Day 9: March 29, 2008

Our Return & Reflections
I took over the late shift of driving from 12am-5am. I had candy and pop to keep me awake. Jason stayed up and talked with me too. I slept after that and we had a late breakfast at Hardee’s. This greasy food didn’t sit well with my stomach. We played 20 questions with Angela and Jason being asked. It was a great chance to get to know each other. Then I drove to Des Moines and we had lunch at Subway.

We talked about what we had learned on this trip. Here are some things I learned:
• The El Paso teams’ stories had a huge impact on me. It was a testament of their faith. It was a great sacrifice to make the move. They believed in the power of their prayers. They packed up and trusted God for everything. God had put this desire to plant this church on their heart. They followed that desire. I know it was a struggle but they followed it.

• I want to follow their example in my life. I must think daily, “What would God want me to do in this situation.” Jesus never said that this life would be easy. The things of this world must be put aside if we are truly living in the spirit. Would I be able to make a sacrifice like the Rio members did?

• It was great to see our group in action. We were unified, flexible and sacrificial through out the week. I think that this made a big impact.

We got back around 6pm. John and I returned the van to the airport. I got home and I was pretty tired. I knew that the trip went extremely fast. It felt like I had just left. We were able to accomplish a lot during our stay. I just hope that we can reflect on what we’ve learned and share our experiences with others. It was a great trip that I will never forget.