A Heart Full of Praise
Despite the fact that I have not had any time to stop and gather my thoughts since we returned from Thailand, I cannot shake the feeling of praise that continues to sort of follow me around. God is good, and His grace is overwhelming!
Our team arrived back safely in the U.S. after a virtually hassle-free return trip. Despite our exhaustion, I think it is safe to say that every team member had a ready smile and a boatload of stories about God's goodness. God's hand was abundantly evident on our trip, and every one of us was honored to be a part of His work.
Yesterday I had the chance to share a "thank you" message with the people at Believers Baptist Church in Leesburg, VA. This whole church was involved in a project to bless the children Remember serves at the Freedom House Orphanage. All ages contributed to make a gift bag for each child. You've already seen a few of the pictures that we posted about handing out these bags, but there is far more than meets the eye. Each bag was hand-sewn in order to be sturdy, attractive, and travel-friendly. Inside each one was a mix of age and gender specific items–stuffed animals, matchbox cars, wooden models, bouncy balls, coloring books, hair ribbons, and a multitude of other gifts.
It is a Biblical truth that it is more blessed to give than receive, but knowing a truth can be far different than experiencing it. Even though our team did nothing more than transport and hand out the bags, we experienced that blessing. I personally was almost overwhelmed by the chance to see such generosity at work–the energy in the orphanage reminded me of Christmas when I was a kid, and those smiles will always be with me. These pictures just don't do it justice!
The generosity of the people at BBC has allowed them to experience the truth of this Scripture. I pray that they will know the joy that they have given to these precious children.