On Friday morning, I’m going to jump on a plane with five others from MBC and head to Rwanda. We’re heading to East Africa to teach at training conferences hosted by our partner World Relief.

This trip has been one constant reminder of how much we take for granted in the American church. I pray God will use this time to remind all of us how greatly He has blessed us so that we can bless the world – and how much we have to learn from others.

Here’s what I mean. I just wandered over to a room here in our offices where some members of our team are assembling folders and training packets for the conference (Jenna, Carol and Lauren – you are amazing!!). Inside the folders are the standard conference notebooks all nicely translated into KinyaRwandan and several sheets of loose leaf paper. You know, the paper you put in binders. The paper you pass notes on. The paper you recycle so quickly. Here’s what blows me away – our new friends in Rwanda are going to be stunned to have that much paper! Paper is incredibly valuable there and pastors have perfected the art of writing with the smallest letters possible so they can cram as much as possible onto a sheet of paper. Any scrap of paper is valuable.

Two thoughts with that:

1. How can we not do more in America to bless our brothers and sisters around the world? A few sheets of loose leaf will make some one’s day. That’s amazing!

2. We have so much to learn. These men and women serve Christ so passionately yet lack most of the comforts we describe as necessities. If paper was rare in our lives, would it affect our joy in Christ? The church in Africa can teach us much about the joy of the Gospel.

All I know is I can’t wait to go.