San Marcus, Peru October 2007
Tears rolled down his face as he praised Jesus in song…the whole church, all 100 in this tiny room, sang in high pitched voices ringing with an Incan chant….we had come up in the night to bring eyeglasses, testimony, and a puppet show…and they were celebrating our arrival..the pastor’s face was filled with joy as he sang…I had never quite felt so celebrated before…they had asked us to sit in the front row…it was my first church @ 12000 feet in Peru…and I began to realize how far we had traveled just to get there….I began to wonder what they must think of these strange looking foreigners coming to them in the name of their Lord Jesus….and I wondered “why me?”….Most had never seen words on the page before..and it was so cool to see their look of amazement when they got their reading glasses….the kids sat quietly watching the lost sheep puppet show…it was like they were shocked that such silliness was being acted out before them…as I barked like a dog and then oinked like a pig…I too wondered??? Is this really working??? How does this work anyway??? I can’t speak Spanish, much less Inca??? But as they began to smile and laugh…as the Peruvians received their eye exams and new glasses??? I could feel the excitement and peace grow in the room…and after all the hugs and thank you…something again felt right..As if the world stopped spinning…for a second and breathed “AHH.”
As we, nine people packed into one vehicle, drove down from their church on the bumpy cliff hanger tiny road, with 1000’s of feet of empty space out to our right down the side of the mountain…I listened as my friend, Martha, told me why she chose this church to give a radio tower to in order to broadcast God’s word……”You see, this is the first church I felt God’s presence in…these people used to have such alcohol problems in their village…but ever since this pastor came here…the people have changed…there is less drinking and more joy and it is all because of this church on this mountain top. You see, he used to be a terrorist, one of the worst in Peru. He is responsible for killing 1000’s of people, but now he is leading this tiny little village to the Lord who forgave him…the Lord Jesus he loves.” I turned to her in shock! Wow! This man who was so filled with graciousness, love and kindness…who cried to God in thanks for our visit..who embodied such peace…who had kissed me on my cheek..this man was terrorist? And I remembered the stories of Paul in the bible, who wrote over half the new testament….who had killed hundreds of Christians himself…Paul, whose writings I love to read…and I thought..”Why, God, you just introduced me to someone just like Paul! You knew how much I admire his words. You showed me You in that pastor’s tears sliding down his face. You showed me Paul!” Something is so cool about seeing God’s truths in action and to know it wasn’t a coincidence after all.
Heidi
Filed under: Heidi's Reflections, Missions Abroad
