What is it you/I really LOVE? Spouse? Children? Career? Money? Retirement? WHAT? Oh sure for a believer in Jesus Christ we are to "Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, and then to Love your Neighbor as yourself". But are we? Am I!?Love . . . . really . . . . here is what we experienced!
Last week I found myself amazed at a TEAM I truly grew to LOVE. There were 23 of us and we varied from 12-76 years of age. There was NOT one conflict, unrest, we were ONE in the Spirit, Purpose, Goals - LOVE! Agape was sooooo very evident in the lives of the 33 people (counting the home saints who worked there) I lived with during the week. It was AMAZING! I have taken many trips and I must say I have never experienced what took place last week. God truly humbled me in an incredible way - for that I will ALWAYS be eternally grateful!
Love began with Him the day last year He placed the passion and vision to find a way to get to the Dominican. Love revealed itself when some said it couldn't be done for various reasons. Love poured over when 3 beautiful senior saints said they felt the drive to come on this TEAM and be a part regardless their age. Love overflowed when the funding was astronomical beyond our wildest dream and left us with blessings beyond reason. Love became evident from the time we met @ 3 am and were challenged with the devotion of the two seat er bicycle for our journey. Who would be our Love and Controller for the week? Others, Ourselves, or Jesus Christ our Lord? 
We were in areas that were just four years ago very hostile to Rick and Carie Bernard and now thru Love the "people" of the Banjo (spelling?) are open to the teams who come to share the Love of Jesus with them. Jesus is now becoming real slowly but very realistically. Are there hardships that come with Love? YES.
Senor Juan Antonio and Senora Maria live it every day yet Love Never Fails to get them thru another moment in time to extend HIS LOVE to those who are willing to receive what they are willing to give freely! The small church in a community of of 10K people in a very small area is just amazingly know by actions of LOVE~!!!
Also the Refugee area where the peoples run to be "Blessed and prayed for" is heart rendering.
Love - once rejected now accepted four almost five years later because it is sincere. They know we came in Love, to pray with them, to bless them, to give simply medicines - LOVE! Rick had shared that when they first came to this refugee area (that has been here over five years now) was NOT accepting of them at first. The got out of their van and had to leave in 2-3 minutes because of the hostility then next time 5 minutes. They never gave up. Now there are times when the "missionaries" leave they ask, "you leave now? why?" Oh there are still times when the "witch doctors do not approve and the missionaries have to leave quickly but we were blessed to have an opportunity to pray with a few who were very ill. Some allowed us to pray IN their homes which could hardly have more than 8-10 people at a time in them. They were full of disease yet they are LOVELY to touch, pray even hold! 
The biggest blessing to Love this particular day was to pray over a baby who had her "red ribbon witch doctor bracelet on" As my Team partner was ill from kidney stones the mother came over to us sitting outside the bus and allowed us to pray over her baby. We both prayed for God to remove that wrist band held so sacredly dear to that family and make her a PILLAR for the Lord of Lords and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ some day. As I was praying for her from the top of her head and over every limb she literally began to smile when we sang "Holiness . . . " over her. She grinned the largest grin and the mother began saying something very quickly at that very same time the child in my womb began moving. Sherri and I couldn't contain our praise and kept singing! It was an AWESOME God moment for all seven us around this child. I know in my heart the LOVE of GOD is real to that little girl and We will see her in Heaven when we are home together. To hear her story of the bracelet being removed as a testimony to Jesus Christ!
Love -the thought of Love has far exceed more than all I could ever ask or imagine! My life . . . is but a whisper than can never truly experience the vastness of LOVE. Every time I begin to wonder if "this is it" I realize there is so much more to yet live and experience. Christ Loves so much yet I still can not fully fathom just how much! LOVE - It causes my heart to ache in a huge Jesus kind of way! I long to keep spreading the gospel to all those around me. I hurt literally when I think of my own earthly father now surrendering his life, heart, soul and mind over to him yet I keep praying for God's Love through Jesus Christ to penetrate his heart. Someday my daddy will come to know him! I pray for the ones the Holy Spirit will allow me to share Jesus' true Love and they turn from the world of sin. I am grateful for the 23 TEAM members I grew to Love who have left a huge imprint on my heart never to be erased!!! I LOVE missions work. It is thru Jesus Christ and his LOVE that it is all around me everyday whether my children, my Missouri next door neighbor or my neighbor around the world. May He grant me yet just one more opportunity to LOVE . . . REALLY LOVE one more for HIM!!!!
So Won't YOU LOVE . . . REALLY? We will see it.
Psalm 27:13-ff
"Yet I am confident that I will see the LORD'S goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD."
