FACE SLAM!

As I sit in the Denver airport with a LONG layover getting back home from a convention in San Diego, I reflect on some of the words and conversations I've had over this past long weekend.

The convention was the National Youth Workers Convention which is held twice a year...one on the west coast and one in the mid-west. This is a place where youth workers can come each year to refresh and gather resources for their ministry for the upcoming year. Our job is to talk about PPM and, as accurately as possible, explain to leaders why they should be taking trips with us instead of with one of hundreds, if not thousands, of other short-term missions providers. I'm sure many of these other ministries are great and have a lasting impact, but we, along with many of our past groups, believe that PPM is different in some way.

Before the convention there was some talk with a fellow staff member about a "re-branding" of PPM. Getting back to the roots of what PPM is all about. Because there are so many others that do mission trips that are seemingly the same. As I was thinking about all of this this past weekend I was slammed in the face with this question:

What would happen if we stopped trying to convert people and just loved them? 

Bob Goff wrote the book Love Does and during "big room" one night this weekend he asked something along the lines of the question above. And as we spoke with leaders and explained PPM to them it hit me...PPM is just there to love people! Truly and genuinely love people. We're not there to build something...we're not there to do a VBS for the kids...we're not there to "convert the heathens"...we're there to show people authentic love and point them towards the local church and show them Jesus' love through our words and actions...period! I believe we are doing what Jesus called us to do and letting the Holy Spirit do His work in people's hearts and lives through these genuine relationships and through the consistent work of the local church.

On top of that, PPM staff is genuinely invested in the countries, churches, teams and individuals with which we serve. We push ourselves to the edge of everything we are and give everything that we have physically, spiritually, and emotionally to show God's love and point towards Christ and His Church. THAT is unique! THAT is different! THAT is what PPM is all about!