It's now been exactly one week since our mission team returned from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. I hesitated to blog about the trip right after we got home, just so everything that happened could sink in a little. I'm not going to write about a lot of the details of the trip. If you want to know more details, feel free to ask me personally. Rather, I'm going to hit a few highlights and talk about how I saw God working in Santa Cruz and what He's shown me.
What a great trip! This was my first overseas missions trip. I've traveled overseas before on business, and I've been on other mission trips in the US as well. So this one was very special to me. First, I am greatly thankful for all those who prayed and supported our team on this trip. Especially our church family at Wakefield. Thank you for your encouragement and financial support. I'm also thankful to our church staff for allowing me to be the team leader for this trip.
God is definitely working in Santa Cruz. Our work on the trip included time with middle school & high school students, university students, and residents in a local community where a church has been planted. We had the chance to go into a school to work and play with students in middle school and high school, showing them a video, asking them questions, teaching them a little English, playing basketball & volleyball with them, and sharing Jesus Christ in word and action. We also spent a lot of time with some university students who are studying English. We spent time helping them with English, and they helped translate for us when we spent time in the community. We also used the time to share about Christ and the Bible in many different ways. In addition, we worked with the church plant to share the Gospel with people in the community by using door-to-door evangelism and showing the Jesus film several times. Plus we got to experience a lot of the Bolivia culture and food, maybe too much of the food! But we had a great time and enjoyed being involved in God's work there.
I was so thankful for all the doors that God opened for us while in Bolivia. It was great to see how receptive the people in the community were to the Gospel, even being willing to stop what they were doing to talk to us or come see the film. The church there was alive and the people were willing to sacrifice of themselves and their possessions so Christ would be known. Their hospitality towards our team was overwhelming the entire week. To see some of the poverty around them, and then see them give so much to us, their very best in most cases, was humbling. It was an experience I will never forget. One family from the church opened his home repeatedly for meetings there. We invited people from the community to come and hear God's word proclaimed on several occasions. We were also pleased to see many Bolivians come to Christ that week. I lost count of how many there were. Our God is great!
Now that I'm home, I'm more burdened than ever about my own community. God calls us to go wherever He leads us, which includes the world, but also this includes the neighborhoods right out out front door. I've been challenged to reach out to my own neighbors more proactively with the Gospel. I've also been renewed in showing hospitality to others, being willing to give everything I have and everything I am to God's work, wherever He calls me to serve. Biblical stewardship is the responsibility of all believers. I want to be fully obedient to God in this area, being willing to give everything for His work and His glory. I own nothing - it's all His. Even my very life.
I pray God will give me another opportunity to visit Santa Cruz, if He desires. But I cannot wait for that opportunity to put into practice what He has already shown me. He has blessed me greatly, all for His purpose for me and for the kingdom work He desires me to join Him in.
Pastor Randy
