You Are Still Held Close To My Heart

It has been six months since I have posted a blog. It isn't because I have nothing to say or that life has been uneventful. It is simply deduced as the desire hasn't been as prominent as it once was in days past. So what brings me to write now you may wonder? It is in fact a trip that some of you may had read about in my posts written back in October. It was a week long venture in the country of Haiti.

I don't really plan on discussing my experience on that trip as you can simply go back and read some old posts in case you missed them the first time around. I also realize I never posted my final day either, but I think this post will make up for its absence.

The last several days my heart has swelled at the thought of the amazing team I had the opportunity to serve alongside with. This is written mostly for myself so I can remember the names and faces of those for years to come. Perhaps you will find this an uninteresting read, but for myself these are people that I will always cherish.

So I debated on how to point out the individuals in the above picture, (from left to right is difficult since the rows are too staggered). I suppose describing them will work out best.

• In the blue shirt on the far left is Ernie. He was a real easy going guy, unlike many of the others in our group Ernie  was a fairly reserved individual. 
• Just above Ernie is Mike in the black shirt. I sat next to Mike on two of my plane rides and got to chat with him more than most of our team. He is a super nice guy and he just exuded such an incredible level of humility it blew me away just talking to him. He was very encouraging to be around and you could tell he really loved people. 
• Just below Mike in the heathered grey shirt is Bill. He is a pastor in a church in Habersham county I believe. You could tell he had a strong faith in the Lord and shown it every waking moment. He also has an incredible testimony and with him even being on the trip with us was amazing.  
• Moving to the top of the picture stands Jason in the white shirt. You can't miss him because he is by far the tallest in the picture. Jason had a really great work ethic about himself when we were out at the churches. He also had a great sense of humor and could really brighten up a room providing a good laugh every now and then.
• Just below Jason, and partly hidden, stands out team leader Doug. He did a great job relaying information to us throughout the week. One night I had the opportunity along with a couple of others to hear his testimony and it is amazing to see what God has brought Him out of. He also always had a great attitude all the time.
• In front of Doug is Lance in the beige shirt. This trip was Lance's first plane ride and mission trip, so he was experiencing lots of new things. He was one of the more quiet guys in our group but I did get to know him pretty well. He worked hard and I could tell that the trip was a great experience for him.
• Beside Lance is Jenny in the grey shirt. Jenny was one of the four from our part of the team. I rode next to Jenny on the other two flights I was on and got to talk to her quite a bit as well. This was her first mission trip out of the country and I assure you she is ready to go on another. She brought lots of energy to the group which was good.
• Just above her stands Jerry in the white shirt. I can't imagine that anyone wouldn't feel blessed after they meet Jerry. If you read my earlier blogs I mentioned him once or twice and my few words do not do justice at the kind of man he is in my eyes. When I think about what it means to go and make Christ known in all the world, I think of Jerry. Being retired doesn't mean you stop serving and reaching others. To me, he is a perfect example of what it looks like to be a servant of Christ.
• Hidden behind Jerry is Stanley. Stanley is a character to say the least. He is funny, controversial, and is truly himself. That may not sound like a compliment but it is in every way possible. He walks to the beat of a different drum and I will never forget his antics. Even with his ridiculous nature, he was no different than so many others on the team. He worked so hard and gave so much of himself.
• To his left is me.
• Below me is Monique in the black shirt. Monique is fun and energetic and I think she was a great addition to the team. She was one of the four from our group and she was a lot like me. Still up in the air about life with some things but still trying to pursue God in all the fog of it.
• Below Monique is Alison in the black t-shirt. It is thanks to her that I had the opportunity to go on the trip in the first place. Alison is one of my heroes. Despite her being a little younger than my self I look up to her as a mentor. She has been one of the few individuals in life I could call a true friend. I am so utterly grateful that I know her and cannot express the impact she has been in my life.

This may feel like a pointless run of descriptions of individuals you may have never met and may not ever meet in this lifetime. But to me these people are so very close to me heart. They may not possess my thoughts every day but for sure enter my thoughts on a weekly basis.

I can honestly say that being around those 11 individuals is the closest thing I have felt to a true unadulterated fellowship with a decent sized group of individuals. I know this because I could see each one of their hearts and they were all beautiful. I have had amazing moments of worship, prayer, and fellowship with some individuals in different parts of life. But no where near the level of humility, servant-hood, love, and obedience towards God than that group of 11 individuals.

Often Christians ponder what they will experience in heaven. I can only imagine that it will feel something like the nature of what I experienced for 7 days with these true men and women of God.

Each one of you are in my thoughts and in my prayers. I hope that an opportunity to see each one of you again in the near future is bound to occur. But if our encounter fails to present itself then I will be overjoyed the day I meet you in heaven.

Thank you for blessing me. Thank you for humbling me. Thank you for your heart.

I love each and every one of you. 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Roman 12:1