Easter is coming up quickly and we're in the midst of Lent.  It's a time when we're thinking about Christ's sacrifice...his suffering and ridicule...his death on the cross.  He gave so much that we might live.  We can't "earn" this gift He gave us, but we can think about how to honor his sacrifice by making sacrifices in our own lives.  Pastor Lori reminded us of the two greatest commandments, one of which is to love our neighbor as ourselves.  How can we reach out to our neighbors in Christ's name?  There are probably a million ways to do it, but most of them require sacrifice on our part.  Giving up time...money...comfort...energy...and more. 
 
Mark and I have also been studying and praying over the scriptures of and relating to the Great Commission.  Calvary's mission is to make disciples... Scripture says that Jesus instructed us to make disciples in EVERY NATION.  Obeying this command requires that we get out of our comfort zone in a big way.  Leaving the borders of the USA can be scary.  Yet, when we are covered in prayer and we go knowing we are right in the middle of God's will for us, we can trust that we are safely held in His hands.
 
Mark accumulated many wonderful memories playing basketball as he grew up and in college.  We believe that everything God has provided in our lives has been shaping us for the job He has given us-including basketball skills!  Sometimes, it's hard to reach out to strangers in a strange land and evangelize...but basketball for Mark is the perfect way to build that bridge.  He can approach others through basketball first, which opens up opportunities to give his testimony and share his faith. 
 
He's so excited to go to Haiti-on so many levels.  He leaves this Friday for Miami with a team of 14 other adults.  They will arrive in Port au Prince on Saturday.  No doubt, they'll witness the devastation from the January earthquake that hit there.  They'll be staying in a smaller city on the north coast of the island called Cap Haitian, and working at a Christian school in a nearby town called Pillatre.  Cap Haitian was not hit by the earthquake like Port au Prince was. Yet, we hear that it has been impacted.  Cap Haitian is receiving great numbers of refugees from Port au Prince.  As a result, their already-stretched resources for food, water, schools, jobs and living space are even thinner.  Last year, when I worked at the soccer camp at the same school, nearly 800 Haitian children (ages 3-18) attended.  I think they're expecting similar numbers for the basketball camps this year!  One thing that is very different this year is that the kids are starting from scratch-they most likely have never had an opportunity to play basketball, whereas they knew all about soccer.