Can you imagine what it would look like if we all lived out the plan God has intended for us to live? Lost in thought one day I began to create this image of, what if everyone knew the lord and wanted to live out the plan that he has for our lives? Like how much lighter would our world be then?
So this month [March] my team [pictured below, all girls this month!] had the opportunity to go to Chile, a country where no other world race team had been before. Our goal for the month was to listen to God’s voice, and trust in Him to lead us to the contacts in Chile that he wanted to use to partner with AIM to send missionaries in the future! What an incredible opportunity, right? And that is was! It was an incredibly eye opening, God-driven experience. We were being given the chance to plant a seed in Santiago, Chile! And that’s what we did. God lead us to some incredible ministries and placed unforgettable people in our path in just the short time that we were there. I wish I had the words and time to describe every little detail of our adventures but the truth is I wouldn’t even know where to begin. So after some thought and prayer I decided I wanted to share a little something that the Lord put on my heart from the very moment we arrived in Chile.
So back to the initial thought of having a world full of Christians…
When you hear someone mention the words missions trip, what generally comes to mind? If you’re anything like me, you probably picture something along the lines of feeding the hungry, going to aid impoverished nations, and bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to those who don’t know him. Giving up part of your own life to serve those who don’t have anything, who are suffering, and who believe in Jesus because he is their only hope for life, healing and happiness. Which is all very true! The bible mentions several times about about selling all of your possessions and giving to the poor (Matthew 19:21). But what about the people who are lost not because they haven’t heard of Jesus, but because their value and their happiness in life rests solely on how much money is in their bank account. They have everything they need in life to be “happy”, so why would they need Jesus? In Mark 10 it reads,
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it isfor those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,[b]“Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
Many of the contacts we made this month are involved with ministries that aim to reach the middle and upper class communities in Santiago. Communities who measure their value and worth in material possessions rather than in Jesus. And sadly this is the harsh reality of our world today. Not just in Santiago, Chile but even more so back home in the United States. How much I long for friends and loved ones back home who don’t know Jesus, to see that he is the only way to truly find happiness. That no amount of money or success can buy the joy that Jesus brings. My teammate Mason put it perfectly one day, he said, “There is a Jesus sized hole in every persons heart, and nothing can fulfill that hole except for Christ alone.” Not money, not fame, not success. This month my eyes were opened to the fact that we ALL need Jesus. Those suffering in the depths of Africa need Him, as do the millionaires living in Bellaire, as do the ordinary working class people around the world. How much harder it is sometimes to minister to those who think they don’t “need” Him, because their life is good and comfortable. If only they knew that life could be SO much better.
[From left: Vanessa, Kristy, Me, Kastl, Sarah, Jennie, Aubrey]
