What God Has Taught Me Through The Homeowners of Houma, Louisiana

Tomorrow afternoon, my squad and I are flying to our first country: Romania. We are embarking on our first long travel day, about 30 hours of travel from the moment we leave Gainesville, GA until we arrive in Craiova, Romania. Last week, we returned to Gainesville from our domestic ministry in Louisiana. We were partnering with Samaritan’s Purse in the small town of Houma, Louisiana in order to help restore damaged homes from hurricane Ida. Throughout this time, we generally worked on removing mold from homes. Although these homeowners have been through so much devastation, they have never failed to teach me something through their response. Although we were physically serving them, the Lord used them to serve me. They taught me so much, and in response, strengthened my faith and perspective on the world.

Here are some truths God has taught me through the homeowners:

The Lord holds our burdens: This sweet lady was the first homeowner my team and I assisted. As I began to talk to her, I realized that the home was not hers, but it was her hospitalized mother’s. She felt overwhelmed with the constraints placed upon her by her mother. She wanted to please her mother while also practically managing the home. We were able to tell her about how she does not have to carry these burdens, and that the Lord will hold them for us. In John 8:32 Jesus tells about how the truth of the gospel is freeing. Give any stress or worries to the Lord, for His truth will free us from these burdens.

The Lord challenges and wrecks us so that he can come to rebuild and refine us: This home was demolished from the hurricane, with mold infesting every inch of the kitchen and the living room. We took out the ceilings, floors, and walls so that they could rebuild them. Just like we gutted the house, sometimes the Lord “guts” us so that we can rebuild in a sturdier and cleaner way. The Lord will remove our mold, and rebuild us. This is fruitful, even though it is not always a pleasant process. Matthew 23:26 says, “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean.” Although the outside may look placed together, the Lord likes to refine us from the inside out because true fruit and goodness come from a refined heart. Freshwater and saltwater do not flow from the same place (James 3:11).

There is always a silver lining when complete trust is in the Lord– This homeowner was one of the most joyful people I have ever met, even though he was enduring lots of devastation. He emulated the fruit of the spirit “joy”. When we showed sympathy for what he had been through in the storm, he responded that he was not sorry. Rather, he was thankful because he would not have been able to meet our team. He lives a life with full dedication to the Lord and fully abiding in his provision. The Lord provides, even if it looks different than how we perceive provision.

The Lord gives us the strength to go beyond our perceived boundaries- When we showed up to this home, we were told that it was going to be more difficult than normal. What we were not expecting was to walk into an inhabited home that was, in all literal terms, a rat’s nest. It had lots of clutter, flies everywhere, and overall lots of filth. We were there to remove a tiny section of the ceiling. In the beginning, we took 30-second “shifts” so that we could avoid the very, very foul smell. After we finished our portion of work, we felt the Lord telling us that we could help more. Our leader mentioned Proverbs 3:27 where it says, “Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.” We felt as if it was in our ability to help further, and felt as if we were withholding good without assisting further. We all eagerly decided to assist, even though it was out of our comfort zones. We prayed to the Lord for strength and courage to assist her. I kept repeating the verse Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” The Lord gave us strength and perseverance to complete his will. Through him, we can go way beyond our perceived boundaries. Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

The Lord gives us missional opportunities, everywhere– We had many opportunities to share Christ with many people other than the homeowners. Not only did we have this opportunity, but one of our homeowners had begun to share the gospel with her neighbor. This was inspiring and convicting because I am able to spread the good news of Jesus, everywhere, not just in a “mission trip” setting. Also, one of our leaders shared the gospel with two delivery men, and they accepted Christ in their hearts. We need to learn how to share the gospel outside of times set aside for it.

As I am writing this, our 8 weeks of training have come to a close. I have learned many things about cultures, forgiveness, storytelling, etc. I also have begun the process of reading and *comprehending* the entire bible. So far, I have re-read Genesis, Exodus, Matthew, and Mark. I am gaining such a stronger biblical understanding and cornerstone for my faith.

Please pray for me, my team, and my squad as a whole as we go across the world. Pray for safety, discernment, faithfulness, and fun! I will not always have wifi, but I will try to post whenever I can. 

Love you all-

Peyton