SATAN TRIED TO STOP TEAM'S ACTIVITIES!

A team leader from Jefferson Street Baptist Church, Eureka, Kansas, shares that Satan tried many times to interfere with the work she and others were doing with the Operation GO saturation team in Mexico. Read about Karen Gudde's experiences below. She shares (in her own words) what transpired during her volunteer trip.

"My daughter and I had been in Mexico for three weeks prior to our Operation GO project. We had gone to Oaxaca where I fell in the shower (slick tile) and my knee was in pain the entire week. I found out last week that I have torn the Meniscus and will need surgery but God was so good – he really gave me a lot of relief from the pain during the week. It got much worse when we came home!

Some of our experiences were as follows:

One woman shared with us during our trip that she was just broken hearted because her son is an alcoholic and his wife has left him. She just cried as she told us about the devastation that has come to her family. I don't know exactly how old she was but she walked to church with a cane.

Satan tried to stop other activities…..one of the young boys on the trip found out the night before we came home that his mom and stepdad had been in an accident and would be in rehab and hospitals for four months. Of course, he was devastated thinking about this but we encouraged him, prayed with him and let him know that Satan was only trying to steal the joy he felt. He knew his parents were going to live but they were going to have a rough recovery. Well, we got home on August 8 and Adam told me Sunday that his parents had come home Saturday! The power of prayer is awesome! God is so good.

If anyone thinks there is nothing that they could possibly do, can they stuff packets? We always end up having to stuff the bags with the gospels and the invitations. When we were stuck in traffic this year, we did it even in the van!

I could probably write a book about the experiences we have had on these trips but my chief encouragement would be for people of all ages to just go and serve. God commands us to GO! Many churches may be GIVING, which is wonderful, but are they GOING? Volunteering is an experience that opens your eyes and enlightens you in ways no one can describe to you with words. I know it is expensive. I know it may be uncomfortable going into unknown territory, but these people are lost and we can let God use us to help shine light in their world and show them the Savior. What greater joy or responsibility could we ever want or hope for in this world?"

If you want to join the Lord in His work in Middle America and the Caribbean region, like Karen and others, please contact us at the addresses listed on the right-hand under "Contact info below."