"We Are Not Divided, All One Body, We"

This week we've had some fun playing with a supposed rivalry between two factions of our team. The division is based on which of the two vans you rode in during the long ride from the airport to La Ceiba and then Tocoa. Yep. Somehow it has come up in conversations throughout the week. The A Team v the B Team. Lots of good material to joke about.

Today's title comes from a line in an old, well-known hymn. Too bad it's not always true. Sad divisions can be found not only in our secular world but even within the body of Christ.

One thing becomes clear when spending time here with Ministerios Puerta Abierta, Open Door Ministries. There are real differences between the world of Tocoa, Honduras and Arnold, Missouri, USA. Ethnicity and language, of course. Transportation and the unwritten driving rules. Food. Construction methods and standards. Drinking water and sanitation. Lawn mowing. Armed guards at stores, checkpoints on the highway, high walls around the residences--except for those structures we would hesitate to call residences. The list could go on to include more subtle differences, such as sense of time and family relationships. (Important note: in some of the more subtle comparisons, the USA might come in second place.)

Another thing becomes clear. We share a foundational unity with the children at ODM. Along with being fed, clothed, educated, and generally cared for, they are being taught about Jesus, even though they pronounce his name differently. They and we are in the same group, on the same team, parts of the same body.

The mission team itself can be viewed the same way. We have different personalities, interests, and abilities, but share a foundational unity, and all of that makes a team effective during a week like this. As always on these trips, we regret we couldn't do more for ODM, but we're glad about what was accomplished. Whether B Team or A Team, we worked together.

But we ride separately!