It is hard to believe that we are only 18 days into this race. It already feels like much, much longer. Many of my expectations have already been shattered.
I came into this thinking it would be pretty much like a longer version of the trips I has already done. I was so wrong, it is nothing like them.
We are totally dependant on God to provide our ministry contacts and housing. It has been amazing to see those things come together. Some of the contacts they had planned to use, fell through at the last minute. In each case, God brought somebody else along to fill in the gap.
Eleazar was a unexpected contact that proved to be a huge blessing to us. It was absolutely a God thing, and will likely be a lasting partnership with AIM. Through Eleazar, we were also connected to Louis at the rehab center. It has been great to meet him and hear about his program and the vision he has to expand it. I am honored to be able to spend some time pouring into those men who have chosen to make changes and start a new life. It is my hope that we will be able to continue supporting them as well.
We are are now staying at a church, most of us in tents in the yard. It’s a little rougher because we are mostly outside, and we have one outdoor shower stall for bucket baths, and one bathroom stall for all 29 of us on Team B. Patience and humility are absolutely key to this environment.
Last night during church, Selena shared her heart with us. She has been asking God for a long time to open their church to the nations. She has seen many missionaries come through for a few hours or a couple of days and then leave. Most were medical missions or cute little programs. They were nice, and helpful to some degree, but she longed for something deeper.
Last night, as we were praying and praising God, He showed her that He had answered her prayer. We are the beginning of a new era for this church, where people from all nations can come together under Jesus Christ.
That is part of our goal, to change the stereotypes about American Christian missionaries. We are not here for programs of our own that do little good after we leave. We are here to seek out and support the local people that share our vision of what the church really is. A church of action and love, not a church of ideas. We want to support and pour into them as much as they can, so they are empowered to make a difference in their communities. That is the fruit that will last. It’s the kind of fruit we intend on planting around the world.
