I have been a blogger for 10 years!!! I am closing this chapter and this blog after this post. I love to write. It is my way of processing and journaling for the last 10 years. Writing words is super important and meaningful to me, so I'm not done writing, I'm just done writing here. Praying for direction on the next writing space. This blog has served as a family journal of sorts as well, but now I have chatbooks that showup from Insta so I'm rolling with the times. :)
I thought summing up our Team Zero trip would be a good post to close this blogging journey with. I have tried at least a dozen times to find the words to capture the heart of this trip. My words seem limited and confined in this particular case, in relation to what is going on in my heart, and yet words are often the release and outlet that gives direction to the stirring that is going on in my heart.
I will try to "sum" up as best I can, the Team Zero trip and close out this blog with what I feel God has restarted in my heart.
God birthed in our family thru our firstborn, Lashae, a heart for missions and for the nations to share in the love of Jesus all over the world, not just in our world. This new and burning passion started in her 10 years ago. It caught on like fire in all our hearts very quickly and it has changed everything about how we handled our lives. Our love for Jesus expanded as He expanded our territory and we stepped further and further out of our comfort zones.
Team Zero Trip brought some 10-year markers that closed some chapters and marked the beginning of some new books. We celebrated the accomplishment of almost 10 years of education for our son Andule Simon and we enjoyed the talents and gifts of our other son, his brother, Patrick Brewer, as his team, Joyful Hearts, put together the entire celebration. I kept feeling like God was turning the page, and we get to continue this journey with these sons, but it is going to look different now.
Charlie met these boys at a VBS that they taught on his and Lashae's first trip to Uganda. It was a mission trip led by Justin Vaughan, our brother in law, and we sat right on those same grounds and celebrated all that God has done over the last 10 years. We sat and celebrated with the Elders and children of this village and gave all the praise and glory to God.
Also on this trip as only our gracious God does, He had planned before any of us were born that on our Team Zero Trip, I would hold in my arms this new precious life that carries my name and heart in Uganda. As I sat holding Baby Jenay I knew that no matter what season of life I am in, or what part of the journey I am traveling, Jenay is living and growing and thriving in Uganda, and that rocks my world in a way I can't seem to get over.
Team Zero Trip grew my love and passion for Jesus, The Church, and His Body in a deeper way. Leading up to the trip God had us pull back from any sort of role in organized "ministry" and as a result, he has sunk us deeper and deeper into personal relationships and people's lives that are living testimonies that are walking and talking ministries for Him. We connected with The Body in personal and life-changing relationships and encounters. I believe the Body of Christ as a whole is more connected than ever from all over the globe. We can be connected on a regular basis with the touch of a screen, but it is also uncoordinated and messier than ever. I reminds me of a puppy who grows faster than it can gather up those growing parts to do what is eventually smooth and natural-looking.
Team Zero's mission was to come alongside people that are doing what God has called them to, we encouraged, we cheered, we supported and preach and prayed. We enjoyed the fruit of what God is doing in and thru his people. We were in awe of the love and the joy and we received more than we could ever give. We learned more than we could ever teach. We were blessed more than we blessed. I learned we can't rush healthy growth and delicious fruit. We can't throw enough effort or money at anything to make it grow faster. Godly growth and juicy fruit are what happens over time, over conversations, over meals, over communing together in good times and hard times.
Having looked back over 10 years, it's a lot of years and a lot of mistakes and a lot of grace, a lot of love and forgiveness, and praises and prayers that got us to a Team Zero Trip. It's all because of the ONE we serve that we get back to ZERO! I can't wait to see what God is doing with nothing we have to offer, because last time I checked he makes pretty amazing things out of ZERO to start with.
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