July 15, I returned from a week long mission trip to the Yucatan with Covenant Presbyterian. While busyness preceding the trip hindered formation of any solid expectations, the experience proved greater than my imagination, surpassing anything for which I might have hoped. I was very pleased to find myself immersed in a community of genuine smiles, open hospitality and generosity, as well as hot soccer skills.

Through the sweat, cement burns, and initially awkward hammock slumber, our large group developed such a warm sense of community, both with each other and with our Mexican friends. I'm fascinated by the vulnerability that flourishes, often in unanticipated ways, within the context of a mission trip. We're reminded of the importance of relationships, the priority they should take in our lives, and the manifold ways in which God mysteriously reveals Himself through them.