The God Wink

  I have been trying to working on a small project where I do a short video explaining what 4everForward does. I really want to spread the word to a broader audience. I sent out a few messages to friends trying to find out what people want to know about the ministry. I got a lot of the questions I expected like what do you do?  How do you get support?  Where do you work? How did you start?  They were some of the same questions I get asked often. Well one friend posed a question and I have been pondering it for the past two days. He simply asked “Why should I care”?
  I could give you all kinds of scripture to back up why you should care and how it truthfully is your Christian duty to care. But will that make someone really think and say “Yes, I care now. Where do I give”? I could throw out statistics about how poverty stricken the area I work is. I can always show photos of a handicap child that is mal nourished or an elderly lady that needs a new mattress because she sleeps on the floor or on wood slats. I could show pictures of kids digging in the dump for bottles to sell to get money for food. I could do all of the things that you see in almost every commercial of those large corporate ran humanitarian and Christian organizations begging for a dollar a day. But the thing is I have done all of that before to no avail. It helps in the short run but does it make people give because they care or give because they feel guilty?
  So instead of trying to convince you to “care” I am going to tell you why I care. I used to see all of the infomercials back in the day of little bloated belly kids with flies all over their faces and to be honest it stirred up little emotion. I didn’t feel the need to give or even think twice about it after the regularly scheduled program came back.  I would see people in the world that I knew that were poor and struggling and felt sympathy but had little empathy.  I could watch programs on TV about poverty and the devastating effects it has but it wasn’t my reality because I lived in a safe middle class world I few trips l which my needs were pretty much met. I can’t remember a time of going more than one meal if any because of lack of money. I don’t recall a time in my life where I only had one outfit to wear. I always had shoes on my feet and clothes on my back. It wasn’t until I traveled here that my eyes were not just opened but ripped open.
  You see I came here like many other “Christians” on a mission to do Gods work. I had my hand sanitizer, bug spray, banana boat sunscreen, and bottled water. I had bought some hiking style boots to wear so I didn’t mess up my good shoes. I had gone to the local Wal-Mart and bought some cargo pants like I had seen in photos from other people going on mission trips. I had my sanitary napkins to use to keep clean and in case of no TP. I thought I was prepared. Man was I wrong on so many levels. To be honest I don’t think anything could have had me properly prepared for what was to happen.
  God kind of threw me head first in to this. It wasn’t gentle it came fast and furious from the time I stepped out of the airport. I couldn’t even take it all in that first trip here. I was blind to it all still in a comfort zone so to speak. It wasn’t until my third or fourth trip here that I actually started to really see what God was pushing me to see.  A few trips later this was still a part time thing for me making about 4-5 trips in a year. I had what I like to call a “God wink moment”. He was nudging me closer and closer to full time missions work.  I tried to fight it a little but felt an instant tug at my heart. At this point I could not unsee what my eyes had seen.  I couldn’t erase the things and stories I had heard. It was a constant in my thought patterns. As soon as I left here I was ready to come back. I couldn’t shake the pull of this place.
   Now that I have spent enough time here and really gotten very close to many people here there is a different feeling I have not just about this place but about the people here. They are family just as much so as my blood family back home in the states. I read once where the Apostle Peter was talking about us Christians have a dual citizenry that we are a colony of both heaven and earth. He was talking about how our ultimate allegiance is to our heavenly home that God has prepared for us. God put his son on this earth with a specific purpose and the end game of that was death. Before his death one of his most important quotes while walking this earth was “Take up your cross and follow me”. (Matt 16:24) That is something I am trying to take seriously. Jesus passed the torch of evangelism to me and you that day up on that cross. He said to go to all nations and preach and baptize. Does that mean we should all leave or native land and go out evangelizing. Probably not but we should all be willing to. He sent me here, at least for now. This place is part of my earthly home that is preparing me for my eternal home.
  God also said it wouldn’t be easy and let me tell you it’s not easy. It is a struggle but I can tell you I have never thought about quitting. I have gotten frustrated to the point where I questioned my faith but never thought about throwing in the towel. I have been asked what the struggles are here for me and they may be different than most think.  The first thing most think is about the food. I love the food even the crazy stuff like the iguanas, and parts of the animals most don’t eat. Then it’s the language barrier. Yes that can be frustrating at times but for the most part I get by. Well what about the heat since it’s in Central America. Yes it gets hot but where I am year round for the most parts its mid 80’s in the day and high 60’s at night so pretty much perfect. So what do I struggle with you ask. Seeing a need I can’t meet is the biggest. Man, I have seen so much pain and struggle. I have witnessed Parents that can’t feed kids or take care of their elderly parents. I have seen the handicap get overlooked and ignored like they don’t exist in this world. Not because they don’t care but the resources just aren’t there.  But that’s just a very small part of it.  I know I can’t solve the poverty here nor is that my mission.
 
My friends here have become family to me. We share each other’s struggles and burdens. I have never seen a truer sense of community than I do here. It is infectious to say the least. When I ask for help from those back home I am asking you to help a stranger. Someone you will likely never meet personally. But to me I am asking help for my family. I have put my heart and soul in to this. I can’t think of living a different life. I wish I could help more not only here but also help those in need in other parts of the world. This just happens to be the place God has for me at this moment. I know you probably don’t truly care anymore than you did when you first started reading this as I was once like that myself. My eyes have been opened though through reading and trying to better understand the will of God. Love is the key factor in it all and the most important. First to love him and then to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I can’t see a way to not care about God’s people. This is why I care.

P.S.  Always be looking for that moment when God winks to let you know you are right where you are supposed to be.