Picture this… I am pleasantly strolling down a street in a very run down, ghetto part of San Salvador, El Salvador. The sun is HOT, but I’m okay with that today because it’s my first month on the race and I come from Oregon where heat only shows up for 3-4 months out of the year. The birds are singing, there isn’t quite as much trash on the street as there was yesterday, and the smells are at least tolerable today. My three other teammates and myself are elated because we finally were given permission to walk to the very small tienda (store in a VERY SMALL house, with bars on the windows), to buy Coca Cola for dinner, ALL BY OURSELVES! This area of San Salvador is known for its heavy gang activity and the country itself has the highest homicide rate in all of Central America. We had been locked in the church all month, but on one of our last days here, they granted us one 5 minute stroll of freedom before heading off to Guatemala!
We successfully acquire the Coca Cola in our broken Spanish, pay the nice lady, and start back for home. We begin walking down the steep hill that leads to the small church we have been living in and doing ministry in all month…
Okay, so you know that scene, in the very first Spiderman, when Toby McGuire is super happy because, Mary Jane like looked at him or something, and there is this slow-motion part where he is walking through the park, sun shining, birds flying, big ‘ole grin across his face, and “Raindrops keep falling on my head” is playing in the background. That’s pretty much me at this moment.
For whatever reason, I chose to where my $2 Old Navy black flip flops today. As I am flopping along.. right, left, right left, right, leeeeefffffttttttttttt, I start to slip.. half way down the hill… by the time I am almost all the way to the bottom, I look down and to my horror, and to my teammates’ utter hilarious delight, I had stepped in very fresh, very smelly, dog poop.. and then proceeded to smear it down the entire hill as I fell.
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Okay now, picture this… I am in Antigua, Guatemala. This is a GORGEOUS historical city that was built in the 1500s and was one of the first Spanish settlements in Guatemala. There are beautiful churches, statues, and ruins everywhere. This is month 2 on the race and it is the beginning of all squad month, where all 25 of us are living and doing ministry together. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about living with 25 people yet. Some of my squad mates and myself are out exploring the city. For some reason I was having a terrible day and had forced myself to come. The air was much cooler here since Antigua is in the mountains. It was cloudy, but not raining. And as we are walking through the central park area, meanwhile I am internally moping about whatever was bothering me and having a pity party for myself, I smell something…
As I looked down at my, now even thinner $2 black Old Navy flip flops, in disbelief, I mustered all the energy I had left inside of me not to just break down and start balling, right then and there in the middle of Antigua, Guatemala. Again. Again! I had stepped in a fresh pile of dog doo doo.
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Alright, Picture this… It is a beautiful Sunday morning in Honduras. This is month 3 on the race and our ministry is out in a remote town in the mountainous jungle region of Central Honduras. We have been helping out at a local school all week and this weekend is set aside for rest and adventure. The teachers invite us to do a hike with them to the top of a mountain for their sponsors back in the States because it is National Climb a Mountain Day, to which we happily agree.
Honduras is BEAUTIFUL. It is green for days and the mountains are amazing. But the sun is HOT, even hotter than El Salvador! The humidity is almost unbearable. This is month 3 of the race and I never thought I’d find myself missing that crisp October wind from Oregon, but here I am, daydreaming of it in Honduras. So the prospect of a hike is not the most thrilling for me, but I am excited to get out in nature!
The hike is SO HOT! The air is SO HUMID! I’m not sure who coined the phrase, “sweating buckets”, but that is quite literally what is happening. About 2 and a half hours after starting our hike, we can see the top!
The view is breathtaking! To my surprise, there are some cattle at the top of this mountain, just chilling. I thought this was the coolest thing.
As I am literally only about five or six steps from the top, when my right foot sinks through the knee high grass, and continues to sink… and sink… and sink. Through the grass I can see… a HUGE, FRESH cow pie. And my foot. Right. Smack dab. In the middle of it.
