"Well, I'm back."

I believe the subject line I wrote above is the last piece of dialogue Tolkien used for his Lord of the Rings Trilogy, as Sam returns to his Rosie after the last bit of adventure with Mr. Frodo. I had a rather extraordinary December, leaving Dec. 3 with 7 other men for relief work in Pakistan until our return to the U.S. Dec. 16th. It seemed longer than it was. I was so proud of my teammates, some of whom had never ventured overseas before. God used them in mighty ways, building relationships with devastated Muslims as they also built metal shelters. One of the guys, on a whim, had been studying the local language for the last year--he was able to put his skills to great use while he helped manage the base camp and distribution of materials. We went without showers for two weeks, endured various sicknesses, and ate what was put in front of us by Pakistanis (mostly chai, but also other dishes). Our God was faithful to keep us all safe and in good spirits for the duration, despite dealing with people who had lost everything and some who were looking to profit from this tragedy. What did I learn? I believe that God further confirmed my role as a sender/equipper of others, while He also gave me a heart for the local people, who desperately need Jesus. My passion is to send tons of Arizonans and New Mexicans to go change this part of the world, through God's Spirit living inside them. More tomorrow or maybe even tonight...