As I stood at the doors of the auditorium this morning, waiting for students to come for the lecture/outreach we were having I was reminded of something. When I was in Ukraine 3 years ago on a missions trip we showed the movie, "The Passion of the Christ," as an outreach for the community. Not very many people showed up and I remember thinking and really just needing to believe by faith that God in his sovereignty had exactly the people there that he wanted to be there. Sunday morning came and we were sitting in the church service as my pastor preached and was interpreted into Russian. Towards the end of his sermon I remember him saying that there are times that we just need to come to God. He was gearing up for the invitation to come to the altar when something else happened. A man named Alex, someone we had met that week, walked up to the front where Pastor Will was standing and just kneeled in front of him. It wasn't the proper time to come to the altar but it was his time, his moment of truth with the Lord. So I remember sitting there, to the right of Pastor Will and Alex, with the sun streaming in the window and the tears streaming down my cheeks. That moment made the entire trip worthwhile. If 6 of us had had to travel across the world so that Alex could come into contact and a personal relationship with his loving heavenly Father than it was worth it for me. Today 15 students indicated decisions to recieve Christ on the comment cards that were handed in. 15! So yes not as many students were there, and no the auditorium wasn't packed but that's not what really matters at all. I have 15 new brothers and sisters in Christ and those there were those that needed to be.

What is the price, the cost, that we place on a life??? If the 6 of us STINT-ers had come here for a year and only saw one person come into a relationship with Christ, would that be enough?

"Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, 'Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' Count on it—there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue." Luke 15:4-7 (The Message)

Am I really willing to leave behind my 99 safe sheep and go out looking for the 1 that is lost?