"Freely You have Received..."

Hello, friends,

Here’s a list of ways that grace has been shown to me as I have prepared for this trip:

· During our car wash at First Presbyterian, we did a little bit to earn our way to Bolivia. However, much of our profit came from those (numerous) people who donated ten or twenty dollars for a mediocre car wash from a group of college kids going on a mission trip to Bolivia. Grace.

· I sent out a number of support letters, which many of you received, and received back an abundant amount of financial help for my trip—so much so, in fact, that two weeks after the letters were in the mail I was relieved completely of the pressure of fundraising. Among those who contributed: A roommate’s parents, whom I have never met, who sent a surprisingly generous gift and a note promising to pray; two high school students and one junior higher who decided to dip into their pockets to help send me along; two poor college students; two women who specifically asked me to send them letters so that they could support me; and some especially generous gifts from a mentor and from my church in Coarsegold. Grace.

· The fact that Mennonite Missions Network pays $1000 of my cost without compensation. Grace.

· That so many of you have promised to pray, and so many of you I know are praying even though you haven't said anything. Grace.

The point I’m trying to make is that I haven’t in any way earned this trip to Bolivia. It’s been given to me. God has blessed me with the opportunity and the means to do this almost without me even realizing what has happened.

And now I am expectantly waiting to see what other grace I’m going to find when I arrive.

In Matthew 10:8, as He is sending His disciples out to preach the Kingdom of Heaven in Israel, the Lord tells them: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”

And as I have freely received from God through Fresno Pacific University, Mennonite Missions Network, MCC and all of you this opportunity to serve in Bolivia, I hope to freely, and fully, give of myself there.

Yeesh. I already know from experience that that’s not easy. Even just last night after I came home from Bible study in Fresno I ran into a sort of spiritual brick wall, and the thought of giving freely of myself is not a very pleasant one at the moment. I'm having to realize more and more how small I am, and needing more and more to trust how big God is. And He's big. And this is all His.

At least I hope it is. I guess that's where your prayers come in.

At 10pm tonight I’ll be rolling out of Fresno Pacific University in a van with my team on our way to LAX, and (hopefully) by a little after midnight on Thursday we’ll be on the tarmac in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. See you all in four weeks.

Blessings, and thanks be to God (from Whom all blessings flow),

Sam