Building up treasure in heaven

I'm really glad I'm here, because I'm meeting all these awesome people. A few days ago, we picked up utensils/silverware from Bruce and Janet who go to The Sanctuary. They were SO helpful and gave us everything we needed (and a few more - Janet was a mom, and I guess is in the habit of thinking of everything we could possibly need.) On our way out, they told us we could call them for anything and that they would give us a tour of downtown Mississauga when they returned from helping their daughter in Haiti. She's a teacher's assistant at a Christian orphanage/school in a town across the bay from Port-au-Prince. On our way back to the dorm,

Anyway, I got into all that detail, because I'm just so impressed with the character of these people. Let me list the ways:

• They had been subpoenaed to appear as witnesses for a fire in a church they had been working in. They went to help that Aboriginal church every year, kind of like how ECBC goes up to Rae every summer. Can you imagine? Having to appear as a witness to testify against kids you knew because they were charged with burning down a church you had helped to build?
• They raised a very caring daughter who was supposed to be back home months ago, but is still in Haiti working with kids who need help. I think that it's rare for parents to raise healthy and very giving children unless they are that way themselves.
• Janet's mother had died suddenly a few months back, and she got most of the stuff in her mother's house. Instead of selling it all to make a few hundred bucks, they kept it and gave it/lent it to people who needed it.

Janet's mom's death was very difficult for her. That, in addition to them being in the middle of renovating their house, would have been a pretty good reason to just say to us: "We're glad you're here, hope you do a lot, we'll pray for you, thankyouverymuchgoodbye." But they didn't. They gave us everything we needed, made themselves totally available to us (24 hrs/day) and offered to take us sight seeing when they returned.

Plus, Brett told us that they support missions work a lot; if they don't go themselves, then they help raise money, they give money, they help other missionaries (or, summer interns such as ourselves)in tangible ways. These are very giving - eternity minded people.

Imagine what the Church would be if more of us was like them. We couldn't be accused of being passive or hypocritical - our love would be POWERFUL, and lives and souls would be changed for the better. It'd be one of those 'shine your light before men so that people can praise the Father in heaven' kind of things. Amen.

So my prayer request for Friday/Sat:

• Pray that Leanne (Bruce & Janet's daughter) will be safe and she'll be encouraged to continue to do good things in God's name
• Pray that the judge in the case of the kids burning down the church will have wisdom to make a good judgement, especially with gangs involved
• Pray that Bruce and Janet will have a safe journey to Haiti & back
• Pray that the Church (Body of Christ - not the institution) will grow more selfless and eternity-minded people

Thanks guys so much for reading this and praying along with me. You guys keep me accountable.

Much love, Joyce