The Bonds of Brotherhood

If you have ever participated in a foreign mission trip, you probably understand the bond that exists with other servants that you meet along your journey, a bond that is centered in a calling to serve others in the name of our Savior.  These relationships are easiest to recognize when one or the other mission team is wearing matching team shirts.  That was certainly our experience as we traveled to Belize today.  

Our 31-person team left Birmingham early this morning, each wearing matching Thirst Mission t-shirts.  Along our journey we met many teams that were traveling to other foreign countries, living out the Great Commission.  It began when we arrived at the airport in Birmingham and recognized another local team from Helena that was departing for Costa Rica; and, it continued with two more teams that we met at the airport in Atlanta, one of which was a medical mission team from South Carolina that was also traveling to Belize.  There was even yet another team that we met on the flight to Belize; that team was from North Alabama and was on their 18th consecutive trip.  

There were also countless other individuals along the way, ranging from those that just asked questions to those that provided words of encouragement.  There was even one couple that are members of another local PCA church in Birmingham, that not only asked questions and provided encouragement but also contributed two $20 bills to the group for us to treat ourselves to a little something special, maybe ice cream on a hot and humid day.....that is a fairly common weather forecast for Corozal this week.