Just say YES!

Shadow Hills Baptist Church did a local service project this week, serving food to college students at South Plains Jr. College, Reese Campus.  Special thanks to Rene Alley for preparing the food and giving her day to make it happen.  Thanks also to Byron, Tiny, Kristen Harper, and Bille Downing (with oxygen tank in hand) for helping us serve.

What a joy and privilege to meet and feed these  students.  We see a variety of students, traditional and non-tradition, busting their chops trying to study, work, support family, and make ends meet.  Then, of course, there is the occasional student who rolled out of bed for lunch before their 1 pm class, but I am sure they studied ALL NIGHT LONG!

I had the opportunity to share about my trip to Kenya, telling these students about how God worked through our optical clinics.  Jarren Ray saw over 300 patients in 5 days.  We were able to give away over 75 glasses, and take over 100 prescriptions.  And we will be able to fill the prescriptions through the Lion's Club of Texas and send them back in about 2 months.  All without cost to the patient!

And to top things off, we are currently watching God provide a significant investment of land and building to one of the churches because of the ministry that was initiated through the optical clinics.

The students were genuinely appreciative of the various events that came together for this mission moment.  And the heart of the message was this:  Jarren was not sure if he could go and do the clinics.  Nor did he know how he was going to afford the airfare for himself and his wife.  Yet, they said YES to God's invitation to go.  And God provided airfare, a place to stay, equipment, glasses, and even Lion's Club connections.  And then he provided land for a local church in Limuru.  Land that would cost $20,000 US.  And God provided it.  And he will continue to do so.

All we need to do to participate in God's great and wonderful plans?  Just say YES to his invitation. He didn't ask Jarren to be something he wasn't.  He asked Jarren to serve within his training and gifts.  And Jarren said YES.  And God multiplied all of it.

So, the message to the BSM was "Just say YES."  What could God accomplish through us if we just said YES to him?