Argentina started off nice and dandy. I can remember being around a table with our arms around each other, smiling and laughing, receiving plates of delicious food, looking at each other and saying the famous last words “this is going to be the best month ever.”
And it was for a time.
We evangelized at a park, at a plaza, on the bus. At an impromptu children’s event at the park 5 people came to know the Lord. At our other endeavors, people mentioned how they wanted to come back to the feet of Jesus. We went rafting and to the hot springs. It was nice. It was dandy.
Then life happened.
Our month was split up between two hosts. In addition, the girls stayed with another unofficial “host,” because of lack of space at the second hosts place.
There was tension.
There was a bigger problem than could be seen with human eyes. The enemy was lurking, he had a foothold long before we arrived and he made himself at home with all of us.
Past tensions melded with new tensions and when we came in, we strapped right in, picking up chains of division and adapting it to our own team.
We almost didn’t make it.
There were days resembling family road trips where nobody wants to be there. Forced smiles and cordial “hellos,” while our hearts were somewhere else. Busy days left no room for team meetings and communication was strained as we all dealt with our own issues.
The days ran together.
We handed out many flyers announcing a new church and also explaining the gospel, had a few conversations. Ran away from many dogs that literally made it close enough to bite my pants.
We were essentially paper boys.
Eventually we were on our way to debrief, hoping for the best, going a few minutes down the road, still feeling a bit heavy but not knowing that there was still a little falling left to do before we started uphill again.
There were a lot of meetings.
It seems making up for the lack of meetings we had the month we went on overdrive. Lots of prayer, tears, goodbyes. Lots of truth, hurt, perseverance.
Eventually a weight was lifted and hope was restored.
It’s crazy what can happen when we walk in truth, in hope, and determination. It’s amazing what can happen when we address the real enemy and guard our hearts against future plans that are brewing. It’s amazing what can happen when we surrender our emotions, our desires and choose to press in.
We are now a team of five.
We have experienced a lot on this race so far, but one thing that always remains is how important community and relationships are. We are vulnerable and sometimes we wish we weren’t because as humans we fail each other but we have truly learned how to get back up. Not by our own strength but by the Lords.
We will be ok.
The Lord is good no matter how small or big the situation you may be going through is. For us it looked like tension and division, maybe for you it looks like something else. Whatever it is, let go of your expectations, let go of your frustrations, your anger, your doubt and surrender it to only one who can take your burdens. It feels so much better, believe us!
[Despite being a harder month I did experience snow falling for the first time. I was able to sled and fall into deep snow all while hoping I didn’t get frostbite and wondering how long it takes to set in. It was the best day on the race for me so far, it was awesome!]
We are now in Chile, working with a church, trying to reach their community and being a light in the dark!
