Trip Report: Bitahoche, AZ … Marlene McCallum

Five Blessings -- why you might want to try the CMP work parties …

1) The blessing of serving – this is why we’re here on earth, to be a blessing to each other and an encouragement to everyone. The construction ministry to Broken Arrow June 25-27 was to build bunkhouses so the youth can have a place stay at youth camp, grow in the Lord, and celebrate Christ in their lives. The current ministry there is to serve the youth. That is what this trip was about. However, it turned out there were other blessings in store for us too…

2) The blessing of expanding your world in Christ – the construction/maintenance ministry with CMP is with the native American Indians of our southwest. The blessing is getting to know our wonderful fellow-Christians, and their loving ways. Like all of us, their lives are filled with challenges, and like us they love God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Working together, side-by-side, provides the love and blessing to everyone involved on the project.

3) The blessing of getting to know your fellow workers from CMP – You get to travel, work, eat, and rest with your fellow CMP workers. This is a lesson in sharing, strengthening, praising, and sometimes even a little forbearance and forgiveness. The togetherness causes some of the rough edges of our personalities to fall away so the love of Christ can be more easily enjoyed.

4) The blessing of health – a great many prayers were said, both corporately and individually, that injuries would not occur in the construction process. God seemed to send his holy angels, in great numbers at times, as injuries were avoided. The fact that we had no major, or even minor, injuries was a source of much praise to our wonderful God.

5) The blessing of happiness and joy – God created us for happiness and joy. Joy is a continual blessing given to us for no matter what the circumstance because we know God loves us. To see happiness and joy on kids’ faces makes adults very happy too. To know the kids will have fun in their youth camp is the very point of this current construction job. Fun is essential for kids. Youth camp is a way to draw them into learning how much Christ loves them and how He redeemed them, and the joy which we pray will keep them with God as their center for their lives.

NOTE: We completed construction on 1˝ bunkhouses which are intended for the girls. Coming soon, we hope and pray, will be the boys bunkhouses. Currently they will reside in tents which isn’t a durable solution.