Fresh Faces...New sons and daughters

Today was the day the Hendersons have been waiting a long time for. This morning we went to the airport and met Brandon McSwain and Karey Digh. A few hours later we went and picked up Tim and Robin Rhodes and their family. It is just great to see people you have missed so much for five weeks and to watch their faces full of excitement for what lies ahead. I can’t wait for the other team from UCity to arrive on Friday.

As I am writing this at 4:10 PM (Ethiopia Time), Mendy has gone with the Rhodes to pick up Eli their new son. Tomorrow they will pick up their new daughter as well. I am thrilled for the Rhodes and I trust the amazing plans that God has for this entire family. I am honored to get a front row seat in watching a compassionate community in action.

I know that many of you have been praying for everyone that is involved in Ethiopia (missions and adoptions) and I look forward to celebrating together as a community when we are all back together again. In so many ways this is not just what a few individuals and a few families are doing, THIS IS WHAT OUR UCITY COMMUNITY IS DOING, as well as many other things in other places. When we see ourselves as a compassionate community rather than a collection of individuals, then everything changes.

“Our individual ability to serve is quite limited. We might be able to help a few people for a while, but to respond in servanthood to all people all the time is not a realistic human aspiration. As soon as we speak in terms of “we”, however, the picture changes. As a community we can trascend our individual limitations and become a concrete realization of the self-emptying way of Christ. This communal realization can then find specific expression in the daily work of the individual members. Some people work well with teenagers, others with the elderly, others with hospital patients, and others with prisoners. As individuals we cannot be everything to everyone, but as a community we can indeed serve a great variety of needs. Moreover, by the constant support and encouragement of the community we find it possible to remain faithful to our commitment to service.” - Comapssion by Henri Nouwen

I love the many ways that people at UCity compassionately serve each other and the world around us. I NEVER want anyone in our community to feel the pressure to do what someone else is doing. However, I want EVERYONE to grab hold of the need to serve people around them in the unique ways that God has designed us to, so that together as a community we can say, “yes” to so many more needs around us. It is fun to see God’s Spirit form this in our community and I love the way so many of you serve faithfully. Keep going!

“He (Jesus) makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Ephesians 4:16