What I’ve learned from 10 years of life and ministry among the poor:
10. Incarnational ministry is much more about me than the people I serve.
9. Sacrifices made for the wrong reasons are just silly and cause unnecessary pain.
8. Evil is more prevalent than I ever could have imagined.
7. I can live without, but convenience is really nice.
6. Community is not pretty.
5. Pride can really come back to bite you.
4. Listening is one of the most valuable gifts.
3. I cannot change anyone.
2. This promise is true: “There is no one who has given up and left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for My sake and for the Gospel’s who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time–houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions–and in the age to come, eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30
1. God is Faithful.
Today we celebrate 10 years of life in Bolivia. This is hugely significant, for me at least.
A friend asked me, “So what’s been the best part of it all?” and without hesitation I said, “Remembering it.” The truth is there’s more heartache in my memories than anything else. I’ve said more good-byes than I ever want to count. I’ve come face-to-face with injustice and suffering. I have hated the loneliness, the miserable cold, the isolation, tending to another one of my sick babies. Living here, choosing to stay here, has cost me in ways that most will never know.
And yet, standing on this side of it all, I’m also struck by a deep sense of satisfaction – that in some small ways, our “spiritual gift of stubbornness” has paid off. Here we have birthed a community, a ministry, a family… and a life.
I can’t help but remember the countless faces of all who have been a part of this journey – a beautiful tapestry of friends and family from all walks of life and from all over the world. We have not done this alone. And the memories of this shared life are etched in my soul.
But more than anything I am profoundly and humbly moved by the Lord’s goodness. He has been so faithful. He has always provided. When life pushed us to the edge, when all the doors were closed, when the bank was empty, when we reached our limits, when we thought all hope was gone, when we had nothing left to give…. He has always been present, even if it took us a little longer to see, or recognize or even want Him.
These 10 years have been quite the journey. And God has been so good. This life is for His glory and honor.