Why Flexibility is Your Friend

The opening chapter of Simply Serving (our short-term mission leader training guide written by Global Outreach Development founder and president, Bob Wielenga) reminds team leaders to make flexibility their number one leadership quality. It’s usually how I start all my training sessions with new teams that are preparing for a short-term trip. I’ve quoted the chapter hundreds of times in conversations about short-term missions. It seems like I’ve reminded team members of the importance of this simple concept every day on every trip I’ve been a part of. Flexibility is fundamental! With as much as I have talked about flexibility, you might think that I had the concept mastered. That’s not the case. Part of the reason why I remind people about it so often is because it is a tricky little concept to keep in mind.

The essence of the concept can be said this way, “It’s not about you, your team, or your plans. It’s about God!” (p.11). God has a funny way of quickly and unexpectedly altering our plans. Staying flexible means leaving space for God to do the unexpected and not getting disappointed when things don’t work out the way we’d planned. My recent trip to Guatemala was yet another example of how God changes our plans for the better. Let me quickly recount the story. I had originally planned on making two trips to Guatemala this month with two separate teams. This plan had been in place for several months, but in late June (only a few weeks before departure) a conversation with our partners in Guatemala led me to try to merge these two teams into one. What I thought was going to be an impossible task was nearly resolved after a short series of phone calls. I even managed to get everyone on the same flights (quite possibly a miracle, considering the time frame). These were a few of the first signs that God was behind this new plan.

As our time in Guatemala unfolded it became more and more clear that the new combined team was exactly the right combination of personalities, gifts, abilities, and strengths. Throughout the week our team bonded and some outstanding relationships were formed among people who otherwise would probably have never crossed paths. Looking back at how it all came together, I am reminded once again that flexibility really is our friend, and that God is usually on the other side of situations that require our flexibility.

Pray for us as we remain flexible with God’s plans for us throughout the rest of the summer.
- joe

Mississippi Team Blog- I had a great week serving alongside a team of Jr. High students in Mississippi last month. Read some reflections here.

Guatemala Team Blog – Our Guatemala team also took time each day to write a little reflection on their experiences. Read some reflections here.

Guatemala Team Updates

Keep up to speed on what's happening with our current Guatemala team at the Royal Servants blog.

GSM Founder Speaks About LCS Guatemala Team Success

Below is a segment of an e-mail update that Paul Banta (Founder of Global Soccer Ministries) sent out shortly after the LCS team returned from Guatemala.  Thanks to all who prayed, supported, or participated in this amazing project.  And please continue to pray that God would use GSM and these evangelistic soccer clinics to reach into the lives of those in Pinito.

- joe neill

Short-Term Missions Director

SimplyMissions.org

"A great group from Lansing Christian High School spent their spring break working hard with GSM Guatemala and some residents of a little community called Pinito here in Guatemala City. The community has recently become another site of a soccer academy for GSM Guatemala, where boys and girls ages 8-15 come and train, improving their soccer skills, and participating in a series of Bible stories and devotions aimed at growing their hearts.

Pinito, as a community, is composed of families that scratch out a living from the discards of the neighboring meat processing plant. The intestines of already butchered cows are cleaned and hung to dry in order to be resold as sausage casings ......the lower legs and heads of cattle are gleaned and cut away at with the remnants of meat being salvaged and resold. Though the dogs of the community seem to fare well, the families do not as they struggle to manage their lives from the discarded cattle remains that they receive daily. Located in the community, is a small, narrow soccer field that the team from Lansing Christian transformed in an unbelievably short amount of time.

Protective fencing was welded together and raised at both ends of the field was secured into a block wall that was constructed and painted. Add in a lot more painting and, to top it off, a train of dump trucks that just kept coming to dump a select grade sand/clay mixture that was shoveled, wheel barrowed, and raked to create the new playing surface. Many from the community pitched in to help including kids of all sizes, many of them being academy players who realized the significance of the upgrade to their field that was taking place.

GSM Guatemala and Lansing Christian finished the project by inviting the community to come and watch the Pinito Soccer Academy host the Canalitos GSM Soccer Academy, another of GSM locations. They played four games that were followed by hot dogs, watermelon, and face painting fun - as well as a short devotional from Pastor Teddy Torres, one of the pastors from our sponsoring church for this particular academy. Aching backs and sunburned necks aside, a great project was completed. We believe it has the capacity to impact lives for years, as we continue to run programs here. Our relationship with Pinito continues to grow, providing more opportunities to share God’s love. Pray for changed hearts within both the academy players and their families. Thanks again, Lansing Christian.....job well done! " - Paul Banta

Guatemala Team Returns Safely

Here is a group photo of our team that recently spent their spring break in Guatemala.  They returned early Sunday morning after a long travel day back to the US.  Here are a few comments that have already ended up on Facebook.

"Rejoicing in all that God did in and through the Lansing Christian mission team that was here. They worked so hard and were a great blessing to many. Hope you rest up you wonderful people!" - AMY (host missionary) 

"Thank you so much Amy and John for all u guys did for us. I miss Guatemala SO much already, if I could jump a plane back tomorrow I would. You guys are amazing!" - Stephen (Student on trip) 

"Ditto! It was one of the best mission experiences I've had." - Tim (Parent who went along as a chaperon) 

"Cannot describe how much God has changed my life through the lives of the people in Panito!"- Halie (Student on trip)

 It's always exciting to see the ways that God works in the lives of people (from hosts, to guests, to nationals, to prayer partners) on these trips.  If you haven't taken the time to read the blog entries from this team while they were in Guatemala, you can still find them on our website at http://www.simplymissions.org/lcs_guatemala. 

Thanks to all who supported this team in any way!
- joe
Director of Short-Term Missions
SimplyMissions.org

LCS Guatemala Team makes News on TV10

Our Team In Guatemala This Week

We have a team of 23 people from Lansing Christian School serving in Guatemala this week.  Read their updates on our website at the following link.

http://simplymissions.org/lcs_guatemala

Beyond Borders Road Trip: SOUTH AFRICA August 7-20, 2010

Join the Beyond Borders Road Trip: SOUTH AFRICA August 7-20, 2010!

What is a Beyond Borders Road Trip? It’s a chance for college age students to step beyond the borders of their life and discover a world beyond their own. It’s a chance to encounter God through the eyes of another culture. It’s a chance to experience what it’s like to live on mission.

Don’t just go to help people, come to be with people.
Don’t just go to speak, come to listen.
Don’t just go to see the world, come to better understand the world.
Don’t just go to accomplish something, come to be transformed.

Because we set out to give you a holistic missional experience, we will take pieces of what Pure Hope & Nieu Communities (two cutting edge ministries reaching out to the least of these in South Africa) naturally experience throughout the year and bring as many of those pieces together as we can to provide a compact, integrated experience.

Three currents of Communion, Community, and Context will be obvious throughout the trip. So there will be times of spiritual reflection, worship, or prayer each day. We’ll do some exploring together and we’ll engage the culture through acts of service, kindness, conversation, and prayer. We’ll also throw some adventure into each trip and take you out to see and experience more of the country.

At this point you may be wondering if this is really a fit for you, or you may have specific questions about a road trip – whichever it is feel free to contact Joe Neill, Director of Simply Missions, at info@simplymissions.org.

Come join us on an adventure … an adventure that might just change your life.