I just have a short thought for you today.  I would like to share with you something that the Lord has been teaching me during my time here because it is just as applicable to church and life in the States as it is to the mission field.  I hope it is a blessing to you today!

   Over the past couple years God has taught me a lot about the unity in which He desires His church to live. Some of these lessons have come the hard way, through experiencing disunity in the church and missions, while other lessons have come through seeing God's heart for unity as shown in Scripture.  

   When I read John 17 as Jesus prays for the church toward the end of His ministry, I cannot help but notice that much of this prayer was focused on the unity of believers. He prays that we would be one, just as He and the Father are one, so that the world might know that He was sent by God and see His love for them. I have seen that without this unity we are unable to work together for God's glory. The witness of how we love one another reveals to the world God's love for them.

   The world will know we are Christians by our love, so I encourage you (and at the same time remind myself) to seek out ways to love your brothers & sisters in Christ today.