Last August, the BP Sisters partnered with the NE Hermanas and put together a large number of backpacks. The team delivered those backpacks and identified 26 Mixtec students. We continued to pray about reaching these 26 kids, wanting to visit each of them a second time, but we needed an “excuse.” In September, Banner Christian School contacted us with this: We’re just students. What can we do to help?”

Together, we came up with a plan. Students collected school supplies and candy and made goodie bags. They also wrote really special notes to each Mixtec child. The students included pictures and shared a little something about themselves. They each expressed a desire to meet the Mixtec child who would receive that goodie bag. We knew it would be difficult to get these goodie bags into the hands of the children, so as a class, the Banner students prayed.

We still have a lot of goodie bags to deliver because Mixtec families are relatively shy. However, the fruit of this outreach to date is that 2 of the Mixtec students served are regularly coming to Sunday School and participating in Thursday Bible class at Nueva Esperanza. We’ve got our eyes on 3 more! One of the Mixtec girls even picked out candy to send back to the Banner students. Nobody saw that coming!

We want to share this story with you because we all struggle with thinking our efforts and abilities are too small for God to use. We have all thought of ourselves, “I am not enough,” but that kind of thinking underestimates our God.

You see, God created the world and everything in it out of nothing. It’s fairly arrogant to think He needs anything from us to accomplish His great works, and yet, we often hold back thinking we have nothing to offer.

I’m too old. I don’t know the Bible well enough. My children are too young. I don’t have enough money. I don’t have enough education.

I’m too young. I don’t know the language. I’m not gifted that way. I need more training. My character is inadequate in so many ways.

Do any of these excuses sound familiar to you? They don’t hold water. Put the excuses behind you; they come from satan. Take your empty hands wherever the Lord sends you. And if you do not know where He is sending you, ask Him. He may be sending you across the street with a goodie bag. That person needs Jesus too!