Global Outreach Website

Today we went to a village named Canaan. By the looks of this small, hillside neighborhood, some of the buildings may have been built about the same time that Joshua was leading the Israelites into the magnificent land that God had promised them and for which they’d been waiting some 40 years in the ‘pause’ mode. There was very little to desire in this suburb that felt more like a shanty town than anything I’ve ever seen in Georgia.

Canaan is a small community built on undesirable hillside real estate that is more suited to a giant slalom ski run than designed for school buses to traverse or kids to play soccer in the streets. Nestled in the violent gang-plagued Zone 18, this area was made up of families who’d staked out their $3,000-$5,500 lots the size of a 3-car garage. The homes were constructed with materials ranging from well-balanced sheet metal to the nicer cinder block construction. There is no need for paint stores or swim-tennis clubs for a long way.

The 40 member church that was sponsoring us had recently organized and not even held its first service. But they’d been busy praying and organizing this day as their first public event ever. That also meant we had to set up the clinic in the home of one of the members. Yet we were able to see 85 people today (compared to 93 yesterday), even though we only had two doctors since Herman was away. Our physician manpower was then cut from two to only one when Dr. Mario ran up the hill to assist a woman in delivering her baby in a small, dark shack.

The doctors saw people out of the back of the SUVs while we did the pharmacy and follow-up discussions throughout the house. There was no room for the eye clinic today, let alone the dental clinic. Mike the dentist (my father in law) and dental hygienist Amy (my wife) had let a local dentist run the dental clinic yesterday while they got to serve in the prayer/follow-up stations. They had been so inspired by the privilege of loving the Guatemalans through personal interaction that they had decided to not set up the clinic today. Providentially, that turned out to be a good choice. Even though they’d seen 16 people on Tuesday and done 8 extractions, bringing tremendous relief and happiness, there was an irresistible attractiveness to addressing the spiritual needs of the people. Both of them, as well as the whole team see the wisdom in CS Lewis writing that, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” So they both got the honor of loving people both medically and emotionally, but also spiritually over our four days.

But our family had much more excitement this day than the thrill of watching Jesus reach powerfully into people’s lives. Nate and I were physically fine all day. (Praise God) But 14 year old Abby (my daughter) passed out in the morning from the heat. After a cold drink of an unhealthy caffeinated Atlanta beverage that has not financially sponsored us and earned the right to be specifically named, Abby revived and went right back to serving. But early in the afternoon Amy got shocked. I don’t mean surprised. She was actually electrocuted when she touched a loose wire in the house. She collapsed to the floor immediately and slowly revived as we prayed around her. At that moment, on both sides of her, there were women who were praying with team members (one of them her mom, Ann). But even if this was spiritual warfare, it didn’t prevent these two Guatemalans from starting a relationship with Jesus. If anything, it may have led into some discussions that helped launch them into the eternal hope found in the good news of the cross.

CS Lewis once wrote, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” Our family, and so many of us on the team have learned over the years to think with more of an eternal perspective. Understanding eternity and looking to it regularly is not merely a plan of escape. Rather, meditating on heaven is a motivator and a catalyst to live well in response to the grace of the King of Heaven. It allows us to run swiftly toward the sound of His still, small voice. Further up. Further in.

Tonight Amy is 90% and continues to improve. She’s got the electricity’s entrance wound on her finger and exit wound on her toe to verify it happened. But praise God, she’s well enough to celebrate God’s protection from the 110 volts and even laugh at some of the spinoff conversations that have come out of this scariest of moments.

It would be easy to write at great lengths about the event. However the hour is late and neither Amy nor Abby like having the attention cast upon them. And this update is not geared toward our family. It is a team experience. But it was one of the scarier and most emotional days in my life when I saw the two most important and loved ladies in my life go down. We are all grateful for God’s protection and the avoidance of what could have been. Canaan has no medical facilities in case you were wondering.

