New Blog
13 years ago
We tried windsurfing today. Very fun and fairly successful, except that we're completely worn out after an hour and a half of it. Hope we can still walk tomorrow.
Hotel Casa Lola in Cartagena, Colombia.
Hello from the Lima airport. We're waiting to board a plane to spend one night in Panama (a voluntary extended layover) and 7 in Colombia. Here's what you should know about Panama:
- Panama was the first Latin American country to adopt the US dollar as its currency . It's the same bill, but they call it the balboa.
- The Panama hat is made in Ecuador, not Panama.
- John McCain was born in the Canal Zone (at that time, US territory in Panama).
- From the Volcán Barú, you can see the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean at the same time.
Here's what else I'm expecting: really hot weather.
Besides seeing exciting spots like the Canal, we're hoping this trip will give us some fresh energy and relieve some of the burnout we're feeling after a pretty intense year. I'm grateful for the opportunity to travel around South (and now Central) America, but what I'm really looking for today is a break.
Without a hope for resurrection and everlasting joy with Christ we all tend to treat this life as a place where we have to squeeze out as much pleasure as we can and take as few risks as we can. Because there is nothing else. -- John Piper
As I was killing time at a friend's house last week, I came across this ad in a November issue of People magazine. I think I spent more time contemplating it than any of the articles. I was baffled. It seemed to me that some marketing guy had looked up 1 Corinthians 15:30-33 and thought, "Gee, this would make a great ad for a Las Vegas hotel!" Here's what the apostle Paul says (from The Message version of the Bible):And why do you think I keep risking my neck in this dangerous work? I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I'd do this if I wasn't convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus? Do you think I was just trying to act heroic when I fought the wild beasts at Ephesus, hoping it wouldn't be the end of me? Not on your life! It's resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live. If there's no resurrection, "We eat, we drink, the next day we die," and that's all there is to it. But don't fool yourselves. Don't let yourselves be poisoned by this anti-resurrection loose talk.
If the premise of the ad is correct, if one day you'll just be dead in the ground, nothing left but rotting bones, then really you ought to just go spend your time on all fours at the New York, New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Restraint is foolish. As the New Living Translation says, "Let's feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!"
I certainly shouldn't be living in Puerto Supe when I could easily afford to live somewhere else-- with constant running water, peace and quiet, people I can relate to, grass and trees, restaurants and grocery stores, air conditioning and heat.
I'd like to say that even if I did believe all of this, I wouldn't fall for the "life" offered at the New York, New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. I'd like to say that I'd pursue comfort and joy in gourmet food, extravagantly lush living, quality things (my current temptations). I almost did say it (write it) in fact. Then I remembered how I spent my first few months of college, the last few months before God turned my life around. Suffice it to say that I have no proof that I wouldn't be working at the New York, New York by now.
Well the truth is that I don't believe one day I'll be dead. My understanding of life is that there's this one (short) and the next one (forever). The choice I make in this one-- to put my faith in Jesus or not-- determines my joy or pain in the next. I absolutely disagree with the premise of the ad, and because I do, my view on how I should use and spend my life is drastically different.
Some famous philosopher (I can't remember who for the life of me!) asserted once that even if Christianity weren't true, it would still offer the best way to live. Paul disagrees. In his same letter to the Corinthians, he says, "If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world" (1 Cor 15:19). If one day I'll just be rotting bones, this ad is smart and I'm the dumb one-- wasting my life away when I could be having loads of fun in Las Vegas.
"But since Christ has been raised, and since by trusting in him we will be raised with him, then this life of radical, sacrificial love is not to be pitied" (John Piper, emphasis mine). Pity the one who falls for the New York, New York trap, but don't pity me. I've got an eternity of joy awaiting me, and the hope of it brings joy and peace in the midst of any suffering I'm experiencing here.
"But since Christ has been raised, and since by trusting in him we will be raised with him, then this life of radical, sacrificial love is not to be pitied" (John Piper, emphasis mine). Pity the one who falls for the New York, New York trap, but don't pity me. I've got an eternity of joy awaiting me, and the hope of it brings joy and peace in the midst of any suffering I'm experiencing here.
Yesterday our friend David took us to the SAMAir base to show us what he does all day. We really enjoyed seeing the planes and the lake. Wish we could live on a glassy lake in a lush green jungle!
Our first try on this photo was on some bleachers that started breaking from the weight of all of 63 of us. We moved. The composition was much better before and I think you would have been able to see faces. Oh well.
Tim and I are on the far left in the front.
SAMAir- The largest SAM Peru ministry. They fly planes into remote areas of the jungle only accesible otherwise by boats (which can take weeks). Their "clients" are mostly other missionaries, Bible translators, and people with medical emergencies.
Crisis Pregnancy Center- Brand new ministry hoping to have their official kick-off this year. I loved hearing how one of the women starting it was inspired to do it after growing up in Pucallpa, Peru as a missionary kid and seeing some of her friends struggle with unplanned pregnancies (one of these friends died due to complications from an abortion).
Motociclistas por Cristo- Using their presence in Motocross (dirtbike racing?) to impact a group of Peruvians who don't usually have much contact with "churchy" types.
Mil Palmeras Church- This is a new church celebrating its 4 year anniversary this month. They are successfully reaching out to the professional (upper) class-- a fairly unreached group in Peru.
IBEPA (Bible Institute)- Night class seminary in Pucallpa for local pastors. Their aim is to train and equip the pastors in this area who otherwise wouldn't have access to education (in Lima) due to time and money.
Shipibo tribe ministries- SAM has worked with this tribe since 1933. At this point there are 56 churches, a Bible institute, and a hostel + (food, health post, etc) for tribal people coming off the river (into Pucallpa) who can't afford lodging.
River for Christ- Bible institute and discipleship program from semi-literate church leaders along the Ucayali River.
Iquitos area ministries- This is basically one amazing woman who has given her life (50+ years?) to establish churches and train leaders in this jungle area of Peru.
Nursing ministry- A long-time SAM missionary (and professional nurse) has recently begun leading training seminars for local nurses. The goal is to improve health care in the area and reach out to more people with the news of God's love.
SAM Academy- Missionary kid school for SAM kids plus a handful of others. Top goals for 2009 include ridding the classrooms of bats and protecting homework from their droppings. Also pursuing educational excellence on par with anywhere else in the world!
Misión Santiago- Rehabilitation and discipleship for drug addicts. They insist on voluntary committment and encourage a one year in-house stay.
Puerto Supe- Cubases plus us. You can read the rest of the blog if you're unsure about what we do here :-)
As it turns out, we have wireless internet in our hotel! So snazzy.Yesterday we went to our very first motocross race. One of the SAM missionaries in Pucallpa is a former Peru motocross champion. He and a handful of other missionaries regularly compete in the races and have begun a ministry called "Motociclistas por Cristo" (Motorcyclists for Christ).
With Julio (the ringleader) on furlough, we didn't get to see much from the ministry end, but the jumps and mud were plenty of fun nonetheless.
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