It’s 1:17am. I am awakened by who knows what. A restless mind? The sounds of a new foreign country? The fact that we’ve traveled easily over 36 hours across multiple countries via multiple modes of transportation. It went something like this: busing to Managua, Nicaragua for Covid tests. Taxi ride to the airport for a connecting flight from San Salvador to Bogota, Colombia. Taxi ride to our Mega Bus. Fourteen hour Mega Bus ride to our new Ministry destination of Medellin, Colombia. I must note, although it sounds like a scene from the movie “Planes, Trains & Automobiles,” it actually went fairly fast. Mostly thanks to my amazing napping abilities. If you know me, you know.
Needless to say, my circadian rhythm is all kinds of backwards, so naturally I’m awake right now. I am camped out on the middle bunk of this triple decker bunk bed. I am trying my best not to toss and turn and wake my teammates. My attention is grabbed by the occasional rush of city cars outside our window, the baby snore of Corrigan, or the occasional sleep talking of Noonan. I just chuckle silently to myself. I am reflecting on the day, the week, the month….and even the year to come (my cheesy F.R.I.E.N.D.S. loving self couldn’t resist).
I am thinking about the thoughtful concerns from my friends and family back home. Several people have reached out to ask where I am, how I am doing, if I am safe. My family and friends are relieved to hear me reply confirming that I am safe and sound. Buzzing back home in the news is a breaking story about 17 missionaries (mostly from Ohio) that were kidnapped in Haiti. I am saddened by this, and pray they are reunited with their families. My mind draws back to 2012, when I participated in a mission trip to Haiti. Images come back to me of the stunning Caribbean Sea where I was baptised. The faces of the kids we played games with, gave piggyback rides to and help to get sponsored. Hard images come forward too. Deep poverty, malnourished babies, businesses and homes in piles of rubble; aftermath from the devastating 2010 earthquake.
Certainly the World Race (WR) journey comes with inherent risks, but each month we are given country briefings on boundaries, guidelines and protocol we must follow to mitigate those said risks. I would be lying if I said there haven’t been past teams that fell into danger. If you read the book “Kingdom Journey,” by Seth Barnes (the founder of the World Race parent organization: “Adventures in Missions”), you’ll get a glimpse of those situations. Racers survived dangers like being robbed at gunpoint. They lost possessions, but gained colorful life lessons. Lessons that are passed onto future racers like me.
As a follower of Christ, electing to serve this year on the mission field, I have a daily choice. A choice to either walk in fear or walk in faith. I choose to walk in faith. When I accepted Christ as my savior, I gained God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended into heaven, God left behind the gift of the Holy Spirit so we could walk in his protection and authority. Candidly, the Holy Spirit has been confusing to me in the past. How is God three in one? Aka the Trinity: Father, Son & Holy Spirit. As I peel back the layers of that onion, I am learning about his character.
I have decided that the Holy Spirit is my homeboy! I don’t say that to offend anyone. I think of Him as the boots on the ground member of the Trinity. He dwells within me. He is my voice of discernment. I’ve know this because I’ve tuned him out in the past. I can remember several instances when I knew I was choosing something that wasn’t good for me, but felt good in the moment. I’ve literally felt him remind me of the scripture from Isaiah 1:16 “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right”. Ouch homeboy! Can you pipe down? You are spoiling my fun.
He does that because he knows what is best for my heart. When I call upon him in pain, his peace washes over me. He prompts my heart to talk with people that are hurting, discern situations that are physically or spiritually dangerous. He is the prompting in my heart to feed someone who is homeless and tell them God loves them deeply and knows their pain. He gives me the words to share God’s heart with others when I ask him. He is my compass and God’s word (the Bible) is my corresponding road map. God is so good! He chose to never leaves us! He just takes His Earthly residence in a different form. I am a work in progress in understanding Him, but I am learning each day new ways to feel his presence and discern his voice on life’s journey.
As I lie awake, I am reminded of a note that lives in my phone. It’s a thought and a scripture I heard back in 2019. It goes like this…
“Don’t lose yourself in the temporary.”
(It is super easy to get swept up in life’s momentary struggles)
“No one has ever seen, no one has ever heard and no one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9 (ERV) –
God loves you so much. So much he never wants to be apart from you. His plans are greater than anything we can imagine. If he told you everything up front you wouldn’t understand it. This is not dissimilar to if someone had told us back in 2010 that there was going to be a pandemic. One so massive it would virtually bring the world to a halt. There is a good chance we would shake our heads or laugh in their face.
God gives us a guide to help us navigate things in bite sized pieces. He leads us day by day to His bigger picture. That guide is the Holy Spirit. If you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, you’ll gain the guidance in your heart from the Holy Spirit. If you have questions, about what that looks like just ask me. I don’t have all the answers to life’s questions, but my homeboy does.
Well written! You paint a picture and share a message worth receiving. You are so fortunate to have this experience. Stay well.
All out. G Allen
Thank you very much George! I’ve already had some pretty amazing encounters of what the Holy Spirit has been doing in my life. I will share them soon! Thanks for reading and commenting.
I love you’re sign off!
-Tank
I love this….we have to walk in faith as we need to depend on His strength and guidance for so many things! Praying for continued protection and increased understanding of God and His plan for you!
Steph, Such beautiful, calming words. I feel the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit speaking in your message. A message written while you are camped out on a triple decker bunk bed in Medellin, Columbia, 1:30AM!!! You are such a gift to friends, family, and all those you meet. Continued prayers for you and your team during this amazing journey??
Lol, not “amazing journey??”
Obviously I meant a million exclamation points! I’m an old lady w tech challenges??
Steph! This is beautifully written and I love where you have landed with Holy Spirit being our boots-on-the-ground guide. You’re awesome 🙂
I love how you tie all this together, walking in faith not in fear and trusting the Holy Spirit to lead you, who, of course, is one part of our unified triune God. Truly, the H.S. is our Homeboy!
Love to see the ways you are listening to the Lord and the encouragement you are getting back home!!!