God can use anything. He can use a crazy psycho like Saul and turn him into Paul, the best missionary in history. He can turn water into wine. He can cross cultural barriers using The Bachelor. Maybe I should be embarrassed, this is the second time I have blogged about this show, but I am not. I am on a different team who found out I had the past season, and both of the boys were eager to watch. After all, South America is the land of telenovelas.
We began breaking it out after dinner, and all the Bolivians got sucked in. I know enough Spanish to communicate that it is a competition with one man and 25 women. The Pastor has already made multiple jokes about getting Bolivian women for our two guys, so he was interested. They enjoyed watching the activities like helicopter rides, carnivals, playing soccer, swimming with pigs, and a fashion show. They had no clue during the dialogue but they would sit there and watch it nonetheless.
We are camping in our tents in the yard between a one room church building and the pastor’s house in the middle of a tourist town in the Amazon jungle in Bolivia. This month has been all about bringing lift. We have quickly formed relationships with the six families that attend the church and have enjoyed sharing laughs, playing memory games, teaching each other worship songs, and watching The Bachelor.
We have service Sunday morning and night, Tuesday night, Thursday night, and Saturday night. Every member of the team has taken a turn preaching. We have been building a new fence for the church, visited the homes of all the members, done evangelism in the neighborhood, and taught the pastor’s wife several “American” recipes. She is always eager to learn in the kitchen.
Most of our time here has been easy and laid back, enjoying time with each other and with the church members. The church is sweet and simple with a few singing off-key in their acapella worship—a style that is dear to my heart.
However, there has been one HUGE challenge for me. The kind-hearted pastor has planned morning devotionals, everyday, at 6AM, AT 6AM. Did you catch that? 6AM!!!!
I don’t do mornings. In school, I am an all A’s student. But, when I had 7:30am classes, my attendance record was far from stellar. Meaning I only went on test days. That sufficed. In the mornings I am all about cutting corners to get by.
I have learned so much this year about what obedience to the Lord looks like. Coming this year to serve, in whatever capacity I am asked, has sometimes meant pulling weeds, walking 6 miles in the African sun, and waking up at 6AM. I will not lie and tell you I am the most active member of the bible study but I have not missed one yet. Zombified and with a lion’s mane, I always stumble to the table just in time. I read along in my bible and listen (even if my eyes close for a few minutes).
When things are not my forte they are learning opportunities. Whether I learn willingly or kicking and screaming, I am obedient. Let’s be honest, nobody has time to get eaten by a whale like disobedient Jonah—we are all too busy watching The Bachelor.
