This is missions: first lesson

"He learned obedience by the things He suffered...Hebrews 5:7-9"

Forget about the Queen, the Son is shining on Great Britain. My six hour overnight British Airways flight from Philadelphia  went better than I expected— it was comfortably short. The time goes fast. When the plane crossed the International Dateline, it was really awesome to go from darkness into the light in a blink of an eye. Witnessing this spectacle, I immediately thought about the biblical account of creation where in Genesis 1 God separated the evening from the day.

My flight arrived at Heathrow airport at 6:30 am. While I was waiting to be picked-up, I saw Olympians from the various countries arriving, as a nearby Salvation Army brass band played "Crown Him Lord of All" in the airport no less. Finally, transport arrives and I pile into the van with others on the Team who had been waiting with me.

On the drive through the city, London looks very much like any American city except for the traffic pattern, which is opposite of the traffic patterns in the U.S.. What should be on the right is left and vice versa. My first impression of London is a positive one. It's a clean city, architecturally pleasing, with a colorful mix of different cultures and distinct accents.

The first day is all about settling in and getting acclimated to new our new surroundings. The Team is staying at a Girl's High School just outside of London. Some of you probably thought I'd be staying in a nice hotel. When they told me to bring my own sheets, blankets, pillows and towels, I knew it wasn't likely. The school's two large gym floors were converted into a sleeping area complete with a sea of mostly air mattresses. My bed is a foam mattress from IKEA (I was blessed). There is  a cafeteria for meals and so far, the food has been good. Still there's a lot to get used to, and there's been the usual creature comfort complaints from some Team members.

But THIS IS MISSIONS. And the lesson I've learned from this first day is that humility, obedience and sacrifice is what missions is all about. Don't do missions if you just need a vacation. You'll be disappointed. It's not a walk in the park; it's not a picnic either. Missions requires a sacrificial commitment and a willingness to serve often under difficult circumstances. Like Paul, I've had to make an attitude adjustment to be content and to focus solely on why I came to London. As long as I keep this thought in the forefront of my mind, I will be in the place where God can use me. As Christians, we must remember that "Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Cor 4:17)."

Having said this, I must tell one last story: Three Team members and myself were standing around talking together. It was clear from our body language and our faces that we were exhausted and worn out from our travels and from what was turning into the longest day. So we're standing there waiting to be assigned a sleeping space when suddenly, my mouth opens and I blurt out, "I'll be glad when this day is over." Realizing that I had voiced the exact sentiments of everybody else, the group erupted into an uncontrollable fit laughter that lasted for several minutes. It was exactly what we needed to lift our weary spirits. and prepare us for the real work ahead.

And so the evening and the morning were just the first day...