What the Lord had taught me in Colombia: selflessness
My team was placed to do ministry in Medellin, Colombia. The day before we arrived in Medellin from Bogota we got a change in our ministry location. We got switched with a different team because they didn’t have a Spanish speaker on their team and we did.
I got really upset. If you know me, I do extensive research right when we find out about our location. Some call me Tina Tour Guide, because I take my two days off seriously and venture off to explore. I guess I was really, REALLY looking forward to South America, and got my hopes and expectations up TOO high.
Well the Lord wanted to teach me through that. He asked me if I would be able to give up a beautiful city for a small town in the middle of nowhere.
Saying yes to that was hard. But I signed up for this, for the Lord to challenge me and stretch me in ways to grow to be more like Him. I left for a town called Planeta Rica and did feeding programs, VBS and evangelism. This place was HOT while Medellin is nice all year round.
I was placed in a house where every morning I would wake up and have bites ALL OVER MY BODY. I would post a photo but it’s disturbing. Every morning I would get more and more and then they would turn into blisters. They itched so bad that I wanted to skin myself. I really felt like Job that week. One night right before bed I had a huge tarantula by my pillow!! I felt so bad for my hosts. They denied that it would be bed bugs or scabies. Instead claimed it to be ant bits.
Heck no! Those weren’t ant bites.
The doctor diagnosed me with scabies. Great. I hate learning about selflessness when I am about to skin myself.
So I got relocated to a different host that had no running water and no bathroom. Really God?? I haven’t complained much on the race but month seven got me hard and He took that opportunity to teach me about selflessness.
Yes, it was hard. Yes, it was super uncomfortable. Yes, I still choose Him.
One day my friend Megan and I were walking around town. We passed a small bakery and I couldn’t resist the sweet luring smell. I looked at Megan and said, “Maybe they’ll give us free samples?” If you know me, you know I LOVE free samples. So with our broken Spanish we communicated with the bakers. He pulled out a bag and started piling in free baked goods fresh out of the oven! After we got to know one another we invited him to our Sunday service.
He came in the morning and listened intently. He talked to the Pastor and Pastor’s wife, spilling how he wanted to reconcile with his wife. His passion for Christ lit up that morning. He wanted to drop his addictions and straighten his life. As he left he thanked us that we invited him, otherwise he wouldn’t have ever come to church. The pastor encouraged the both of us. “He has given you bread; you have given him the Bread of Life. Nothing happens by coincidence.”
That’s when it hit me. When I choose to be obedient to the Him, He makes His ways so known that it blows your mind.
He never said following Him is piece of cake, instead He said it would be harder. But rewarding and satisfying. Shoot, all those blisters, itching bug bites were worth it when you’re building His kingdom. I even got a couple of scars left to remind me.
