I was headed back to San Francisco, for very exciting
reasons. Four of the new believers in San Francisco have been coming to the
discipleship center for training. One of the things we teach is that the
training they receive is not just for them, but they need to return home and
share it with their neighbors. So I was excited the day they called and said that they
had been sharing Jesus with a nearby village and some of the people have come
to Christ. Then they asked if I would visit for the baptisms. What a great
reason to head back.
The journey starts with a two-hour pickup truck ride. So I went
to the truck stop to get a ride. I arrived at 11:30 because the road is under
construction and only open from 12:00-12:45 during the day. I found a seat and
waited as the truck filled up with passengers and cargo. I waited and waited
and started to get frustrated and nervous. I had a plan to meet a pastor at
2:00 and we were going to walk two more hours together to San Francisco. It was
now 12:30 and the truck driver was still loading the truck. Someone had bought
rebar, which comes in 30-foot-long bars, and was trying to tie it to the pickup
bed. If we did not make it onto the road by 12:45 it would be closed until
8:00pm, effectively canceling my trip.
Many times we are delayed for a purpose. Our plan is not necessarily
God’s plan. And this was the case for me as I saw a hearse pull up to the truck
stop. They pulled a simple wood coffin out of the back and loaded it in a truck.
And then out of the front climbed Jose, a friend of mine. Jose is one of the
disciples that regularly attends trainings at the discipleship center. He lives in a
distant village and is new in the Lord. I jumped out of the truck and asked him
what was happening. He could only respond that his uncle had passed away. We only had a moment as now both trucks were
running and the drivers were waiting. So instead of asking him details, we
prayed. When we finished tears were streaming down Jose’s face. It is a rare
thing to see a Shawi show such emotion. I knew his heart was broken.
Then we climbed in and took off. Jose’s truck in front of
mine. When we got to the road it was 12:47 and it was closed, but after some
negotiating with the guard, he saw the coffin and let us through. For the
next two hours we followed that truck down the bumpy dirt road. The coffin did
not fit in the truck bed so it was hanging out the back, tied down with some
rope. As we drove I prayed for Jose and the people in his village. And I began
to think about the coffin, a simple wood box. It’s destination: three hours in
a truck followed by four hours in a dugout canoe. Then carried to a cemetery out
in the jungle where it will be buried and marked with a wooden cross. Ten years
from now the wood will rot away and the wood box will be forgotten. But that is
the same for you and me. We will die. Our bodies are destined for the wood box.
And although it might be marked with stone instead of wood, it will still be forgotten.
It all seems so permanent.
It was with those thoughts that I finally got out of the
truck. I was late but the pastor was waiting for me with a pleasant surprise.
He had brought a boat and said we could go half way by boat before walking. The
river was too low to go all the way. So we jumped in the boat and 30 minutes
later arrived at the village of Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa is a very exciting place
as a year ago there were only 5 believers in the village, but today there are
over 30 and they have appointed leaders and are building a church. The leaders have been coming to the discipleship center for training.
One of the new believers invited us to his house for lunch before we continued
walking. There I was able to visit and get to know him and his family over a
bowl of fish soup.
Then an amazing thing happened! After lunch we walked out of
his house to see that the river had risen two feet during the 30 minutes we had
spent eating. Although it was sunny where we were it must have rained up in the
mountains. Praise the Lord! He provided water and we continued on in the boat. Many of the believers in Santa Rosa decided to join us and climbed in the boat, with 15 people we were riding low. The old boat was full of cracks and
holes and was taking on water as fast as we could bail, but we made it to
San Francisco safely.
 |
| Church Service in San Francisco |
After dark service began. They asked me to speak so I told
the story of David being anointed by Samuel. I told them that just as God had chosen
David for the task of king, God has also chosen them for the task of sharing
his gospel. The service went until midnight. We sat around and talked and drank
chicha until 1:00am. Then we all fell asleep on the porch of a house. At 4:00am
one of the guys woke up and grabbed a guitar and for an hour they all sang
hymns and prayed together. What an amazing way to start the day.
After chicken soup for breakfast, service began again. They asked
how many were planning to be baptized and 4 people raised their hands. Praise
God! These 4 people were trusting in God because the believers in San Francisco
were sharing their faith. Then they asked me to speak again. I told the story of
Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. I
explained that as followers of Christ their job is to be as Philip, obedient to
the Lord and sharing the good news. Then I gave a simple invitation and 6
people received Christ. Afterwards we all walked down to the river and 10
people were baptized.
 |
| Baptism in the river |
After service I started the long trip home. The river had
dropped overnight and we spent more time out of the boat pushing then we did in
the boat. It was so slow that some of the people walked and actually arrived before the
boat. Then I jumped in the back of a pickup.
All wet and squished between plantains and boxes of
papaya for two hours, my thoughts returned to the box. Our bodies are destined
for the box, but our souls have a different destiny. That destiny is also permanent.
And this weekend the destiny of 6 people changed. God changed their eternity.
I returned home at 7:00pm, tired but full of joy.
Praising God for what He is doing in, around, and through San Francisco. Praising Him
that He is calling the people and through His mercy, changing destinies.
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are
far off- for all whom the Lord our God will call.
-Acts 2:39
 |
| The new believers coming forward to declare their faith. |
