English Camp - Day 9 Update - Ben

         Today was parent night.  This is one of the best nights of the trip because we meet the families of the teens.  The parents were able to receive a glimpse of what an average day at camp involves.  Also,  each English group performed a skit that allowed each student to speak in English.  However, parent night is also a great night to share the Gospel, which is what Jared did with great passion.  It was such a blessing to be able to witness the Gospel being explicitly shared to a packed auditorium.

      The Gospel is amazing and wonderful.  A God who sent His Son to redeem enemies to Himself.  A Savior who willingly gave up the unfathomable riches of heaven to come to earth and suffer separation and wrath from God which I justly deserved.  A substitution which allows me to call God my Father and praise Him forever in Heaven.  We are all undeserving of the Gospel but yet we have a compassionate God who loves us more than anyone on earth could ever love us.  This trip has shown me how incredibly stupid I have been about the Gospel.  Where has my urgency been?  If I have a God who will always love me and be there for me, why do I care if the world thinks me a fool for sharing the Gospel?  This world is fragile and dying and they need the Gospel.  We are here one second, strong as can be, and the next second, we are in a car accident or in a fight with cancer.  There is no time to waste.  No time for procrastinating.  The time to share the Gospel is now.  With whoever we meet.  Spreading the the seed is more important than being considered a freak by "friends."  During this whole trip, we knew the students were only here for two weeks and so we constantly shared the Gospel at every opportunity.  We rarely waited for the students to ask us about it.  Instead we directed as many conversations as we could to the truth of the Bible.  But why is there only urgency on a mission trip?  The whole world needs to hear this incredible message of love and sacrifice.  If there is anything I have learned on this trip, it's that the Gospel is more important than social standing.  More important than college and achieving a degree.  More important than my family.  The Gospel must and will always be my first priority.  There are people all around us who are dying without hope.  Tomorrow might be too late.  The time to share the amazing truth of the Gospel is now.  PLEASE,  LET US NOT WAIT ANYMORE.

Ben

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot