The Sun Has Risen

so as I said before, I promised to blog from across the ocean and here I am. everything has been a whirlwind the past few days. in fact, I have sort of lost track of it all... seems like the days have meshed into a blur. and I mean that in a good way. you know, like when you are having so much fun you lose track of the time?

other than the fun though, I have been learning so much. I know it's cliche to say things like that when you are on a mission trip, but honestly I have been so challenged spiritually and it's only been five days since I've been here. when our team first assembled, our leader, Victor, asked us a couple questions to get us thinking. all that he said really struck home but the one thing that stood out to me was when he started to explain the rules. 

I won't lie, coming into this trip I was having serious doubts. for starters, a couple days before I left my brother and I had been discussing about the organization I would be going with. the both of us had heard about certain flaws and whatnots in the system and we both butchered it horribly. yes, some of it may have been false but at the same time a lot of it was true. most of the flaws we believed had stemmed from hypocrisy. it's one thing to do something wrong and not know it but it's another to preach about not doing a certain thing and still do it behind everybody's back. hence, I clearly remembered struggling on the 24 hour plane ride, wondering if joining this team had been a good idea. in the back of my mind, I already had the idea of how all the rules would be. you know, all the do's and don't's and I was so certain that our group would be nothing but an act. just another thing for show. however, when Victor challenged us to think about why we should wear what we wear and do what we do, I realized we weren't doing these things for ourselves. we did these things because as a team we were being representatives of a greater standard and an even greater God. I didn't want to be legalistic, following each rule with a heavy heart, despising those that didn't but secretly wishing I could be like them nor did I want to be borderline crossing the boundaries, you know? 

that was just the beginning of God molding/revealing Himself to me on this journey. on Sunday, after church, I had the wonderful experience and privilege of being stuck in an elevator along with fourteen other people. the lift (as they call it) had been a little faulty and I remember thinking, "wow this couldn't possibly breakdown, right?" but just as that thought crossed my mind a huge clanging noise followed by two sudden jerks interrupted me. I was at the back of the elevator and the air was very stuffy and humid (having all those people in there didn't help with the temperature much). to be honest, if I had been alone I probably would have broken down. but God is good, and I'm only starting to really know that. I can't even begin to explain the blessings we had on that dear old lift. 

1. there were two leaders with us that had phones who could call for help. 

2. there was actually service in the elevator. 

3. there were four strong guys stuck with us who were able to pry open the elevator door and reveal our situation which leads to 

4. contrary to what we thought, our elevator had landed slightly off a couple inches lower than the next floor. the sudden jerks had lead us to believe that we'd hit all the way to the bottom. 

5. nobody was injured. shocked perhaps, but still intact.

6. the group in the elevator remained calm and broke out into the "Patience Song" while waiting for our rescuers to come which in turn helped me to stay calm and collected.

7. the lights in the lift still worked which may seem like no big deal but at that time, it really was..

8. our rescuers got us out in about 30-40 minutes which did seem like an eternity but I know there are some people who have been stuck in elevators for even 48 hours. 

it didn't really hit me until we got out the lift that I had really been stuck in there. I recall feeling just a sense of shock and relief overwhelm me like a wave. but the one thought that really popped into my head was God is good. all the time. and well... He really is.

this morning while having some time to reflect I realized just how awesome God really is. I know the term "awesome" is used so much it's rather lost its significance and meaning but know that I am using it in it's original context--inspiring great admiration or fear. as I sat there I thought about how interesting it is that we serve a God that we cannot see and yet we put so much trust in Him! I mean it almost sounds maybe unbelievable and ridiculous to a certain degree... I don't know if that makes sense. (sorry it's two in the morning, bear with me please). I mean this God we serve brought each and every member of my team to be here, in that room, at this time from all over the world! we are here because we believe in the same God and know that it was for His purpose we are serving together. once again I thought, still... we put our faith in Him so much to the point that we'd travel across the globe just to serve kids yet we've never seen the One who asked us to do so? then suddenly it was like an anvil dropped down and hit me between the eyes and this quote by the British gentleman and famous author popped into my mind. C.S. Lewis said it better in a sentence than I possibly ever will in a paragraph:

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it but because by it, I see everything else."

you can see God when you truly desire to look for Him because He will reveal Himself to you. the God we serve is not an invisible God. He is there amongst the children we are serving, He is there when we miss home, He is there when you are ready to call it quits and crawl into a hole, He is there when everything that can possibly go wrong goes wrong, He is there when you're happy, and He is there when you are miserable.

but most importantly, the sun has risen and by Him we see everything.