Editor’s Note: This devotional is taken from a blog entry on the It’s Your Mission trip blog.

“Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work; we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.”
– Pablo Picasso

Last week I was in Progreso, Texas, with a mission team from Austin, assisting with the VBS at a local community center and painting houses in the Colonias.

The conditions many of the families live in are heartbreaking. I don’t think most Americans could even fathom such poverty existing in their own country.

Despite their circumstances, the people here are absolutely inspiring—especially the children. They have nothing, but they smile as if they have everything. The children are so precious and eager to learn. And their desire to know Christ is incredible.

During the VBS, 4-year-old Alejandra would attach herself to me. She would wrap her tiny arms around my sunburnt neck and squeeze as tightly as she could. She would then grab my face, place her head on mine, stare into my eyes, and talk until she ran out of breath. Then, she would kiss me on the cheek and run off. I was drenched in sweat, tired, and never understood a word she said, but it was worth it. She was worth it. They were all worth it.

Brittney Kennedy was a Session Two Project Go! volunteer in the Rio Grande Valley. She is a student at Oral Roberts University.-God, thank you for the blessing of children and the joy they bring.
-God,  we ask for your continued provision for people who live in desperate circumstances near the Texas-Mexico border. Please meet their needs in accordance with your will and purpose.

To keep up with what our long- and short-term volunteers are doing with Buckner around the world, check out our missions blog.

Prayers of the Week:

If you are interested in submitting a devotional for Buckner Faith Focus, please e-mail lhollon@buckner.org.

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