 28, 2008
at 4:02 am
roadkill on toast sounds GREAT. i’d love some, thank you.
ok… good night, friend. thanks for staying up “with” me!
By: alece on May 28, 2008
at 4:06 am
All y’all ain’t right!
Why do so many Americans hate going to sleep?
Rider - “okay that sounds weirder than i meant it…”
Only in your head, Alece - it’s ‘all’ in your head :-) I had no doubt at all what you meant. We could all do with showering our souls :smiley-guy:
<B
By: lovewillbringustogether on May 28, 2008
at 5:32 am
SLEEP!? it’s overrated. but that’s coming from a college student who’s taking greek with an amazing but overcommitted prof. ;)
By: roo on May 28, 2008
at 7:14 am
Oh, that’s awesome. It’s so nice to see those little snapshots of exactly how your faithfulness has impacted others.
By: annie on May 28, 2008
at 3:26 pm
bub — yes… that we could! and i don’t think all americans hate going to sleep. i know plenty who go to bed all too early. i’m just a night person… i’d work “third shift” all the time if i could.
roo — oh… i do love me some sleep… just prefer it between 3AM and 1 PM.
annie — absolutely!
By: alece on May 28, 2008
at 5:43 pm
Africa out? July??? Prayer time! The Lord is opening some doors so we can travel…hmmmmm time to pray… wow..that would be so cool!
By: Debs on May 28, 2008
at 7:08 pm
we technically “closed” applications on the july trip already… but i’ve got some weight to throw around so pray pray pray and let me know what you think!
i’m excited at the thought of you being in africa.
By: alece on May 28, 2008
at 7:10 pm
my ‘fleshy’ self is much more of a ‘night owl’ too. I don’t think i’ve ever slept in till 1 pm tho’? (but i have stayed up to 3 am once or twice). :wink:
incandescant light is reported to reduce a body’s melantonin level by up to 50% compared to having no light at night time.
If we want to be in spirit we might be best listening to God’s idea about when we are to sleep and when we are to be awake and not the electric company/work schedule’s ideas.
i DO understand about the current time zone diff between you and the A-B - but i get the feeling your sleep habits would not be greatly different once you get back home? Or do i have that wrong? i bet you get up earlier over there huh? :smiley-guy:
i have to disagree with roo this time though - no matter who we are our performance levels of everything would be greater if we had regular, sufficient for the body’s need, sleep.
Sleep depravation reduces our immune system responses and increases stress which decreases all the body’s system’s performance.
Sleep is underrated by most of us.
(by us i clearly mean bloggers!)
<B
By: lovewillbringustogether on May 28, 2008
at 10:34 pm
fo’ sho’ !!
if i could stay up ’til 3 and get up at noon or 1 pm every day… ah, the life.
though i don’t have anything before 11 am next semester. *evil grin*
By: roo on May 28, 2008
at 11:52 pm
love - i hear you. i really do. i’m not sure what my real-deal with sleep actually is. even when i get plenty of it fairly consistently, i’m still always tired. i’ve seen several doctors about it and had a bajillion blood tests done, but no one has been able to figure out why…
By: alece on May 29, 2008
at 2:00 am
I bet if someone followed your every move for a week they’d feel the same way and figure out why that was… have you thought of getting a stalker? :-)
Or giving up the OCD? - that would drain me in no time!
It can take a heck of a lot of energy hanging on to stuff we don’t need.
Maybe it’s a matter of learning to Trust, delegate and let go?
‘Free’ spirit’s like children) always seem to have an abundance of energy! :-)
<B
By: lovewillbringustogether on May 29, 2008
at 2:12 am
i don’t really have OCD. i just prefer certain things certain ways and like to refer to them as my OCDisms. draining? maybe. exhausting? not really.
trust… yeah - i’m growing in that.
By: alece on May 29, 2008
at 2:21 am
Not being able to eat a burger from the outside? not eating both ends (or preferably either end) of a hot dog??
Not obsessive complusive???
Tell yourself that long enough and you’ll believe it! :wink:
Sleep well Leesh :-)
By: lovewillbringustogether on May 29, 2008
at 2:53 am
i think your numberness is more ocd than i am! ::wink::
By: alece on May 29, 2008
at 10:59 am
i think your wrong there :-)
By: lovewillbringustogether on May 30, 2008
at 5:51 am
my ocd is grammar and punctuation. and that side of me wants to insert
‘ … e
:)
By: roo on May 30, 2008
at 7:05 am
love — you think i’m wrong? i’ll defer to your judgment on that one. you know you better than i know you. how’s that for an awesome sentence?
and roo — i am like that about spelling, grammar, and punctuation. i find mistakes all the time in books and magazines and it drives me nuts. i wish i could get paid for my mad-editing skills.
By: alece on May 30, 2008
at 9:19 pm
for REALS. and along with the goose thing, david spells things incorrectly just to bother me.
By: roo on May 31, 2008
at 2:36 am
AWEsome - but still wrong :-) ( you, not the sentence).
just maybe not as wrong as my spelling - i did notice that AFTER i’d typed it and hit ’submit’, ‘roo.
i was too lazy to correct myself - it’s good to know people here are so sharp :-)
just where does the ‘word’ ‘REALS’ come from anyway?
<B
By: lovewillbringustogether on May 31, 2008
at 4:19 am
HA! I’ve no idea. I don’t even remember when I started saying it. I blame most of my vocabulary quirks on other people I know/knew. I pick things up pretty quickly. :)
By: roo on May 31, 2008
at 12:49 pm
i don’t think i’ve ever said “for reals”. well… maybe once or twice.
By: alece on May 31, 2008
at 5:04 pm