As Melissa mentioned before, January was a crazy, crazy month.  I decided to investigate some statistics for the month!

Guest Stats

• 221 Individual guests
• 441 Beds taken during the month
• 14 Average number of people staying on a given night
• 39 The max number of people we had stay for one night

As you can see, we have had a lot of people come through the guesthouse lately.  God has provided Melissa and I the opportunity to share and have influence on each of them.  We have always prayed that this place bring peace, love, and comfort to travelers, missionaries and anyone that comes through.

A large part of sharing the love of Jesus is through our actions.  How many people have been hurt by Christians that say one thing and then turn around and do another!

“Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” – I John 3:18

If we are filled with love, joy, patience, etc. others coming to the house will feel the same and it really sets the mood for the house.  If we are frustrated, fatigued or otherwise, that also shows to guests as well.  It is something we have been conscious of as we live out our lives before people that come in and out of the guest house.

Lately, I have also been thinking about another element.

“And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” – Romans 10:14

How can they know who Jesus is unless they have heard.  We had one guest that came through saying, “We feel a good vibe with you guys and this guest house, we will come back again.”  Yet, I was thinking, how do people know what that “good vibe” is unless someone tells them.  Before they left, we were able to talk a little bit more in-depth and had a great discussion.

All these thoughts led us to decide to do a reflection time at dinner this evening.  Not to stand up and be preachy, not to say to everyone that we have it all figured out… because we don’t.  But because we saw the importance of verbally expressing the reason for our hope and actions.  Our pastor said one Sunday,  “Good works save no one.  You can feed a person’s stomach all the way to Hell.”  Though people will know we are Christians by our love and actions, we also need to verbally share with them where that love comes from!