Our Arrival to Texas
The energy, excitement, and anticipation of another opportunity to serve in POWER Ministry is here. The day has arrived to let go of the cares of a crazy work week, put out some last minute “fires” at work and/or at home, and focus on being Christ’s hands and feet across the border. We are meeting for the first time as a group at 10:00 PM. I look to Tim James, who will be guiding us through devotions this week, “Tim you look how I feel”, I say, noting his blood shot eyes and apparent exhaustion. “I only got two hours of sleep last night”, he remarks. I can relate, staying up late the night before trying to finish one of many tasks on the “honey do” list. Tim and others from Southern California rise at “O dark Thirty” to trek to San Diego airport with guys from Crosspoint Church in Temecula, CA to catch their flight to San Antonio, Texas. I’m flying in from Boise, Idaho. Other men from South Dakota and Iowa, Bobby Biber, Keith McDonald and Loren, Eric, and Michael Vander Schaaf, had to deal with delays due to weather and will arrive late tonight.
Guys will be traveling from all over the points of the compass to spend a week together. Some have been working shoulder-to-shoulder for years with POWER and some, like me, don’t necessarily know each other well. We will share in an intense week of building, maintenance, and restoration of churches, homes, and ministry facilities. More importantly however, are the people. Proving opportunities to build, maintain and restore the lives of pastors, orphans, refuges, and the Mexican people that God brings in our path. Oh ya, God is working on us all too! BIG TIME!
Each member that joins the team this week often has their unique story of hardship to get here. Unfortunately, due to illness, deaths in the family and pressing work responsibilities some couldn’t make the trip. We’re shorthanded. Our leadership on the ground this week, of Doug Wible, Mark LeDuc, Tim Morgan and Marty Read have been planning for months to put this trip together after two years of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This is no easy task! We’re already short with half the guys we would normally have on a POWER trip, but still taking on the same number of projects we would do with a crew of 80 plus men. We’ll all have to wear multiple hats.
The logistics of determining who will do what among several opportunities on daily basis, rests with those four tireless men and others on the POWER Board, each who have served in POWER for many years, some for decades. The average age of our crew this year is 54, Doug Wible shares. In addition, the average number of years served with POWER is 11 years. I’m somewhat of a “late comer”, just hitting my third year on this trip.
Doug starts off the meeting with open hands. He asks us to open our hands in front of us, directing our attention to having open hands towards the Lord, to both release those things that have troubled us getting here and to receive God’s power, blessing, and direction as each of us carry out our respective duties this week. With a deep breath, I release and receive as Doug has encouraged. My POWER brothers do the same, redirecting our attention away from the wordly mundane to the Godly profound. It’s a much-needed reset for what we are about to do.
I’ve been tasked with writing a journal entry each day, coordinating the late-night prayer meetings and make room calls to “heard the kittens” so we can leave on time each day. Like I said, multiple hats. These responsibilities are a big step up from my previous water duties to equip each van with water for all the guys daily. I’m thinking, “Lord how do you want me to write these journal entries?” I think again, trusting Him to lead the way. I’ve decided that I will write these entries from the perspective God has given me. I work as a psychotherapist, and I often have my client’s keep a journal to capture their thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behavior. So, I’m hopeful that this approach, unique to some, will satisfy those who will read these entries. Please stay tune to what God puts on my heart to share the experience of what POWER is all about, through the eyes of the guys who protect the time each year to give of themselves towards furthering the cause and Kingdom of Christ. My hope is, that you’ll find these entries insightful from my unique perspective and those of the men of POWER.
In Him who meets our every need and exceeds our expectations,
Clark Edmond