To say I’m hot is a huge understatement at this point, my subconscious is actually slightly concerned that my core body temperature should not be this hot. I am dripping in sweat- my shirt looks like it just came out of the washer- before the spin cycle. My legs are SO ITCHY from the tall grass. And now, my entire right sandal and foot, is COVERED in cow poop. If it weren’t for the slight distraction of outstanding views I probably would have completely shut down and refused to move another inch.
But as I sat at the top of that incredible mountain, smell of fresh cow dung in my nostrils, God reminded me that joy is a choice. That regardless of the circumstances, we as Christians, are called to be joyful.
“Really God? Really???”
God knows me so well though, He knows I love to be challenged. So, I accepted. I sat at the top of that mountain and asked God to help me choose joy. Slowly, my mood began to lift as I looked out at the incredible view and just declared the greatness and glory of God. It wasn’t hard to do.
His handiwork commands the attention and awe of all creation.
You see, the secret to choosing joy, in less than desirable circumstances, is through thankfulness-focusing on your blessings instead of your difficulties.
It doesn’t take long when thinking about all that God has done for me, before I get to the cross. This alone, should bring us to our knees the very instant of remembrance. The all-consuming poured out love of the Savior that thought not even death itself to be too high a price to reconcile us back to Himself.
I had done it. I had chosen joy! And it had paid off! I mean, I was still aware of my cow poop drenched shoe, but suddenly, the smell wasn’t so terrible, the itching of my legs began to dull, and the sweat on my forehead faded from my thoughts as I dwelled on the Savior’s forehead that bore the crown of thorns for my sake.
As we began to trek back down the mountain, I was excited to continue choosing joy! So I joined in conversation with some of my teammates and the local teachers. We were having a good time! I was actually laughing! With wet cow poop still drying on my shoe! With my arms swinging happily next to my body as we laughed and trotted down the road, “How powerful a transformation,” I thought, “How good a Father, how gloriou-“
That’s when I heard it. SPLAT.
Simultaneously I felt a wet drop on my arm. I looked up, thinking it must be about to rain.
Nope.
No. no. no. no. no. no. noooooo.
There it was. Plain as day. I looked down to see a big pile of white bird poop on my left arm- with my cow poop smeared shoe waving in the background.
I looked at my teammate with wide eyes. She met my gaze and gave me a telepathical pat on the back. That was it. That was the last straw! I put my headphones in my ears and fell back behind them. I was no longer physically capable of choosing joy. How was this many poop encounters possible in one day?? I frustratingly quickly put my music on shuffle and let the odds decide.
Worship music.
God slowly brought me back to Himself.
Rachel, I love you. You are worth pursuing. You are worth dying for. Won’t you just… walk with me?
And so I did.
I felt Him so close to me, so close it felt like I could almost actually see Him walking with me stride in stride down that dirt road in the forgotten places of Honduras. God wanted me to choose joy, and I did, but He also wanted to spend time with me.
Sometimes God allows things to happen in our lives- that may seem insanely outrageous or even maybe too much to handle- to bring us back to Himself.
I’m sure the devil thought He was pretty funny when that bird came along, but he didn’t factor into account how BIG my God is. He blesses us when we choose Him.
Oh, but how much greater the blessing when we actively choose Him when He is not the easiest or even a remotely easy choice.
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CHALLENGE FROM THE MISSION FIELD:
Choose joy today!
And see how God blesses you through it 🙂
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Praise God I am officially 75% funded!!!!!
My deadline to be fully funded is November 30th!
That means I have a little over a month to raise about $4000 to keep me out here on the mission field until next June!
Beginning of December I’m heading out to Africa! Please be keeping me and my team in your prayers for safety and God’s provision during our time in some dangerous countries. But also for His boldness to share the Gospel to ALL who would listen!!!
I encourage you to pray about partnering with me on my journey out here on the mission field in Central America and into Africa and Asia over the next 8 months! None of this would be possible without your love, prayers, and support! And I am forever indebted to you for it!
If you would like to help me reach my goal and be fully funded by my deadline simply click the orange “Donate!” button on the top right hand corner of the page or the blue “Donate!” button from the menu on the left side of the page!
ALL DONATIONS ARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE! 😀
May God Bless and Keep you in His Tender Love and Mercy.
~Rachel
