Selfless

I love my friends.

My Florida friends have been staying over for the past few nights.

I love it. I missed them so much.

They have been going to work with Ruben and helping out with the construction.

As I have been observing them each day, I noticed something very special.

Every morning after breakfast, without any hesitation, Nicky announces that it is time to go to ignite to start working. The boys then get ready and head out.

Every morning after breakfast, I am in awe.
I am so proud to call them my friends.
To be honest, I consider them to be more family than friends.

Nonetheless, I have been thinking about these moments incessantly.

I then think about the idea of missions trips.
I think about missions in general.
What is a missions trip?

I always understood a missionary to be someone who goes to and becomes part of a new community. Someone who goes to help. Not because they have to, but because they want to.

They want to serve. They want to help. They want to love.

From what I have been seeing these past few days, I would have to say that these boys have done just that. They came here to Chicago for a vacation.

Are they lounging around at the beach?
No.
Are they going to amusement parks?
No.
Are they avoiding any and every type of work?
Quite the opposite.

They wake up every morning with the intention of going to work, and this is no office job friends.

This is manual labor.
Painting, cleaning, putting wires through things while hanging on extremely high ladders. These past few days have been no walk in the park. Yet, every morning, you are guaranteed to hear these boys want nothing more in the next hours of their lives than to go to ignite to help.

This makes me so happy. I smile every time.

Seeing people choosing to serve others rather than serving themselves is a beautiful thing.

To see selflessness played out right before my eyes is a gift and inspiration.

I love people.
I love love.
I love serving.
I love watching people love others through serving.