Wear your smile!
The magnitude of God’s love in the months following our son’s death changed my life. The night we received the phone call regarding his accident, we were working a trivia night fundraiser at our church. Our 16 year old daughter had requested we serve on a mission trip so that she could explore medical fields. I agreed to go to Honduras to support her.
We were scheduled to leave three short months after our son passed. The very LAST thing on my mind was going to a third world country, as I was barely functioning. How could I possibly be of any use in helping others? There was also the consideration of funds as we had just paid for an unexpected funeral. There is no interrupting God’s plans. A generous donor offered to pay for our trip. Our daughter insisted, “He would have wanted us to go”…and so we did.
I was a wreck on many levels. However, fear was not one of them. Our son was hit crossing the street, in the USA, at college. What more would I ever fear – anywhere? Years of worrying about our children was to no avail. It simply stopped me and our children from fully living.
God’s plan was larger than I could have imagined. Upon our arrival I was astonished at the lines of people waiting for our bus. We arrived with supplies, nurses, translators, a dentist, pharmacist, optometrist and World Gospel Outreach leaders.
The first morning I was assigned to help in the pharmacy area. It was fast paced, deep thinking work. Respect your pharmacists! Each area of the church was filled with different stations accommodating our team by serving medical needs. Men, women and children of all ages walked miles and waited hours to receive care. I was most amazed by all of the smiles worn, in the most destitute area I had ever witnessed.
That afternoon I worked in evangelism. After each patient’s medical needs were best attended to, they came to hear the word of God. Along with being exhausted from grief, I was TERRIFIED! I did not talk to people about my faith in the USA, LET ALONE in a third world county, through a TRANSLATOR to STRANGERS! My mind was filled with thoughts of our son saying, COME ON MOM! You can do this! And so I did…
God saw fit to place parent after parent that had lost a child or children in front of me. Beautiful souls, broken, hungry, sick, yet humble in spirit. I was stunned. By God’s grace, my fears fell away as we spoke of how HE gave His only Son for our ETERNAL life. We grieved together and were connected without barriers. Each night our team gathered to tell our experiences of the day. We all shared unique stories of growth and faith. Words cannot express the amazing love and gratitude we thought we would be giving to others, YET received ourselves. I left filled with strength and a greater purpose in life.
Shortly thereafter, Chosen to Shine was placed on my heart. This was the first time I had noticed the hand of God pressing me. Maybe I had missed it before? When God places something on your heart, there is no turning back. Believe me, I’ve tried to give up and HE places it RIGHT back on my heart. I once read that running from God will only land you in a whales belly and I did NOT want to be there.
At our son’s funeral, I witnessed hopelessness in many young adults. Three months later, I saw the same faces at our son’s friend’s funeral. Grief is expected, yet what I saw, was deeper than the loss of their friends. God was working on my heart.
Healing began in Honduras. Healing that could never be bought on a relaxing vacation. Sometimes, God allows pain to break us and IF we look to Him for repair, we become stronger. I began to understand that IF young adults could SEE FIRST HAND how each of their talents are needed – through servant leadership, their purpose may become clear! We need HOPE to COPE! The hope experienced on our mission was unlike any other and it SHOULD be shared.
Chosen to Shine is a Christian organization that cultivates servant leadership in young adults by providing opportunities to serve on international and domestic mission teams.
On New Years Day 2017, a small group of Chosen to Shine left to serve in Honduras. Their life changing testimonials can be found on our website: Chosentoshine.org.
On October 23, 2018 we will be securing our “Start with a Serve” Honduras mission trip scheduled for January 5-12, 2019 in Tegucigalpa. This will be my fourth trip serving and second as a team lead. Be assured, it is well planned through the World Gospel Outreach. We welcome YOU to JOIN US or help SPONSOR a student! There are at least a dozen young adults not fully funded, hoping to serve on this life changing trip. The cost is $2,000 per student with the largest cost being airfare. We welcome business sponsors! Feel free to sponsor one of your employees to join us! Click on this: Email link right away and I will send detailed trip information for this or future mission opportunties.
Please join me in prayer for both additional medical staff to join us, as well as funding for our students.
We are a 501 (c)(3) non profit and all donations are tax deductible. You may donate on our website or by mailing a check to:
Chosen to Shine – 17 Junction Drive – Suite 300 – Glen Carbon, IL 62034.
I am blessed to be a child of God, wife to one, mother of five, business coach and non profit leader, here to make a difference. I pray that you will join us in support of Chosen to Shine. Together we are stronger!
Peace and Blessings,
MamaC
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15
Website: Chosentoshine.org Email: mamac@chosentoshine.org
Photo: Smiles in Honduras 2017
