With my vision now corrected and aimed towards the heavens, there seem so many interesting possibilities that I wasn't fully aware of before.
Being at SMI, I have been seeing things that I did not know existed and my worldview has been expanded ten-fold. One of our speakers said, "I don't mean to discourage any of you, but short-term missions have little affect on the community. However, they often change the heart's of those who serve." I was thankful for both his honesty and insight. Another one of our speakers, Dr. Greg Armstrong said his previous SMI director would write on the last day of SMI, "SMI begins now!" And in a way it does, the truth that we've learned here, the influence on our hearts that we've learned here, the strength that we've seen, the inspiration that we've seen, that is all brought back to our home lives so that others can be transformed by God.
One of my favorite parts of SMI so far has been playing with the children on the street. They are just so happy and carefree, it's amazing to watch! The reaction of the children reminds me of how Mary described Gibran: "His flashing smile when he opened the door - the smile is like the bursting of a flame. It leaps from his eyes and lifts his forehead and plays like summer lightning all about his head and even in his body."
Being at SMI, I have been seeing things that I did not know existed and my worldview has been expanded ten-fold. One of our speakers said, "I don't mean to discourage any of you, but short-term missions have little affect on the community. However, they often change the heart's of those who serve." I was thankful for both his honesty and insight. Another one of our speakers, Dr. Greg Armstrong said his previous SMI director would write on the last day of SMI, "SMI begins now!" And in a way it does, the truth that we've learned here, the influence on our hearts that we've learned here, the strength that we've seen, the inspiration that we've seen, that is all brought back to our home lives so that others can be transformed by God.
One of my favorite parts of SMI so far has been playing with the children on the street. They are just so happy and carefree, it's amazing to watch! The reaction of the children reminds me of how Mary described Gibran: "His flashing smile when he opened the door - the smile is like the bursting of a flame. It leaps from his eyes and lifts his forehead and plays like summer lightning all about his head and even in his body."
SMI Philly 2014
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