The Ripple Effect

What is a ripple? It can be viewed as a disturbance in an environment that is an interruption in something or someone’s current status. After the disturbance that status can return to normal or be forever changed.

When was the last time you skipped a rock on a lake? Or even just lobbed a rock as far as you could out into the lake? Whether the water is calm or rough the ripples from the rock entering the water go out in all directions…even come back towards you.

God works that same way in our life. He can drop a pebble (or a boulder, if needed) into our life and it not only affects us but it can ripple out and influence others around us. God uses these situations for His glory and our good. And we, Team Northern Lights, were blessed to see it happen time and again during (and even after) the mission trip.

The church members in Peñitas prayed for a new church. And the ripples began. God began working in the lives of people from Alaska to Oregon to Australia to Canada. He began calling people to financially support the building of the church. He began calling people to become construction missionaries. He began working in the hearts of the people living in the community surrounding the Peñitas church. He began calling church members in the city of Plan de Ayala to open their hearts and church to strangers from foreign lands.

We thought we were simply building a church for a community in need. It has turned out to be more far reaching than that. One local man (in Peñitas) skeptically said that if the Peñitas congregation could get strangers to come and build them a church then he would come to church. We did and I hope he has!

There is an upcoming evangelism series in Plan de Ayala where the local congregations will come together and share the Gospel with the community. God used our presence in Plan de Ayala and Peñitas in preparation for this series as a witness for Him. Every where we went people wanted to know who we were and what we were doing. Everyone was talking about the strangers in town who came thousands of miles to build a church. Ripples…

The ripples weren’t contained only in Mexico. God began to work in the Northern Lights team member’s hearts as well. He taught us valuable lessons in humility, perseverance, joy, and love for God and man. I have heard that some team members are reading the Bible more and sharing their faith with others with a new ease. One team member is studying with our local Pastor to be baptized! We are so excited to see God at work around us on a daily basis.

On January 30, 2010 Team Northern Lights will have the opportunity to share their recent God infused experiences with the Hillside-O’Malley congregation in Anchorage, AK. We are anticipating God using The Ripple Effect to reach people in new and exciting ways.

To God be the glory!

Lynda