Peru Mission Trip: Difficulties of the Heart

On a trip like this, I suppose it's normal to have a variety of emotions. Part of me is, frankly, ready to go home. Another part of me isn't ready to go home at all. I think there's something emotionally settling about being in a place like this, for purposes like these; that is, sharing the gospel and helping others for the cause of Christ.

But it's also challenging. There's the obvious challenges: a language barrier, cultural differences, and just being very busy. But there's also the challenges it brings to ones thinking. I've only ever been on one other mission trip, and it was certainly a life changing event. But that 'change' doesn't last as long as it probably ought to. I suspect it will be the same with this. But that's a challenge, because it's a fight of our will versus our flesh.

What I'm driving at with that, is that one challenge of things like these is sifting through the many emotions and heart conflicts, and trying to distill it down to something tangible, something real. Perhaps that's my challenge even in the writing of this.

I've had some really good talks with people, and some really good laughs. It's been somewhat hard (not overly) work, and good time helping out with these kids.

So it's all kind of circular, because I come right back to that place of wanting to stay, as well as go.

I'm sitting here now as I write this, with a view of Lima. Massive city. It's night, yet the city is alive with sounds. Honking horns, traffic, fireworks. Lights go on for as far as you can see. Can one person like me, can our group of several more, really do so much in a city of this size? Do my personal struggles and weakness mean that I can't be of use here? Well the answer is obviously: "no!"

God used ordinary men in extraordinary ways. Not because they were anything themselves, but because He is everything, and the gospel is the most important message; there is power in the gospel.

I am not naive enough to believe that I'm going to figure out the deep things in my heart and my mind tonight as I write this. But I do believe that regardless of this, and in spite of who I am, I serve a great God who is doing something here, as well as in my own heart.