Last week during our squad’s Parent Vision Trip (PVT), those who did not have parents traveling to Thailand worked with an organization called Free Burma Rangers (FBR). The FBR is dedicated to “bringing help, hope and love to people in the conflict zones of Burma, Iraq, and Sudan. Working in conjunction with local ethnic pro-democracy groups, FBR trains, supplies, and later coordinates with what become highly mobile multi-purpose relief teams,” (FBR website). While they are not registered as a Christian organization, the founders built the Rangers with Christian principles.
My helped in the office by stuffing envelopes with their annual newsletter (we even sent one to Mr. President Barack Obama!!!), organized supplies, visited children in the medical center, and created curriculum for English and mathematics.
Before one of our working days, the Rangers invited us to climb Doi Suthep, the largest mountain in Thailand. One of the requirements to join the FBR is to pass a fitness assessment. Going into the field requires being able to hike miles in various terrains with over 30 lbs of gear. And what better way to assess physical fitness than to climb up and down a mountain? Twice. In four hours. Thankfully, the Rangers planned for us to only tackle the mountain once.
I wasn’t terribly nervous. Even though I hadn’t worked out during my time in Cambodia and Thailand (I was sick in Cambodia and running around with kids in Thailand was essentially a workout), I had confidence that I could surely hike the mountain in the three hours they allotted.
We set a good pace and the incline wasn’t terrible. After about 25 minutes, we came to the road that intersected the trail. It wasn’t bad, I just was sweating a lot (due to the heat) and was mildly out of breath. I really hoped the second part would be similar to the first part.
We crossed the road after a short water break and readied ourselves for the next part. Even though we had the option to tap out, all of us decided to press on.
“Easy way, hard way,” Jared, one of the Rangers, repeated the base’s mantra as we looked at the steep, rocky slope before us. I looked at him in bewilderment. As I looked at the rocks, my mind had already decided to say, “Nope.” But my body knew that I could do this climb and it took a step forward.
Guys, I tackled that mountain. It wasn’t easy or without tons and tons of effort and I wanted to tap out so many times. The Lord used this moment and physical fitness, something that has become a new value of mine, to teach me some things.
When you work out our body, you push yourself beyond your limits. You look like a fool the first few times you try a new move. I looked like a fish out of water when I tried bicycle kicks with 0 ab strength. Once you fix your form, and build muscle, you perfect that move. Then you try something harder.
Following the Lord isn’t always comfortable and easy. We think that we can sit in a pew, sing a few worship songs, and contain church to a building. If you find yourself happy with this list, you’re kind of a couch potato. No offense.
The great thing about potatoes is that they can be transformed into fries and chips and all the other glorious things potatoes can make. It just takes work. It takes really diving into what the Lord has for you and exercising your spiritual fitness. It takes choosing the hard way even when the easy way is before you.
If you want to learn more about Free Burma Rangers, check out this link: http://www.freeburmarangers.org/
