From Kellianne

The journey to Mexico has begun, and it’s most definitely a bread day. We are all one giant pastry (Jeff being the doughiest), rising to the occasion of doing what God calls us to. More importantly, Jesus has risen and because of that, everything has changed. It’s humbling to think about, really. I find that giving up one week of my time to serve other people, abide by foreign culture, and live in a community of people that don’t see life as I do, makes me feel really satisfied with myself. It’s quite incredulous how easily it is to turn a selfless effort into an ego booster. Even more so, the submissive posture of Christ on the cross absolutely goes against human nature. I know that he’s fully God, but also fully man, so I have to think that His suffering must have gone fully against the grain (pun intended). Jesus was sweating blood on the last night of his life. He didn’t at all deserve to die, and we will never be worthy of this act of compassion. Even after resurrection, Jesus did not parade around Jerusalem in order to endorse the fact that he had just taken the sting out of death. He spent his time in community, loving people. I operate with a tainted love, always having a twinge of selfish ambition behind my motives. Jesus just sort of genuinely loved people, even the motley crew of unfaithful friends who were so quick to abandon him. The most comforting facet of Jesus is that he is not like us. “Even when we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he can not deny who he is.” 

What does this trip mean? It is about dying to myself and loving other people, even if I gain nothing. Honestly, it’s almost silly how much comfortable we’ve become with living self-centered lives. If Jesus can give up his life without any regard for self-preservation, he can help me to develop a passion for other people that trumps my egotistical nature. Really, I hope he does. God will write a great story with my life once I get out of the way, and I have a hunch that it’s a better one.

Kellianne Elliot