A Life Poured Out: The Joy of Serving Beyond Ourselves

We’re concluding an extraordinarily full and fruitful season of ministry and service, joined by a diverse team from Texas, Idaho, and Tennessee who traveled to Mexico to share the light, love, and hope of our Lord with dear brothers and sisters in this region.

For Beck and me, this was a first—bringing all six of our children along on a ministry trip. Seeing the world through their eyes is a joy that never dulls. And nothing melts life’s strain like holding your three-year-old close, smothering them with kisses, and tickling them until laughter spills out in ripples and squeals.

At one point, I was teasing Ella, asking if daddy could tickle her. She said, “No!”—though she often changes her mind moments after I heed her protest. But when she refused, I pressed her:

“Why not? Tickling is fun.”

“No, it’s not,” she quipped.

“Sure it is—that’s why you laugh when I tickle you.”

To this, she shot back, “Well, tickling is funny, but it’s not fun.”

Now her mother and I were the ones tickled.

Meeting God's People

It’s been a blessing to fellowship with those here whose lives are marked by conviction and devotion—some dear friends and brothers we’ve known for years, others we are just now meeting, hearing their stories of faithfulness stretching from the days of Menno Simons to the present.

Sitting among 800 gathered in the music concerts, hearing voices lifted in praise, was just as moving as at home. I know hearts have been stirred, blessed, and inspired by the grace and presence of the Lord. Preaching and teaching His Word, answering questions, and encouraging others is always a privilege. But of all the blessings on this trip, the greatest for me has been hearing our older children speak with love, joy, and concern for the new friends they’ve met—their conversations, their questions, their eagerness to give an answer.

As Rebekah and I drove alone one evening, we talked about how encouraging it is to see the burden of life, the joy of service, take root in our teenage daughters. This is what we’re raising them for—to love serving God’s people, to feel their pain, to pray for their needs, to listen, answer their questions, and share the love of Jesus with everyone they meet.

Rebekah later told me that some of the sisters coordinating the immense effort of feeding hundreds had expressed their gratitude for our girls’ diligent and eager help—mopping floors, sweeping, chopping vegetables, washing dishes. It may seem small, but as a dad, this brought me more joy than anything this week.

We are not here to be served, but to serve. If that was true of our Lord, how much more for us? I want to instill in my family what was instilled in me: our ambitions and desires come second. Jesus comes first. His people’s needs come next. And when we live this way, He supplies all we need according to His riches in store.

The Longest Study on Happiness

This brought to mind the longest-running study on human happiness—the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has been ongoing since 1938. It began with a simple goal: to discover what truly makes for a fulfilling life.

The study tracked two groups—one composed of Harvard sophomores, the other of boys from some of Boston’s most impoverished neighborhoods. Over time, it expanded to include their spouses and children, spanning more than 1,300 lives. Year after year, researchers examined their health, careers, successes, failures, and, most importantly, their relationships.

Decades of data revealed a truth as old as time: happiness and well-being are not tied to wealth, status, or achievement, but to the depth and quality of relationships.

1. The people who were happiest and healthiest in old age were those who had strong, close relationships. Those who prioritized meaningful connections—not just family, but deep friendships and community—were more likely to thrive in every way.

2. Good relationships protected not only their mental health but also their physical health. Those with warm, supportive relationships showed lower stress levels, better heart health, and even less cognitive decline as they aged.

3. Loneliness, on the other hand, was as damaging as smoking or alcoholism. Those who lived in isolation—even if they were outwardly “successful”—suffered more illness, anxiety, and an overall decline in life satisfaction.

And what stood out most was this: Happiness isn’t found in chasing happiness—it’s found in giving yourself away to love and serve others.

The Harvard researchers struggled to explain how these findings fit into their framework of evolutionary survival, but we know the answer: we were created by a God who is love, and we are hardwired for love. Jesus put it plainly:

“Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel’s will find it.”

It’s counterintuitive only if we don’t understand that we were created by a Lover, as His beloved, to become lovers of others. This is our purpose. This is what makes us creatures in God’s image, not mere brutes chasing survival.

We don’t serve, give, and love to make ourselves happy. We serve, give, and love to forget ourselves, to meet the needs of others, to reflect the kindness already lavished upon us through Jesus. And yet, no one who has surrendered their own selfish pursuits for the sake of Christ has failed to find a hundredfold in this life (with persecutions) and eternal life in the world to come.

A New Threshold

About 14 hours from where we are, 36 young people from the Texas church are pouring themselves out—helping the Bernal, Mexico fellowship prepare for a festival where they will be featured in the town square. The location is so coveted that people assume they must have bribed their way in. They didn’t. Grace opened the door.

My heart swells with joy.

This is a new threshold. Sending graduating classes to wet their feet in the acts of service, to labor among the needy, the hungry, the poor. Those coordinating this trip are helping our whole congregation cross a benchmark—one that will change those young people forever. Their hearts and palates will be touched by the potent truth: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

They will return knowing their worth isn’t measured by money or status, but by the grace, love, and help they have been undeservedly given—and now have the joy of offering to others who receive it with gratitude.

Where the Center Cannot Hold

Self is not a big enough center to revolve around. That’s where the center cannot hold, where things fall apart, where the anarchy of self-will looses chaos upon the world. But there is a God who gave everything, held nothing back, and calls us to take up our cross and follow Him—

—in the small, daily tasks, where a life centered on Him finds purpose;

—in the extra mile, where excellence and care in our labor reflect His image;

—in generous giving, where we acknowledge that all we have was first given to us.

When we live for His glory—not our own—and for His purpose—not our ambition—everything finds its place. We find our place. And no one can steal that purpose, that meaning, that joy. Even when our service is done in secret, the Father sees.

The Zenith of Human Existence

This is the highest calling, the summit of human existence—the purpose for which we were born:

To bear witness to the truth, the love, the redemption, and the grace of our Great God.

And so, this is my prayer—for my children, for myself, for all of you:

May we find joy in serving for the glory of God, building His kingdom, and sharing the love of Jesus wherever our feet may tread.

As the song goes…

“I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, all about Somebody who saved my soul.

Ever since He rescued me, now I’ve got a song to sing.

I’m living for the world to see—nobody but Jesus.”

Thank you for your prayers—for the ministry teams, for those we are serving, for these dear and precious brothers and sisters in Christ. Your labor of love and intercession is not in vain!

Much love,

Asi & Family