On a Church mission
August 5 through 10, 2007

Teresa, our son Gabriel, 12, and myself
Mouse over the image to see us bother Gabe.

With our Monday afternoon free, we (the boys and myself) were challenged by my ex-wife to develop a skit that we could perform to the small cadre of campers within our youth group. She was "throwing down the gauntlet" since she and her crew had to continue work on beautifying the town center while I took the guys back to the cabin to relax. So I chose the passage in Luke on the prodigal son around which to build our skit. We brainstormed every possible pop culture and rock-and-roll reference we could and worked it into a narrated version of the parable. When we performed, our pastor sat in. We got good reviews, but it would be nothing compared to the production the girls put on two days later. They had help from one of the campers who was majoring in film and music production. Led by Teresa, they put together "The Ten Commandments: The Awesome Version," illustrating how not to break the commandments in our modern world. On Wednesday night, the guys were blown away as we watched a DVD of their production two days in the making in the dining hall. Even though I was successful in my intention to insert some level of spirituality into our activities, I had to admit, the girls got us good.

Each workday was followed by dinner, games, and devotions. On mission, we fed our bodies, our mind, and our spirits, so to speak. I was able to corrall the youth into playing Ultimate Frisbee. One game even took place in an approaching thunderstorm and in the black of night. There was as a rudimentary basketball hoop, so Tuesday, a few of the boys and one or two of the girls were able to get a three-on-three contest before storm clouds forced us to quit.

Devotions were conducted by one of the founding ministers of the Belington Mission trip named Terry. Terry centered his lessons around a painting by the German artist Seiger Koder, a retired priest. Then he'd show a short video by Christian motivational speaker Rob Bell, and we'd discuss the concepts held in common by the painting, the video, and a relevant piece of scripture. For Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, he covered the themes of "trusting," "the unexpected," and "peace." The second lesson was the most moving to me. Rob Bell's video was entitled "Rain," in which he tells about a walk he took with his infant son where it rained, causing his son to cry out. It touched me so deeply and on so many levels: regarding my divorce (the rain of life coming unexpectedly), his love for his son, who he had in a backpack, which I did so often with my own children, and how we ask God to get us through the storm. I was in silent tears through the last half of the video. After viewing the video, I shared with the group how God sometimes does not answer prayer the way we want. But shared how I realized that God has a bigger and better plan for us, even though we may not be able to see though the rain at the time. I wanted to share those perspectives and experiences with the youth who decided to come to devotions that night. My own kids were in the group, and they had the chance to hear me reflect on life changes that had a direct impact on their development. The devotional aspect of mission gave me and the kids a chance to reflect on the reasons why we were there. Terry helped us grow spiritually from our mission experience through the media and discussions we shared during those sessions. We are back home now. I walked into a flooded basement as the hot water heater decided to give out, spewing water all over the basement floor. Almost $1,000 later, I am still wondering what message the good Lord is trying to send me. So feel free to visit a sponsor or two. Maybe it will help pay the bills. Until then, remember that fitness is multidimensional.