Trip Report

Hi form Matamoros, Mexico! Today was our third day in Matamoros, but our first full day of missions. Already its amazing to see how God is working in all of our lives. Our group has been blessed again while blessing the people of Mexico as well. Today for me, God revealed himself to me by coming to me and strengthening my heart. After breakfast we had worship. We didn't just stand and sing and clap our hands like usual. Today we spread out from each other and were allowed to worship in whatever fashion we wanted to. What a special time it was. I was able to open my heart to the Lord and prepared myself for the powerful message that would follow. The speaker this week, James, addressed in the message something that God has been trying to teach me over and over again for a while now. He began to speak from Mark 12:28-34, in which Christ addresses the greatest commandment. "to love the Lord your God with all your soul (prayer), all your mind (intelligence), all your strength (energy)." The second greatet commandment follows to " Love your neighbor as yourself." How often do we get caught up in DOING for the lord? Trying to accomplish things for him thinking that of we just do this he'll love us. If we complete this task, he'll be happier with us. But none of this matters in the least if we are missing the very first and essential commandment, to love he lord our God, who loves us no matter what, as an excuse to busy our lives, supposedly "doing" things for him. All we need is to love him and everything else will follow. Psalm 145:15 says: " The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." We don't need to to do to grow closer to God. Not in the least. All we need to do is seek Him with all our hearts, and he will be more real to us than we could have ever imagined.

Natalie Mason