Standin' on the corner in Winslow, Arizona

Oh yes, there really is a corner in Winslow, Arizona and I stood on it! There's even a flatbed Ford parked on the street beside it. (For those of you too young to have a clue what I'm talking about, listen to the Eagles song, Take It Easy.)

And what was I doing in Arizona, you ask? Well, we spent a week with the Navajo Trails Mission helping them get their ministry to the Navajo people going full swing. Each year during spring break, John and I go with the Christian Campus House from MSU (and 60-100 college students) on a mission trip somewhere. We have gone to Mexico, New Orleans, and this year to Arizona. Upon our return every year, I like to spend some time figuring out what God had to teach me through each unique experience. Here are this year's revelations:

The Little Painted Desert

On the way out there, we traveled through miles upon miles of the most barren country I think I have ever seen...and I'm from Kansas! But even in the barrenness, there was such beauty. Plateaus and mesas rising up from the red sand, snow covered mountains in the distance, gorgeous canyons, and mounds of lava rock that looked like they had just that day bubbled up from the depths of the earth.

What an awesome example of God's ability to take something so desolate and seemingly lifeless and turn it into a moment of pure speechlessness. That's point #1.

The day we got out there, they were experiencing one of their frequent wind storms, 60-100 mile an hour winds with nothing to stop it. The tent we were planning to stay in all week was completely flattened and between the high altitude, bucking the massive winds, and being pelted by sand and dirt, walking anywhere proved hazardous to my health.
 

Our tent after the wind storm

Which leads me to point #2. The power of that wind was so overwhelming and even in light of the destruction it could cause, I was reminded that God's power is so much greater. And since "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." Psalm 111:10, it would serve us all well to realize what God is capable of and how His great grace and mercy saves us from what we truly deserve.

And lastly...even though we've been to various locations since I have begun accompanying Christian Campus House on their Spring Break mission trips, there has always been one commonality--you work your backsides off! And the thing that impresses me the most each year is that the college students we take are 100% in to the work. They get up early, work every part of the day they are allowed, and go looking for more work if they get done with their assignments. And this doesn't seem to be an isolated group of kids because although we may have some of the same students for several years in a row, there are plenty of new faces every year. These young people are willing to give up their Spring Break (which typically involves lounging on a beach or just kicking back for a week) to work harder, get dirtier, and sweat more than most have done their whole lives.

It blows me away to see where they are in their spiritual maturity and see their genuine love for serving the Lord. And it's not just a facade they put on for a week. After spending almost 24 hours in a van with them, you hear and see the authenticity of their walk when things don't go as planned and they are asked to be inconvenienced and patient. So to point #3...if they stay as committed as they are in their lives right now, the future of the kingdom is in good hands.

I could do another whole blog on the plight of the Navajo people but will save that for another time. Suffice it to say that this year's mission experience was once again a success, not only in the amount of work we were able to get done for the Navajo Trails Mission but in the lessons learned, the awesomeness of God revealed, and the faith that was tested. To God be the glory!