Well the trip is over! And I must say that God is truly a God of Wonders. There has been so much that has happened over the past couple of weeks that while my faith has been strengthened in God, it has been shaken in the ability of any of us to "do church" well at all. Power corrupts! In the world, in the church, in myself. I have had my faith in the ability of God to use even the most difficult of situations and the most difficult of people to bring good among those who need it. I have seen again how we, if given the opportunity to make a mess of things, usually will and in spite of that reality, God's goodness can and will be seen so clear. I will begin posting here on a regular basis again as I will have a little more time. The past two weeks have had the schedule of up at 5:30 AM, gone by 6:30 AM, home again at 11:30 PM or later after going non-stop all day. It will be good to be home for dinner a few nights a week from now on.

Oh yeah, if you ever get a chance to go to Roatan (a bay island off the north coast of Honduras) go! It is a great place for diving and snorkeling and resting and relaxing. Even with the temperature in the mid 90's and humidity over 90%, it was still incredible. Can't imagine too many places that are more beautiful.

I've been thinking a lot about "blessings" throughout my time here in Honduras and I am reading everyday the blessings Jesus talks about in Matthew 5:3-12. Here is a list:

• having the kingdom
• being comforted
• inheritinh the earth
• being filled to satisfaction
• being shown mercy
• seeing God
• being called a son of God
• receiveng a great reward in heaven

I'm noticing the lack of "stuff" here and I am continuing to wonder (I've been doing this for the last 3-4 years) whether we really understand what it is to be blessed by God. As I hear those of us who come to a place like Honduras (poverty riddled, third world envoironment) talk about how being here helps us realize how "blessed" we are, I continue to come to grips with the fact that what we mean is that we have been given a lot of "stuff" and an ease of lifestyle that 75-80% of the world doesn't have. Then I am reminded that it will be very difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom (something about a camel going through the eye of a needle) and I wonder if anything about our stuff and lifestyle is really a blessing.

Lord, help me to be poor in spirit, mournful, meek, hungry for righteousnees, merciful, pure in heart, and a peacemaker. Help me to suffer persecution because of righteousness and to be willing to be insulted and accused of evil falsely because of my association with you. In the name of Jesus, Amen.