Trusting God with Every Step: A Survival Tip for the Servant of the Lord.
Our small country made international news this month. There was unrest in several areas of the country due to gang violence, particularly within the jails, in certain cities, and also (what made headlines) young men storming into a live news broadcast station with large guns. The president, thankfully, came down hard on the gang members and leaders calling them terrorists and implementing an internal armed conflict enabling him to use military force to neutralize them. Major stores and malls closed the day this happened and it seemed transportation came to a halt. Many people walked home.
I was at one of the malls at this time running an errand. I was one of those people having to walk home, thankfully a short distance. It was very sad to see so many people in fear and distress, understandably so. Yet for whatever reason, I felt an overwhelming wave of peace. I can’t explain it, nor can I say that I generated it myself.
I suppose that when we began this journey, living in Ecuador and giving up what had been normal and comfortable, we had to deal with many questions and feelings. I, for one, desired to know exactly how things would happen. I wanted to be assured that we would be ok. I did experience a level of understanding that God would be with us and that it would be awesome. And it is awesome! But I was never assured it would be easy and that nothing bad would ever happen. We are called to walk with our Shepherd and to listen to his voice each step of the way, trusting.
It seems crazy that the Apostle Paul writing to the Philippians, in an uncertain time, in jail, and not knowing if he would be released said, (and here’s the tip for survival)
“For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
What else can you do? If you have followed Christ to the best of your abilities, wisdom, and understanding, you begin to leave certain things in His hands, like your life, your story, your future, and your family. Don’t get me wrong. I have to lay these down almost daily. I have to confess my faith and doubts often to the Lord. But you know what? When you are truly in a pickle and you have to navigate through that pickle, He is there providing peace and giving you the next step. Even if we start sinking in fear, He can pull us up.
Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
Someone recently asked us if this is it for us in Ecuador. But the political climate has never been a deciding factor. Do governments of any country experience peace and tranquility at all times? Is there no violence in the United States? The Shepherd of our souls, the One who promised that if we have courage we can step into his promises, the One who has called us here - He is faithful to let us know when our work here is finished.
Until then, we will continue. We continue to work with kids in hard situations, we continue to work with women who have limited choices. We continue to look for communities where we can provide educational supplies. We continue to meet with teenagers who want to grow in their faith. We continue to follow our Shepherd. For now, I won’t go into the amazing details and miraculous ways that Christ has led us toward or away from certain situations. But what we can say is, that He is faithful.
A note on the situation here in Ecuador: The following day after the sudden shutdown, stores opened as normal, people came in and out of the country normally, and commuters continued commuting to and from work. It has been peaceful and slow. The government continues its fight against gang and drug activity with daily success. It’s important to note that not all of Ecuador experienced unrest. Ecuador is very small and so, while it may seem the whole country is in a state of unrest, it is only in certain areas, particularly the coast where drugs are smuggled to North America and Europe. However, many schools are still meeting online and most of the ministry outreaches we work with have decided to hit the pause button for a few weeks, as an extra precaution. This is very difficult for some people, kids especially, who rely on encouragement, a safe place to enjoy, and even the food that these outreaches regularly provide. (We have not seen our Carmen Bajo kids since before Christmas!)
In our house and our church, we have had more activity with young people coming to youth group, Bible study, or to see our kids - and just lingering and even spending the night. We are very grateful for this house that can accommodate guests and visitors on short notice. We are praying about how we can continue to host youth ages 16 to 20 on different occasions with meals and fellowship to build a Bible study group of that age.
We praise God:
Kayla found a new best friend, who is also here from Cobb County Georgia! God is so amazing to bless both girls with company.
Our oldest son Joshua was able to fix the car himself when it broke down. Who taught him that?? Only God.
Freedom was able to visit his mom in Puerto Rico and meet other believers and missionaries there.
Provision during a difficult time and provision for next year’s SmartBox events.
We are praying for:
Some paperwork to come quickly in the States for us to finalize Freedom’s permanent status here. We’ve had delays and he is currently on a limited time here so this is a big prayer request.
Our son Jonathan to be guided on his next steps as an adult as it pertains to work and study.
Our small group at home for young adults to begin and flourish.
That our artwork would become a source of income for our family.
