PRICELESS VS PRICEY MINISTRY

"I wonder if Hellen would prefer to just have the money rather than have the groups spend the money it takes to come here?"  That's what one of the parent leaders of a group from a high school said to me last night while we were eating ice cream in Moyogalpa.  It cost their group $26,000 to bring 30 kids and chaperons to Nicaragua for a missions trip.  It was a valid question seeing how much work it takes to host a group visiting the orphanage from the United States.  We have had three or four groups here at the same time for the last week.  That means the cooks have been working from before sunrise to well after sundown to make meals for over 90 people a day.  And everyone needs to or wants to talk to Hellen throughout the day.  Keeping over 60 guests working, fed, housed involves countless activities to coordinate, endless water bottles to replace, work details to arrange, bathrooms to keep clean and supplied, and parties to plan.  Needless to say Hellen has had very little rest.  In spite of all this I told him 'no'.  Their presence here provides blessings which cannot be measured in terms of monetary value.  It will never be extinguished, will never suffer inflation, will not reduce in value over time.  The Bible tells us to care for orphans, widows, the poor.  It doesn't say to send money to reduce the overhead costs of ministry.  There are no overhead costs.  All aspects of doing ministry are spiritually valued.  In God's economy our fellowship with Him and each other is what counts.   The desire in their hearts to come to serve orphans is what matters most to God.  He provides the means to get that to happen.  $26,000 can be used to buy a lot of necessary things but it can't minister to these children or to us the way a single person.  God values brotherly love; money means nothing to Him.  He can get all He wants.