The First Time

Upon returning from a 10-day mission trip to Zeway, Ethiopia, I find myself reflecting on several first time experiences.
It was my first time:
-flying in an aircraft for 23 hours
-traveling to Ethiopia
-preaching with a translator
-seeing poverty at its maximum level
-having starving, sick children embrace me
-seeing hundreds of poor beggars plead for money and food
-seeing naked children playing in street gutters
-worshipping with brothers/sisters in a different language and finding no barriers
-teaching a pastors school to a fellowship of pastors from 14 other churches
-feeling very out of control of my safety and circumstance
-living without clean water
-living without electric and working toilets
-meeting my sponsored children
-going through a week without ESPN, cell phones, and computers and not missing them at all!

This is only the beginning of a list of first times for this trip. But ultimately I would do them all over again for the experience was life-changing. To quote my son, "Everyone in the US needs to go on a trip like this for at least one time." To that I wholeheartedly say Amen!

Perhaps God is calling you to step out and experience something for the first time. Obediently follow His call-you won't regret it.