" "Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!" " - Ps. 46:10
Lima was cold. The chill air mixed with the fumes of jet fuel hit me in the face as soon as I stepped off the plane, but it wasn't unpleasant. In fact, it was quite the relief from the heavy humidity of summer back home in North Carolina. It was hard to prepare for this trip climate-wise. I knew Lima would be a foggy, overcast 65 degrees (perfect). But I also knew I'd be heading deep into the Amazon jungle, and then back up into the mountains of the Andes. That Amazon bit made me equal parts nervous and excited. I had never dreamed I would see the Amazon, but with the threat of Zika, Yellow Fever, and who knows what else, I was a little apprehensive to say the least. But for now, the fresh Lima air and welcoming smiles, the foreign smells and excited chatter made me grateful to be here. Now, to find my local contact and guide...without whom I'd be completely lost.
His name is Andres, and as soon as I met him I knew we would be fast friends. A jolly but gentle bearded man sporting a cowboy hat, he hails from Chile but lived in the US for a while so his English was great, thankfully, because my Spanish was not. We had met on Skype weeks before, but meeting him in person I could tell he was a man of deep faith, and rich with cultural insights. We would come to know each other very well over the course of two weeks, talking about family, missions, God's Kingdom, and life. We shared harrowing journeys on mountain roads, questionable foods served to us, and even tears as we began to bare our souls over the course of many meals. Despite the many hardships that accompany being on mission for God's Kingdom, the sacrifices, the setbacks, and losses, one of the greatest rewards are the deep friendships you form with fellow soldiers for God's Kingdom. As I grow older I realize friendships like these are rare and precious, gifts from God to be gratefully treasured.
The purpose of my trip was rather straightforward, but the path that got me here anything but that. And the reason I want to take just a little time to trace it is to give God all the glory and credit, and to encourage those of you who cannot see the future or your purpose in life.
It all began when I lost my job at World Relief. That was one of the most painful and hardest things I've gone through, and while I'm sure it won't be the last time, it shook me to my core and gave fear and insecurity a huge reign over my heart. I was months away from getting married to the woman of my dreams, who graciously supported me and stood by me the whole time. Her strength and faith carried me during the times when mine faltered, for which I'm forever grateful. I applied for many jobs in many states, wondering how it would all work out and whether we'd have to move. One of those jobs was in Albuquerque, New Mexico with an organization called Faith Comes By Hearing. My wife had first found them through a blog she follows, but the name rung a bell for me. I had heard of them, in fact, I had distributed some of their Audio Bibles (called Proclaimers) when I was doing missions work in the Philippines for a time. While I didn't get the position I applied for with them, they got back to me a few weeks later. There was another job they had in mind for me, as a contractual videographer. It seems they had been praying for someone like me to come along for a long time. They flew me out there and I met with the core leadership and staff and even stayed with the president and founder at the retreat center they had built. I had never felt more welcomed, loved, and at home in a workplace as I did there. Staff came up to me saying they had been praying for someone like me for a long time. I was overwhelmed. Who were these people and why did they want poor old me? It's not because of my amazing skills, there are better videographers out there who would die for an opportunity like this, I knew. So why me? All I know is that God had something bigger in mind than all of us were aware of, and they listened. I listened. Despite the voices in our head that scream in fear, the voices in our heart that accuse and condemn, we must learn to listen to the still small voice who calmed the waves and spoke: "Peace". When we listen, it's not just our lives that are changed, but others also. God can accomplish much through His people when we listen, together.
Almost a year to the day that I had flown out to New Mexico I was sitting on another plane, this one headed to Peru. I was about to embark on a two week journey to document and film the impact of this ministry in the field. I was about to hear from real people and hear first hand the stories of those who are working to reach the lost and illiterate in some of the most inaccessible places in the world with the Word of God. The Word, I saw, that comes with power.
To be continued...
