All or Nothing…

My speech teacher once told me that your speech doesn't begin the moment you open your mouth. Rather, it begins the moment people see you. It is not talking that makes you a public speaker but everything that goes into speaking - your preparation, attitude, appearance.... it is the combination of these that create the identity of a speaker. On the plane ride to Ghana, the Holy Spirit was reminding me that being a missionary is similar. I did not suddenly become a missionary when I stepped off the plane into Africa or when I sent out letters for fundraising or join Team Expansion. I became a missionary the moment that I decided to follow Jesus,  just as you and everyone else did who made that commitment. My time in Ghana is an extension of this love story with Jesus. I have not come here to fulfill a title of missionary but to share about this incredible love that He has loved both you and I with. I have been reminded this week of the "all or nothing" personality of the Gospel. Luke 14:33 says, "so then, none of you can be my disciples  who does not give up his own possessions".  Jesus does not say ' some' of your possessions but All of them.  Jesus doesn't say this so we enter Christianity with a sober mentality but because He wants from the bottom of His heart to bless us with all that He can. We eliminate ourselves from the blessings we could receive when we do not adopt the complete lifestyle of Christ and choose to live only partially dedicated to God's agenda.

                One thing I love the best about the members of my team is our "go big or go home" motto. Last night Terry (the missionary we are living with) asked us to experiment with a juicer they had never used but wanted to learn how to.  After much experimenting we end up juicing 3 bags of mangos into mango ice cream rather than making the simple cup of juice we had been assigned.  It took a whole afternoon but the result was well worth it! Although it feels like we are a bit extreme at times, I wouldn't have it any other way because I know the heart behind each task is to give everything - even the  little things, like mangos - our absolute all.

                Pray for us, reader, that we would not miss out on anything that God has this summer but that we take everything in deeply and experience a lifestyle of full abandonment.