A Beautiful Thing -- Hillcrest Baptist Church

Day 6 Devotional (Week 4)
Saturday, May 7, 2011

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." -- John 15:13

On December 26, 2010, Steve and I boarded an airplane for a 15-hour flight to Budapest, Hungary. Steve had been asked to be one of the Bible study speakers for an MKR camp. This is a camp that is put on for the kids whose parents serve as missionaries in Europe and Western Asia for the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board. Needless to say, Steve was not allowed to get on that plane without me!

God opened my eyes to what our brothers and sisters in Christ go through in order to follow God's calling into the international mission field. It is not just the mom and dad who are called, but the children as well. I had the privilege of working with the senior girls through small group study time, and was amazed at the strength these girls had in their faith. They were regular teenagers who struggled with the same issues as every other teenager, but looked at the world in a whole different way. These teenagers leave home around the ninth grade for boarding school, and only see their parents a few times each semester. Most of our missionary families do not have the finances to make the long trip more often.

For me, the most amazing time on the trip was the worship services. These students sang loudly and read God's Word with conviction! This is often the only time each year where they are able to worship with a large group in English. My heart was so touched by their testimonies of God's faithfulness and love.

Just as Jesus gave His life for us, I pray that we will be willing to lay down our comforts and our desires in order to meet the needs of others. We pray that we will live a life worthy of the calling we have received. Amen.

Prepared by Steve and Amy Cloud

To prepare spiritually during our “A Beautiful Thing” campaign, you will receive a devotional written by our own members every Monday through Saturday for five weeks. To opt out of these daily devotionals, click here. To read the announcements from the “ABT Weekly Update,” click here.

A Beautiful Thing - from Hillcrest Baptist Church, Austin, Texas	Contact Tom Goodman, Pastor
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Day 6 Devotional (Week 4) Saturday, May 7, 2011 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." -- John 15:13 On December 26, 2010, Steve and I boarded an airplane for a 15-hour flight to Budapest, Hungary. Steve had been asked to be one of the Bible study speakers for an MKR camp. This is a camp that is put on for the kids whose parents serve as missionaries in Europe and Western Asia for the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board. Needless to say, Steve was not allowed to get on that plane without me! God opened my eyes to what our brothers and sisters in Christ go through in order to follow God's calling into the international mission field. It is not just the mom and dad who are called, but the children as well. I had the privilege of working with the senior girls through small group study time, and was amazed at the strength these girls had in their faith. They were regular teenagers who struggled with the same issues as every other teenager, but looked at the world in a whole different way. These teenagers leave home around the ninth grade for boarding school, and only see their parents a few times each semester. Most of our missionary families do not have the finances to make the long trip more often. For me, the most amazing time on the trip was the worship services. These students sang loudly and read God's Word with conviction! This is often the only time each year where they are able to worship with a large group in English. My heart was so touched by their testimonies of God's faithfulness and love. Just as Jesus gave His life for us, I pray that we will be willing to lay down our comforts and our desires in order to meet the needs of others. We pray that we will live a life worthy of the calling we have received. Amen. Prepared by Steve and Amy Cloud To prepare spiritually during our “A Beautiful Thing” campaign, you will receive a devotional written by our own members every Monday through Saturday for five weeks. To opt out of these daily devotionals, click here. To read the announcements from the “ABT Weekly Update,” click here.