Walk a mile in there shoes.

The trip last week to Honduras was full of moments that brought us closer to God.  One of the most meaningful and simple things to me was a walk down the road in front of the new property.  This road is well travelled by hundreds of folks going into and out of SanFranciso De Yajoa.  The children walk this route to school, farmers bringing food into town, people collecting wood to cook by, and anyone with businiess in the cities of San Pedro or Tegucigaulpa.  The large majority of this traffic is foot traffic.  We where able to park and walk our new road for the first time.  We where blessed to be able to go door to door in the area next to the land.  We where able to bring bags of food to many of our neighbors as we realize this as the biggest physical need.  Most of the people if not all that we visited with had eaten only tortilla's and fruit as they had no money to buy any other food items.  Most of the families surrounding the property will eat only one meal per day.  We where able to bag up a weeks supply of rice and beans to give as we introduced ourselves as there new neighbors.  It was amazing to see God use this simple gift as a door to there hearts.  We where so graciously recieved by these beuatiful and hard working people.  The food was an opening to tell the people why where there.  We told them of the plans to builf the orphanage but even more the plan to love this communtiy any way we could.  This food will be gone by the time the week ends, but for 4 new believers in Christ there was a greater gift recieved on that day.  To see the expressions on the faces go from brokeness to joy after the explantion of God's gift to us all is something I will never forget.  Christ coming into the hearts of these people was evident by the change in there body language and there smiles. 
I think we have forgotten in the American church what we are to be doing.  It is not about the programs, or the music.  It isn't about turning 100 members into 200.  Christ focused His entire ministry on building relationships with those around Him.  As we enter Christmas let us as churches and individuals focus on building relationships as well.  Either in you church family or with the person who has just lost his job.  If we can meet a need physically or emotionally it will open that person to gifts Christ has already prepared for them.  Lets get busy just loving people and speaking the truth and not worry so much about our image or our numbers.  Let God be concerned with the outcome lets just do the work.