Belize

So on August 9th at 8:30 pm I arrived back in Colorado from my second of two mission trips to Belize. Wow. Once again my mind was completely blown by everything that happened in the nine days.

We did numerous things throughout the week to help the people of San Ignacio, Belize. My team held Vacation Bible School. We scrubbed mold off two sets of concrete bleachers and repainted them. We went to a nursing home, and prayed over a hospital, held church services, and so much more.

During one of the church services, I was flipping through our song book and read the most amazing thing: "Sympathy is no substitute for action." Again, wow. I wrote the quote first on my hand, then in my bible, on a piece of paper, any place i could think of so that I would not forget what I had just read. I soaked up the quote and tried to apply it to every action and word of mine throughout the week.

I think sympathy versus action is an idea we all need to contemplate. 1 Peter 3:8 says, "FInally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." I'm not saying sympathy is a bad thing, because that right their proves that it is something we must own up to.

James 2:15-16 says, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but dfoes nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" That right there is what proves that action is needed.

In Belize, there were many times when action instead of sympathy is needed. If we saw a street vendor selling something late at night just so they could pay for their child's education, we couldn't just walk away or try to bargain down the price of whatever item was being sold. We wanted to help. It was the same if we saw a child crying at vacation bible school; we couldn't just walk away and feel bad.

To truly help someone, you can't just say 'you'll be okay,' you have to help them to be okay.