Final San Diego Blog

I promised a wrap-up to my San Diego trip, so I'll provide that for you and also tell you about the day that followed and the challenges it brought.

Overall, I was excited about how the trip went. There was so much bonding among choir members who barely knew each other before and I think it's going to bring us closer as a group. We saw so many amazing things happen among the people in San Diego as well. I told you all about the server at lunch on Saturday and she came to the concert on Sunday night with who I'm assuming is her friend who is having a hard time and her two children. They had to slip out early, so I didn't get a chance to talk to her, unfortunately. I'm hoping she filled out a contact card for the church. On Sunday morning, the husband of one of our choir members who came on the trip with her led one of the workers at our hotel to the Lord. I told others on our van that all the planning, preparation and traveling was worth it just for that.

I believe we were able, with our canvassing, to bring in people who hadn't heard of the church and are great prospects for them. We even had people who lived near the school where the concerts were held listening on their porches and some even came down to see what it was all about. I was so impressed by what God is doing through Brad and his staff in San Diego. I hope to visit again and be able to stay longer.

I came back to work on Tuesday morning on one of those "mission trip highs" and reality hit me in the face when I found out that there were more cutbacks and layoffs. It makes me a little uncertain for the future, but I refuse to let Satan take away the positive experience of my weekend and replace it with fear and lack of faith. He doesn't like it when we are pumped up about spiritual things and wants to use whatever disappointing circumstances he can to discourage and dishearten us.

I've been reading David's Psalms lately and have been reminded of some wonderful truths about the faithfulness of our God, even in times of trouble. This verse particularly jumped out at me recently: "The LORD is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1) If the Lord is truly my stronghold, I have nothing to fear. He is constant in a world of chaos, unchanging in times of uncertainty, steadfast in shaky circumstances. In good times and bad, He is our stronghold.