i've been back in the states for a little over a week now. this past week and a half has been spent hanging out with edu, grandpa joe, and occasionally some of the other team members. have i been in isolation and loneliness? not really. exclusive to only paraguay team members? yeah sure, why not? but anyways, i really haven't given much thought about my experience in paraguay until yesterday's drive back down to so cal. so i guess this is my "mini-testimony", if you will...

i had made my decision to go on missions this summer during my winter break. i had really thought and prayed about it and God answered right away-the burden to evangelize, no crazy plans for the summer, and God's providence with my financial situation. He wanted me to go! but man, i really had no desire or passion to go to Paraguay. whenever i talked with past team members, all i heard about were empanadas, really nice jovenes, and how fun it was. it did not sound like much of a "missions experience" to me. my idea of cpc's annual paraguay team was just 2 weeks of serving with a well-established missionary down there with minimal evangelism. when i thought of going on missions, i thought of reaching the lost and JUST evangelizing. you can go to any missions report night in almost any church and they'll tell you that there are far too many people who have never heard the gospel. i mean, it's not like i was against people going down to paraguay from our church. it just wasn't the missions experience i was looking for. a "weaksauce missions" if you will.

however, i strongly believe that you should go on missions with your church. i'm not bashing kcm or other campus ministries but i personally find it more appropriate to go on missions with the church that you belong in. *shrug* besides, cpc gives you a gang of financial support compared to other missions organizations. so that's how i ended up going to paraguay...and i have absolutely NO regrets!

i really had no idea what to expect from this missions trip. to be honest, i wasn't expecting to change or grow much from it either. but yeah, i think so many "unexpecteds" happened to me...

1. we evangelized alot!

2. i got to know some of my team members pretty well.

3. there were many moments where i was really blessed and encouraged by seeing team members (including the Paraguayans) serve and grow.

if i wrote down every memory that i have of my Paraguay experience, this blog would never end. that is why i'll just end with three things that God taught me...

1. door-to-door or preaching in the streets isn't the only way to evangelize. God can even use activites like VBS or testimonies from different people to work in many hearts.

2. missions is not about how much you suffered or how difficult it was. just b/c you didn't struggle physically does not make your experience a "weaksauce missions." we are all called to be missionaries wherever we are. sometimes you're more blessed than others. sometimes you're not. but you're still called to be a salt and light wherever you are.

3. going on missions isn't JUST a time of evangelism. it is also a time of serving, encouraging, fellowshiping, and growing.

i praise God for everything i experienced. i encourage EVERYONE to go on missions. i won't lie to you...you'll have to sacrifice alotta time for training and the actual missions trip itself. but i promise you, God will reward your commitment. ok ciao ciao.

Thought of the Day: Stinkin' dinner with cousin.

Song of the Day: Everclear-Everything To Everyone