Rich in Faith

It's been 2 years now. It's been 2 years since I went to Kentucky, 2 years since my first mission trip, 2 years since I found myself again, 2 years since God cut through the darkness of my life. It was over spring break of my 8th grade year that our team of junior high students drove for 2 days up to Kentucky in 3 crowded vans (there's a longer story behind that, but I'll save that for another time) to serve the people in the small town of Pippa Passes. It's always around this time of year when my memories of that trip are the strongest. I tend to zone out in class (yes, yes, I know I shouldn't do that) and recall the different events that were all squished together in those 3 short days of service in that community. But when I do zone out, the first thing I will think of is not how our team impacted the area or our experiences, but rather how the people of Pippa Passes impacted us and the suffering the people in that area will go through.

God was extremely good to me on that trip. I was going through a really rough spot in my life, wrestling with some really hard things that had pulled me away from my Savior for so long. And then God led me to Pippa Passes on a mission trip. He led me to the exact area I needed to show me His love and grace. He turned my life around with the book of James (which REALLY kicked my butt, just by the way) and the encouragement of amazing people, and the view of the beautiful world that He created. But He really struck my heart through the absolutely wonderful residents of Pippa Passes. They were so open to our team and grateful that we were there. One of the families we were serving even cooked us a huge dinner one night! And this was a family that didn't have to do this for us, that really didn't have the money to afford to do this for us with all the people they had in the family. They welcomed us into our home and treated us as family. I wanted to cry because they were so loving towards us. Another night we went to a local building where they were having a bluegrass concert. We learned a line dance and danced with the people there and just got to know them. And during the time we were there, the man in charge called us out and thanked us, and everyone in the building cheered and thanked us as well. It's an amazing thing when you go to serve without expecting any recognition or reward and receive a room full of applause. Everyone was so open and loving, but there was more to it than that...

Our 3 days ended strongly, and we started our drive home. I slowly slipped back into my life again, but with a changed attitude. I didn't notice I had changed at all! It wasn't until a year later, when my friend wanted to "interview" me about my mission trip for her journalism class that I was made aware of it. I was just talking about our amazing trip, and my friend made the comment "Yeah, I noticed you had changed when you came back. You were happier." Maybe I was. God had left a permanent mark in my heart. Kentucky and the people there were firmly placed in my heart. I went through the rest of my 8th grade year and a lot of my 9th grade year trying to follow God and remembering Pippa Passes. There was something that kept calling me back to that time, something I wanted to figure out. Then sometime in 2nd semester of 9th grade, a TV special came on about the poverty in the Appalachian region, mainly Kentucky. I immediately cleared my night and sat in front of the TV. And as these stories of 3 people were told, my heart broke and my mind clicked and I cried. I sobbed. We're talking about the type of weeping that takes up an entire box of Kleenex here. And it wasn't the stories themselves that broke my heart, but it was the realization of what I had been trying to figure out for a whole year that made me break. The people we had met in Pippa Passes were already Christians, and I understood their love for us in that sense, but what I had been missing was that staggering amount of faith that each and every person we met had shown through their lives and actions. And the realization that they could have so much faith in God, so much hope for their future with Him, while living in conditions I couldn't imagine is what made me cry.

Matthew 6:21 states that "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I had once thought that I understood what it was saying. Now as I look back at my short trip to Pippa Passes, I know that I didn't understand it AT ALL! I take things from granted all the time. I complain and ask God why life is so hard. But I'm blessed with my life. I have the privilege of being able to go to college. I don't have to drop out of school so I can help support my family. I haven't had to suffer addiction, abuse, hunger, cold, or any of the terrors of poverty. The people of Pippa Passes are definitely better off than a lot of people in poverty, but the problems of their community is a world I had never been aware of before. And to see the people who had so much less than I had and had to work twice as hard as I will to have a semi-comfortable home, to see their amazing faith in their Savior and Lord to provide for them and protect them was the best thing God could ever have shown me! The people we met had joy. They had trust and love in God. I was somewhat bitter when I met them that spring break, and they taught me what faith in God really was. I have confidence that their joy came from knowing that their treasure was in Paradise with Jesus Christ their Lord.

I can go on countless mission trips, travel to the ends of the world, go to every nation on every continent, but nothing could ever replace what 3 short days in Pippa Passes, Kentucky taught me. God brought me there for a reason: to demonstrate His power, beauty, and incredible love for me. Me! A sinner! Someone who had spent years running from God and ignoring Him! My Lord and Savior loves someone like me! And not only does He love me, but He called people I had just met to love on me and help me along my path, whether they knew it or not. Our God is just incredible that way. He has placed Kentucky deep into my heart, constantly reminding me of the kind of faith He's called me to have. I don't know if He will call me back to Kentucky as a servant or if He will tell to do something much bigger for them, but the thing I do know is that God was there with me in Pippa Passes. I could feel Him in the residents' love, I could see Him in the beauty of His mountains, I could hear Him in everyone's encouragement. He brought me there with a plan in mind and radically changed the way I viewed myself and especially the way I viewed my faith. My treasure is with my Lord now, my heart is beating for Him, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) My question to you is, where is your treasure?

Some final thoughts:
- I just recently got some wall decals that I really wanted to share with you all! Why? Because they're amazing Bible verses! One is 2 Corinthians 5:7 and the other is actually Matthew 6:21 (this one's on the wall right next to my bed. Great reminder!) I have a feeling that my room will soon be covered in Bible verses, not that I mind.
-Secondly, I've been having a C.S. Lewis splurge this week. He's great, God gave him such a gift! So, when I finish reading all the books I have of his (in the middle of Mere Christianity right now) then I think I'm going to post a blog with my thoughts on them. So yeah, look forward to that if you want.
-Thirdly, God is blowing me away in many ways this week! And I have a feeling more is to come too. God is just amazing like that! I've literally been dancing and singing to the Lord as I never have before.
-Fourthly, I spent this past weekend up in Waco at Baylor with my sister. So much fun! I'm so grateful God gave me this chance to just spend time with Sydney. I love and miss you sis!

And that's it. One last verse before I go because I feel a lot of people might need this sometime soon. Matthew 6:34. God bless you all!

-Allie