When you start to do missions you have an idea of how it should be. However, not that often do you think about the negative side of missions and when I say negative I mean how other missionaries do things, and the way they do things not matching with what God has called us to. Please don’t get me wrong I fail as well; however, I believe there is a difference between failing purposely, using grace as an excuse, and truly making a mistake. But that is just one tiny part of doing missions, another is you better trust the Lord because bad things will come and will shake you, but you have to stay strong in the Lord. Another part is what you give up as a missionary and what you gain as a missionary and if you put it on a balance the weight will lean towards your loses. No that does not make you a martyr it makes you an obedient child. As a missionary I HAVE TO depend on God otherwise I will sink. I need to trust in the Lord, but many times I fail. I constantly have to remember that my God is bigger than the sea and in those times that I going under the waves I know God will pull me back up because my God is a God that doesn’t fail. The problem has never been God it always has been us. We are the ones that don’t believe, we are the ones that let our hand go, we are the ones that betray, kill, destroy, and corrupt, NOT God. The easy thing is to blame someone that we don’t see because it is easy. It is easy to say, “why, why oh mighty God”. Missions are always about sacrifice just as Christ has called us to.
These few weeks people have asked me what you are planning to do now that your wife is not with you. Are you staying or are you leaving?? I want to take the easier road and be able to answer, “I will leave you guys and return to America because my wife needs me and my baby”. However, I answer in another way even though my flesh opposes it. So I tell them a story about a dad and his son for the sake of the story we are going to use gringo names ;). Steve (father) Jake (son) and Robert (sons friend) are three characters! So, one day Jake tells his father Steve, "father I want to take Robert on a trip with us and I want to you to invite him to go with us to the sea so that we can have fun and relax and enjoy the sun and water. The forecast is saying that today is going to be a wonderful day. " Steve said, "Sure why not" and gave Robert a call. Robert said, "sure why not I have nothing better to do today." Once in the boat Robert said," I will enjoy this trip if you, Jake, stop talking to me about God, not today man I am tired and I want to have fun." Jake said,"ok I will do as you wish my friend lets have fun." one more thing Robert added," remember I cannot swim." Steve was on the other side of the boat so he didn’t hear anything that was said, so they sailed off.
In the middle of the ocean things turned really bad and the waves were so strong, too strong for the little boat and Steve was afraid and shaking, but he knew that he had to take the two kids to the shore and they were his priority not the boat. Every wave that hit them was like a whiplash while Steve was trying to maneuver the boat he was keeping an eye on his son and he saw confusion, fear, pain and tears running over his pale cheeks. The next second he saw Robert pale as a ghost with no hope and at that moment he knew that he needed to do something drastic otherwise he may loose them both. While he was thinking a huge wave took the boat and for a second the two kids, Jake and Robert, disappeared under that monster wave that could swallow even a battle ship.
Steve saw at his far right was his son trying to swim close to the boat and at his left was Robert drowning. He knew his son, he was an amazing kid always talking about Christ and he knew that he was saved, at the same moment he did not know Robert so he made a decision and screamed with everything he had. With tears and a broken heart he said," Jake my son my beautiful son you have made me proud may my God hold you in his glory." Turning towards Robert and saved him without turning back.
So, my answer is yes I will come back as God came back for me because this is my call to love and served.
Please pray for us, my wife and I will be far away from each other for 6 months.
Pray for strength, pray for hope, pray for mercy, pray for joy!
Pray for our mission to always be for the ONE!
Pray for each of our hearts to be centered on Him that we may be made ONE through Christ not through proximity.
“You call me out upon the waters the great unknown where my feet may fail and there I find you in the mystery in oceans deep my faith will stand.
And I will call upon your name and keep my eyes above the waves when ocean rise my soul will rest in your embrace for I am yours and you are mine.
Your grace abounds in deepest waters your sovereign hand will be my guide where my feet may fail and fear surround me you’ve never failed and you won’t start now.” Ocean (where feet may fail) Hillsong United.
(this song has always brought us both to tears and it is our prayer now that we rest in his embrace and that our faith will stand)
