SFCs 2008 mission trip to the small French mountain town of Val DIsere was a reminder of Gods omniscience and omnipotence. The plan was two fold. First, we would live out the Gospels as our daily testimony to the locals (NIV Mt. 28:19-20). Secondly, we intended to support SFCs local chapter and spread Christs salvation message to 30,000 expectant ski and snowboard fanatics who were to converge on Val DIsere for the Xbox Big Day Out competition. A competition that has been running annually for eleven years, this year would have made the twelfth anniversary. We expected to be so busy that sleep was going to be a premium. God saw it another way and He wouldnt clue us in until just days before we were to arrive in the Alps.
Seven days before the competition was to kick off and five days before we were to arrive in Val, we received an email from Tanja and Andreas Perch, Vals SFC leaders. They themselves just got word that the Xbox comp was off, cancelled, ka-put; for what can simply be explained as a domino effect starting with the World Ski Championships that will be held in Val in February 2009. What to do? Our venue for preaching was gone. Why was this happening? Months of preparation was just thrown out the window. Why God? Again, He wouldnt clue us in until the mission trip was about half over.
It turns out this trip wasnt about sharing Christs message with nonbelievers. It was about supporting the Christian boarders and skiers in Val DIsere. It was about encouraging one another. It was about what God had in store for Val and the preparation He needed us to do within ourselves, for the chapter and for the town. It was about prayer, deep prayer with God. We Prayed the Peaks and asked God to place His sentinels on the highest points surrounding the town, forming a hedge of protection and allowing Tanya and Andreas, and the other SFC volunteers to be Gods instruments down in the valley. It was about seeing God change the hearts of others. Seeing others dedication to God.
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