A lot of the ministry here consists of physical labor. Lots of shoveling, leveling, and wheel barreling. One of our current project includes leveling out two huts on a dirt hill. A few days ago though, we were treated to something different. In a raging typhoon we climbed a hill as high as the clouds, and went on a machete rampage through the Filipino forest to create a path. The rain provided a nice contrast to the hot humid weather we’ve had before. It was my favorite work day here so far. Unfortunately one of my teammates accidentally hit himself in the shin with a machete, nothing big. Good thing we all got our Tetanus shots.
As grueling and toilsome as the work sometimes get, I am often reminded to delight in it. Because this work is deemed worthy by a humble Jewish carpenter; a star-breathing God. Some of us hoped to preach to large crowds, to unbind the chains of the oppressed, to provide for the widows and the orphans, but the labor here is just as missional. Obscurity, child-likeness, and servanthood. These are the paths that God has chosen to redeem the world.
