My two years in Africa... catchy title I know

I want to try and write a blog summing up my two years in africa.  In order to do a good job with it and cover everything the blog would be WAY to long and no one would read it all.  So I'm going to focus on the most important thing I think I learned, or at least experienced in my two years living and learning in Africa.  I have been reading in Corinthians lately, and today my first full day back in the U.S. I read 1 Corinthians 13.  This chapter talks a lot about love and what love is.  If you had to name the one thing it takes to be an effective missionary on the field, I would say that one thing is Love, God's love that is.  You can have 10 seminary degrees, memorize the bible cover to cover, be a master of apologetics and know 20 languages but if you don't have a true love for God and people you are not going to do well as a missionary, or as christian for that matter.  I got the pleasure and joy of working with so many people who have a genuine love for the people they are serving in Africa.  Love is not feeling, love is an action.  When you love someone you are putting that person above yourself, and looking for ways that you can better serve them.  That's what Jesus did for all of us.  Jesus equals love.  The whole time He was on earth he was putting EVERYONE above himself.  His whole purpose was to save us, to die for us.  Jesus was perfect in every way.  Because of Jesus' perfect love we are able to know Him in a personal way and have eternal life with him.  I believe love is the most powerful thing in the World.  I love the quote from Napoleon Bonaparte... 

"I know men and I tell you Jesus Christ was no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him."

If we look to make our lives about loving God and loving people, think of the impact we can make on the World and for God's kingdom.  I got to see this first hand in Africa, so many of the missionaries there are just doing whatever they can to love people and serve them.  The stories I got to hear, the things I got to see were amazing.  Lives are being changed, churches are being planted, and God is being praised all over.  I consider myself so blessed to have had the opportunity to work along side such great people for the last two years and see God work in so many ways.  

I want to thank everyone for all the prayers and support in my time here.  Prayer is the lifeline to the work done by missionaries all over the World.  Prayer is where it all begins and I just want everyone to know the importance of your prayers to the work being done all over the World.  I love you guys!  Look forward to talking to you all from SPAIN!!