Loving People On a Not-So-Lonely Mountain

 I hear crickets. Dogs call to each other across the ridges. A turkey gobbles off in the distance. The huge leaves of the banana tree my hammock is perched in on the side of this mountain rustle with the never ending breeze. After a scorching week in the sun the coolness of the continuous flow of wind borders on miraculous. It has been a week of weeks. Our team has been outstanding. They work and play with an energetic tenacity on par with their vivacious faith. Grace drips from these people like the sweat they have shed for seven days.

We have been to school after school playing with kids, performing skits, praying, speaking, loving. We have visited small churches, in the remote places of the Guatemalan Mountains where our people have preached the love of Jesus. We have given away food. We have built a wall. We have built a road. We've been busy. It's been good.

Busy and good are not always words I like to put together—but accomplishing the work, sharing the good news, and serving my friend Greg's ministry are both. Because busy can be good when it is purpose driven.

As I lay in my hammock staring out across the expanse of darkness at the closest ridge I can see the humble twinkle of distant village homes. The places that house the beautiful people of Guatemala.

I can rest full of faith in the one who sent us. I can sleep soundly satisfied in our pursuit of purpose. I never enjoy leaving my family behind—and under different circumstances would probably bring them—but even in my homesickness I can rest in the peace of God.

In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus declares his followers to be as a shining city on a far dark night. That's our job. To take hope with us. We partner with powerful people of God in needed places. We are Gondor in the midst of Mordor. We are beacons among burdens—and bonfires among chilling darkness.

I have burned in my heart the desire to go to far places and far people because, as A.W. Tozer penned, "if my fire is not large it is yet real, and there may be those who can light their candle at its flame."

Countdown Zacapa - 6 Days

Less than a week to go until Jamie and I will be Guatemala bound—18 young adults in tow! We are so seriously excited! It is always such a privilege to travel to another country and help a long term missionary. This year we have the opportunity to partner with Greg Miller Ministries. I had a chance to meet Greg last fall and he is an awesome guy with a huge heart for the nation God has called him to.

This morning I recieved word that Guatemala experienced an earthquake today. A lot of thoughts immediately went through my head, first among those the well-being of Greg, his loved-ones, and a close family friend who's family lives in the mountains of Guatemala.

The good news is that everyone we are connected to there is ok. The bad news, however is that not everyone is ok.

All of this only serves to point out a very real truth when you're taking about investing in short-term missions. Things can change on a dime. You have to be ready to be flexible and fluid. Plans can change.

Ultimately, the goal remains the same. We're headed to Guatemala in just a few days to serve the Church by serving Greg and his team. If the finer details change along the way, that will be ok. We will still go. We will still serve. Thankful for the privilege this opportunity brings.

Countdown Zacapa - 14 Days

Am I good enough?

This is a question people ask themselves all the time. Maybe not precisely those words, but some form of self-doubt and/or creeping insecurity nags at us from time to time. It's nearly inevitable.

The short answer is "yes." The shorter answer is "no."

No, you are not good enough, at least not on your own. The horrible reality is that so many are out there trying to make it on their own. It's tragic. And a lot of heart break and bad decisions play out as a result.

But yes, you are also good enough. Wait a sec here........ DIDN'T YOU JUST CONTRADICT YOURSELF?

It's true that on our own we are not good enough. But the whole point is that we don't have to be on our own. We weren't meant to be on our own. Life isn't supposed to be a lonely affair full of solo sunsets and one-sided conversations.

GOD made you for himself, and for others. With him you are more than enough, not because you are good enough but because he is above and beyond good enough.

When you are living your life with God in it, whether you're loading into an airplane and flying to another country, or walking next door to help a neighbor—God goes with you. He goes before you. He helps.

So go help somebody. Say something encouraging. Do something meaningful. Stop worrying about being good enough, and start doing something good.

Countdown Zacapa - 19 Days

In nineteen days Jamie and I are leading a team of twenty young adults to Guatemala. We've been making arrangements, making plans, and preparing our team almost eight months....and here we are. Less than three weeks away.

Taking young people to a far away place is one of the deep joys of my life. I love seeing the impact it makes on them. How it shocks them out of the apathy that so quickly can overwhelm us in our selfish culture. It's a process of pealing back the nuanced layers of desire and distraction that define most of our American existence. In a word, it is a powerful experience.

After six months of regular meetings, tonight we met for the final time before we leave. I challenged them with the notions of sacrifice and selflessness. Not because any of us are looking or hoping to become martyrs, but because I want all of us to live outside of the context we are so over encumbered with here at home.

We go to do something that is not about us and not for us. We are partnering with a wonderful missionary who has been in Guatemala for over twenty years. I can't wait to get these guys down there.

Please consider praying for us as we travel.