Tono Base Camp Day 4...

Well, although it's getting late and it's been an exhausting day, I thought I should update for the sake of keeping track of what's been going on and keeping all of you up to date too!

I'll be pretty honest and say that today was an extremely rough day for me. A number of factors piled up and caused a lot of emotional exhaustion today. I won't go in to details but I'll give you the gist...

This morning we were sent out to a different town than the one we went to on Saturday, and this place was a lot harder hit than where we were before. It was raining and we ended up only working until lunch time, but it was still a rough morning for me. We were removing debris from around a house. I just can't describe what it's like there... it's so hard to take in.

I sort of had a meltdown this afternoon... ok, maybe even two. I have decided that I can't handle doing the "front line" work anymore and will be doing other kinds of work like cleaning pictures that have been found. It's just too hard on my heart. I struggled a lot this afternoon, dealing with feelings of disappointment because I can't handle this kind of work the way everyone around me has been... but God sent me a timely e-mail from a co-worker that was written by Chuck Swindoll about 1 Corinthians 12 (spiritual gifts) I'm going to post it since it might just bless someone else too...

“Have you ever noticed how uniquely adapted each animal is to its environment and its way of life? On land, a duck waddles along ungainly on its webbed feet. In the water, it glides along smooth as glass. The rabbit runs with ease and great bursts of speed, but I’ve never seen one swimming laps. The squirrel climbs anything in sight but cannot fly (unless you count great airborne leaps from limb to limb), while the eagle soars to mountaintops.

What’s true of creatures in the forest is true of Christians in the family. God has not made us all the same. He never intended to. He planned that there be differences, unique capabilities, and variations in the Body. So concerned was He that we realize this, He spelled it out several times in His Word. I charge you to take the time to read 1 Corinthians 12 slowly and aloud. Those thirty-one verses tell us about His desires and designs.

The subject is commonly called “spiritual gifts,” and it is as helpful as any truth the believer can ever know.

God has placed you in His family and given you a certain mixture that makes you unique. No mixture is insignificant!

That mix pleases Him completely. Nobody else is exactly like you. That should bring you pleasure, too.

When you operate in your realm of capabilities, you will excel and the whole Body will benefit…and you will experience incredible satisfaction.

When others operate in their realm, then balance, unity, and health automatically occur in the Body. It’s amazing!

But when you compare…or force…or entertain expectations that reach beyond your or others’ God-given capabilities, then you can expect frustration, discouragement, mediocrity, and, in the long run, defeat.

If God made you a duck saint- you’re a duck, friend. Swim like mad but don’t get bent out of shape because you wobble when you run. Furthermore, if you’re an eagle saint, stop expecting squirrel saints to soar…or rabbit saints to build the same kind of nests you do.

Accept your spiritual species. Cultivate your capabilities. Stop comparing. Enjoy being you!”

Basically, it was an encouragement to me that just because I'm not "like everyone else" being able to do this intense kind of work doesn't mean that I'm without purpose here. God's given me some specific gifts for the time I'm here... I just have to figure out what they are and how to use them!

Again, thanks for praying for us and the people of Japan. We all need your prayers! Good Night :)