I know there have been quite a few of these entries, but hang in there....

My lesson

Aside from doing so much translating, one other event weighed on my during the trip: teaching a lesson to the entire group.

At the beginning of the week, all of the leaders for the trip met together to go over the schedule:

Breakfast 8 a.m. Leave at 9/9:30 a.m. Begin working and/or VBS at 10 a.m. Return to church at 2 p.m. for lunch. Hang out for a few hours. Dinner at 5 p.m. Out for park outreach at 7 p.m. Home by 9 p.m. for small group study and a lesson.

"So, who wants to volunteer to teach a lesson this week?" our trip leader asked the group.

Though the leaders were mostly male, we did still have four female leaders, as well.

One by one, male leaders volunteered to take on the lessons.

With only one night left to claim, the group was silent.

I volunteered, even though it was something I knew would be a challenge.

The previous year I had gone on a trip to Northern Ireland with the same youth outreach organization. I was no longer a leader once we were sent to our various locations throughout the country. This was especially difficult for me when we faced huge challenges in our leadership and I had to stay out of it for the most part and just play a supporting role for the rest of the team.

On that trip, I learned to support my leaders while also helping to bring cohesion to the team.

That meant stepping up when others wouldn't.

In Northern Ireland, I had my first experience teaching a large group mostly because others didn't want to volunteer. I felt anxious in the days leading up to the talk because I was worried about what to say.

In the end, God gave me the words.

Still, in Mexico I had my doubts; my own insecurities.

The kids I spoke to in Northern Ireland didn't have personal relationships with Christ. It was all about outreach and delivering the message then.

This group I was going to teach to had personal relationships with God and certainly strong ones in most cases. Very intimidating.

I felt like Timothy. What did I have to offer?

Despite my insecurities, the whole week leading up to Thursday night, I prayed and I read my Bible, asking for the right message, not my own.

I feel like God gave me the right one and also used my ability to tell stories to also capture the interest of the tired group members.

I finished the group that night feeling relieved and also encouraged.

The lesson I learned that night is one that I've been in the process of learning for probably the past year. Interestingly enough, it was best summed up in the movie "Evan Almighty."

"God" tells Evan's family that "People pray for patience, but God doesn't just give you patience---he gives you opportunities to exercise patience."

It's in those times that I have to depend on God for His strength and for His peace that I'm given the opportunity for my faith to grow. I learn to depend on Him more.

At times I indeed feel timid about sharing my beliefs with others, or staying the course that God has set out for me, but I'm reminded of these times out on my short-term mission trips when God has moved in amazing ways, simply because I got out of His way and let Him use me.