I like roughin’ it. I enjoy conquering a challenge, and looking back and saying to myself, “you done good Christina.” I sometimes even like telling others about the obstacles I overcame.
I preface this blog with that tidbit of information because I’m about to rave about what I conquered. I conquered a week in the northern mountains of Peru. I sat in a rickety truck for 2 hours, hopped off and rode a horse for about 10 minutes where cars could no longer go.
I braved a church bench as a bed before I retreated to my tent due to the torpedo moths that came at me and my sleeping bag. I went to sleep frigid and woke up to it being so cold that I could see my breath.
I relieved myself over a hole in the ground and cooked over a fire.
I preached in the remote village church, sang in a less remote village church, and did so all while basically wearing the same outfit for 6 days in a row and not bathing.
But friends, I didn’t do any of it alone. (Aside from using the facilities – although an outhouse buddy to stand guard at night was always nice). I braved the wilderness and wild with a community of ladies alongside me.
This team was compromised at the beginning of this month. Some of us never having been on a team together before. We conquered lighting a fire together, we shared with the churches together, we played games with children together, we laughed together, and prayed together.
Sometimes conquering things alone is fun, but more often than not – overcoming situations and experiencing life is always more fulfilling when done together.
The disciples in the Bible ministered together – shared and ate together. This year, community life has been somewhat overwhelming. All of the sudden others are speaking in to who I am and I’m being friendly with people who came from foreign lands like the United States for instance. It’s all a little strange at first; but it grows on you.
Acts 2:46 -47 says, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.”
My race experience has been full of breaking bread with my fellow teammates and doing so in sincerity praising God for the blessings he has given us, and it isn’t always all peachy and grand. Sometimes it’s messy, (kind of like a few of the outhouse experiences this past week), but there is so much beauty in getting to the other side of the muck and looking back and praising God for his favour in our lives.
Today I’m grateful for a God who places us into communities and friendships to strengthen and grow us; I’m not sure I could have braved the Peruvian mountains without my fellow trekkers (:
‘Til Next time friends (:
