Are you ready for a quick lesson in cross-cultural sensitivity?
 
Here it is:  American ≠ relating to pertaining to the United States.
 
Our friends from South America also consider themselves American.  And if you set aside a couple of differences – say, language – the two continental masses are very similar.  For example, both Americas have colonial roots.  To this day, the indigenous people groups of both continents are marginalized.  While North America receives more immigrants, South America receives substantial numbers of emigrants – especially countries like Argentina and Brazil.
 

South America is also a land of promise and potential.  Simon Romero of The New York Times reported on the recent economic growth the region is currently experiencing.  The World Race has reached parts of the continent but not quite as often as other parts of the globe.  We believe, however, that the Lord wants us to ask for more of our inheritance in Latin America.

 
Kim Daniels was in Chincha, Peru in January 2008; the town was still reeling from the earthquake that had struck five months earlier.

The World Race 2008 Peru from faith luke on Vimeo.

Matthew Snyder and his teammates were in town by the Amazon River called Nauta.  There was nothing extraordinary to their ministry, but their very presence pushed back the spiritual darkness there.  This team was able to point people who were caught up in the occult to the true source of light and power.  All he and his teammates did was show up:

 

But it occurred to me that ministry isn’t always about what we do.  Sometimes it’s about what we are for others.  I didn’t shove the gospel down those dudes’ throats that night.  I didn’t share Scripture with them.  I did ask them if they knew Jesus, which they did.  I was just myself with them that night.  I was just some crazy white American missionary who proudly owned the fact that he had no idea how to eat their fruit.

And then there’s Ecuador, where no World Race squad has gone before. . . Paul writes in Romans (10:15, New Living Translation):

 
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!

Jesus commands us to love our neighbors and Latin America is one of them.  Let’s see those beautiful feet…