I love my teammates

Happy July, everyone!

As I sat pondering what to write, I began discussing with my teammates some ideas for this blog post.  Then it hit me… I LOVE MY TEAMMATES.  So I must tell the world.

First of all, you should know that one of my greatest concerns about coming to Zim was spending the summer with 5 other girls.  The horror!  I could only imagine the cat fights and bickering, and that was enough to trouble my soul.  So I specifically requested prayer for that and moved on.

Orientation came along and butterflies filled my belly as I walked into the room where my future teammates stood.  What were they like?  Would they like me?  Would we all get along?  I met them all, and quite frankly, still wasn’t sold out to the idea that I’d be living with them for the next two months.  Little did I know that these girls would become sisters and best friends and counselors and coworkers all in one. 

See, I’d be lost without these five.  We laugh together (in excess).  We cry together.  We pray together.  We worship together.  We have our hearts broken together.  We love.

The thing is, this love is not from ourselves because quite honestly, we are fallen, selfish people.  We get annoyed when people don’t press certain buttons on the microwave or they pronounce words wrong.  But we can choose to love.  We can love because we have our eyes focused on the One who IS love.  The One who first loved us that we may love one another.  And by that love for each other, others may therefore love Him.

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35, ESV)

So, friends, I challenge you:  how are you loving your fellow believers?  This is how our ministry is effective—people know us by how we love.  Make that your goal today.  Go out of your way to show someone love, even if they are not particularly loveable.  See how God will use that.

Prayer needs: 
Please pray for us in these final weeks of our trip.
Pray that God would give us love abounding for one another and the people we minister to.  May His glory be known by how we love. 

-Emily