What to Do?

Tuesday, D and T (my mission leader buddies) and I met with our associate pastor to speak about our mission trip.

It's always fun to talk with them, and to share because then we get on these great tangent's about what we can do, and where this ministry can go and how big it can get. But they are guys...and they have a different brain....lol so I need another chick to help me reign all that testosterone in... but I digress.

So we were sharing our trip, mostly about the guys in Korah that we love so much, since that's where we plan to focus our ministry. While we were talking T shared about his realization that the men who run the church, are the least of these...helping the least of these.

These 9 men share responsibility. They each have their own ministry focus. The do what they call "Distribution of Duties" and each has his own place to minister. There's a children's minister who knows all the kids and knows where they live and which need the shoes the most and who can wait a minute. (None of them can really wait)

There's a women's minister, men's minister, an HIV+ minister...each had a binder with the people they minister to and knows the needs of each.

It's amazing.

You know what's more amazing?! Until the last month or so they had no outside monetary support. These guys don't have jobs...they can't...they are in full time ministry! So they supported their families by living and working in the dump. They now have sponsors...I don't know if it's enough to sustain them, but it's something!

Seriously?! Guys who could have left, could have gone to get jobs and live 'comfortably' chose to stay and minister in the leper colony.

While we were sharing and brainstorming over lunch, we had this crazy idea to see if we might get 1 or 2 of them over here so that we can have them share their stories in person. To help gain support for them and to have people come on board with us to help support them.

Then we thought of our church…as generous as they are… in comparison to their church, and thought perhaps we shouldn’t bring them.

We love our church, we really do! But it’s almost embarrassing to see the wealth and splendor in it…and think of them. We are spoiled and over-indulgent and grossly greedy with our time and money.

I was in a meeting last night with someone who was speaking of the feelings of a ‘generous patron’ being hurt because they couldn’t vote on something because he wasn’t on the board.

I am guilty too… I have not sold everything so that I could live with them. I haven’t given up my cell phone or cable tv or internet. My kids have a Nintendo Wii and we can eat out at restaurants …not nightly but more than we should. We are RICH by comparison and it’s embarrassing to say I don’t give more of my time and money.

So… do I think we should all become poor so that we all need help? It would seem that way wouldn’t it? I believe that God blesses some so that they can be a blessing. I believe we can all do more. I believe we can all skip a meal or 2, have less stuff and share more.

It’s such a tough spot to see what I have seen and to know what I know… and not want something to change.