Rick Palm: We are currently in day 6 of our adventure (Thursday). I am staying at Casablanca with the other three who are running fevers. We decided that a fever is the measure of too sick to interact with the kids. Several others are fighting coughs, sore throats, and fatigue, but they all piled into the bus this morning to go to a home for children of prison inmates. As one girl said, "I'm not going to miss a minute of this!" It is wonderful to see how the team has come together, becoming the body of Christ. Students are caring for one another, learning from one another, and surmounting obstacles to serve. Last night at Camp Hope, we had a good visit playing hide-and-seek, dancing and singing. Then it was time for supper, and our students were invited to help. They jumped in, quickly learning how much help to give, and how to honor the efforts of their charges. Then it was time for bed. It was amazing to see our students get past the awkwardness of helping a handicapped teenager go through bed-time preparations.
After dinner, Rich Brown, director of Inca-Link, outlined the five stages that many people experience after a short-term missions trip. First is FUN, returning to familiar things, such as a favorite restaurant or their own beds. Second is FLEE, as the people they come in contact with lose interest in hearing about the trip. Third is FIGHT, as the short-term missionaries strive to change their environment based on their experiences. Fourth is FIT-IN, a dead-end where people give up and go back to the way they were before the trip. Fifth, and most important, is FRUIT, where the missionaries implement the lessons they have learned, and bear fruit for the kingdom. Rich challenged all of us to recognize that this trip is a beginning of what God will do through us, and look for the fruit that will result. Our students agreed that this has been a life-changing experience, and are eagerly looking forward to how they will serve God in the future.
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