Steve and Barnabas in Tanzania

The following is my sermon mock up (the written version-it often changes as I practice) for Nov 3 and 24 services at my church Mauldin United Methodist.  The video of the entire service can be found at  http://www.mauldinmethodist.com/go/downloads There is a Casting Crowns song that I think has a very poignant statement that is unfortunately very true.  The song is “If we are the Body” and the statement is the chorus line: But if we are the body Why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body Why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way? In my short 46 years I have witnessed many situations that cause me to ask very similar questions. Juan Carlos was a young boy when his father beat him senseless and thinking he had killed him he dumped the body on a trash pile for the area.  Ekateirna was 17 when the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991....

Christians are meant to be together.  We help each other in ways I never understood until I started to do mission work.  When I went on my first mission trip, my church family got behind me and seriously pushed me along in fundraising.  But more importantly they supported me with prayers and asking me to talk about after I got back.  When we first started overseas mission programs at our church to send teams over to places like Peru, Tanzania and Germany the church family got behind our work and again pushed us forward with fundraising, prayers and encouragement. One of the best things we implemented over the years is having people in the church, family members and any other friends we could find as well as the VBS kids make or write notes to our team missionaries that we share with them every night of the trip.  Over the years this has become one of my favorite times during the mission trip to see the faces of everyone as they get notes from their loved ones...

I would normally not use a word like era to describe a part of my life because I consider it for more important parts of history such as the Cold War Era.  However Miriam-Webster.com defines era to mean a  a memorable or important date or event;  especially   :  one that begins a new period in the history of a person or thing That is most definitely where I am at right now.  I am moving between two distinct periods in my life as I write this first blog.  I have been part of Mauldin United Methodist's local, regional and short term foreign mission teams since 2001.  I have been blessed to go by myself, with teams from other groups, with teams from Mauldin UMC, leading teams.  I have been blessed to serve on short term mission teams, outreach committees, Methodist men's fellowship.  Over this period of time I have been blessed to go on 17 short term foreign mission trips.  This July I went on what may be my last trip with Mauldin U...