Back in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala (my first month on the Race) Teams Dependent by Faith, Petrichor, and Adelphoi did life with a special young man, Rob Barnett. This young man did an AIM Passport trip in Guatemala months before January 2014, but returned in January due to the stirring in his heart. Little did he know that he would give SO much to the World Race teams.
One of the first nights he was with us, he accompanied us to a church service. After the service officially ended, he grabbed the mic and told the whole congregation what the Lord put on his heart. Basically, the Lord told Rob that in order to really love on the people of Guatemala well, he had to get involved in the community, and he had to get his feet dirty.
Rob encouraged all of the World Race teams to get our feet dirty, meaning REALLY getting involved with ministry, pouring out everything we had, and loving people when we were tired or when it was hard, or even confusing to do so.
I’ve thought about Rob’s words often whilst on my World Race journey. In Honduras, I tried my very best to get involved with the ministry, but there was so much internal processing going on, I didn’t “get my feet dirty” as much as I wanted to. I left Honduras feeling a little unsatisfied, not with the ministry, or even the country, but with myself. So as I set onto Nicaraguan soil, I made a promise to myself to do what I couldn’t whilst in Honduras: get my feet nice and dirty.
It wasn’t a coincidence that during my month in Nicaragua, my feet were the dirtiest they’ve ever been on the Race (so far.) My feet got dirty ALL the time, and the greatest thing is, I have a memory tied in with every time my feet were dirty. As my feet were getting dirty, I was playing with kids, or walking down the path to head to town to go to salsa class,, or walking down the streets of Leon. Through getting my feet dirty, I was engaging in all of the blessings the Lord had been preparing for me for a long, long time.
Now I’m in Costa Rica. The month of Nicaragua is over. I’ve let it go with a smile on my face and in my heart. It was a hard month in some areas, and an easy month in others, but I know one thing for sure. I got my feet dirty, and it was worth it.
This month, I’m looking forward to getting my feet dirty with my team and with Team Agape and Team Joy Bombs as we serve with Christian Light Foundation. This ministry focuses on going to slums that most people don’t want to go to, and loving on people that others don’t really want to love.
It’s going to be great because this is what I WANT to do. I want to love and share His light with the “least likely to be loved” with others in every crevice on the earth.
Bring it on, Costa Rica. These feet are ready to get grubby.
Stay tuned to see what adventures these dirty feet will have next!
