“We are here to bless those we serve… I am the one who is being blessed by them.” Discover how God placed Third Church IMPACT Team member Sarah exactly where she needed to be, at precisely the right moment, to connect with a grieving mother and a joyful child. It’s a reminder that shared stories can bridge all differences.
Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.
We are ALL God’s children…though miles and cultures and colors may separate us in many ways, today was such a reminder of how we are so connected in such an important way. With this being our first mission trip, we didn’t really know what we were expecting. However, without a doubt, this has met and exceeded any expectations we had…. in just one day. God is so present…everywhere I looked today.
I am amazed at how openly people in the community share about their faith. Hearing how many churches are in Abaco, and how even the public schools have a Bible class, was surprising to me. We are here to bless those we serve, but I can honestly say I am the one who is being blessed by them.
The first house we went to for food distribution was definitely a divine appointment for me personally. I was standing right in front of this beautiful single Bahamian woman. My first question to her was a simple one. “How many kids do you have?” Her response was that she only had one daughter…and her daughter passed away in 2023. As we looked into each other’s eyes, we had a bond neither of us asked for. Simply asking her to tell us about her daughter brought a twinkle to her eyes. “She was so beautiful”, she said. I stayed an extra moment to speak to her privately, and shared what we had in common. It was a special moment, where I felt blessed to have the opportunity to acknowledge the child that her heart still aches for.
My 12 y/o daughter had the special opportunity (along with the other young gals in our group) to bond with a 3 y/o beautiful girl who was peeking out the window of the house we were painting. Leah, our leader, said it’s really not that common to see children while working. Yet, there she was… and the blessings were mutual. My daughter was telling me afterwards some of the things she talked about with her. The sweet little girl told my daughter, “I wana go with you…” My daughter gave her a last hug, and she told her to “say what I say”. She said, “I am brave. I am loved. I am kind. I am beautiful,” and that precious little girl repeated each one back to her.
What a profound moment for all of us. God placed us exactly where we needed to be, at precisely the right moment, for a specific purpose. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us tomorrow. Thank you, Jesus….. You get all the glory.
– Sarah