While Amy recovered on the family’s couch, the medical clinic and the prayer stations went on. So many amazing things happened. Maybe another update I’ll share some of them when I’m not so tired. But this team is awesome. We’ve really grown to love one another and serve each other more selflessly. Did I mention how awesome the team is?

We did two prayer walks, ambling through the community with the pastor, praying for the needs he mentioned as well as talking out loud to God about anything for the community that he brought to mind. What a sweet time it was to connect to the people. One highlight was being able to go into the one man police station/cinder block building the size of a typical garage. We laid hands on and prayed for Officer Christiana even though he wasn’t a believer. He must’ve been deeply moved because not only did his eyes well up with tears, but he gave us a police escort out of the community at day’s end. The other highlight was when Craig, Nate, Ally, and I were invited into the shack rented by a mother of 4 whose husband had been shot and killed trying to protect them during a theft in their previous home. My brief description to those who ask is that it looked like a cool fort made by 9 year olds using scraps found laying around. The dirt floor must’ve sloped at about an 8% grade, which basically means it so steep you couldn’t set a glass of water on the floor without it tipping over. No need to mention the accommodations which seemed limited to two beds slid together in the middle of the single room that were covered by obviously donated Power Ranger sheets. It was impossible to look at these conditions and talk to her without having at least a small corner of your heart break off.

It reminded me of the CS Lewis quote, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Although his point was to impassion Christian readers to want more of Christ who alone can satisfy, the picture of the child in a slum had always been fuzzy in my mind’s eye. But now we were in a slum that had no shortage of children or dirt. Even the slightest rain must make this place become the mud pie bakery of the world. These were the kids who clearly have no idea what a beach vacation is like. Their exposure has limited them think foremost of survival. The great experiences and pleasures I’ve had are literally impossible for them to even imagine.

That is what Lewis uses as a word picture to capture humanity’s limited grasp on the grandness of knowing that we are created by God and for God. Only He can truly satisfy. All of my efforts to create substitutes for intimacy with this Almighty God are ridiculous. I need to understand more of the reality of heaven so that I will desire fellowship with Jesus with greater wonder. We need to demand of our affections that they not just be satisfied with survival. He offers infinite joy as we draw ever closer. What could be better than a date with Jesus?

There is a true Canaan. It isn’t just a mental picture of some sandy Middle Eastern terrain where there are lots of goats and bees producing milk and honey. There is a heavenly city that will one day settle on our new earth. And in the middle is a river, not an 18 inch sewage grate riddled with trash, that runs through the center. And beside it is a tree whose leaves bring healing to all the nations. And at the top of this hill is not a one man police station. But there is the author of life Himself with Jesus at His right hand, beckoning all who are hungry to a great feast. The invitations continue to be sent.

We're back home in Atlanta real time. All of us are safe, generally healthy, physically tired, and spiritually high. Emotionally it is so sad to leave a place we've learned to love and realize that we're leaving a part of ourselves there. Yet there is great joy in being home.

It is said that you shake hands with people you respect. But you hug those you love. There were lots of firm hugs as we left tonight.

Tonight I'm too exhausted to write. So please check the site over Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday for three more updates ata minimum. I will close out our story in print.

Today was a transition day. We did not go into the villages. Instead, we had the normal two hour devotional, but then went into the historical city of Antigua to shop in a high quality flea market. Late afternoon was spent resting or packing for most. Then we went out to a local steakhouse to celebrate the week and acknowledge appreciation for the translators and the staff and family of the Medical Missions Ministry team. It was a special celebration. The whole day was a time to really reflect on the previous week that had been so very different than our everyday lives.

Jesus’ teaching points to one or more of three theological themes:

1. THE KINGDOM OF GOD began with birth of Jesus and was signified by the miracles He performed. Prior to Jesus’ birth, God exercised His kingship by ruling over the people through His chosen King who pointed to the coming King of Kings. For an individual who accepts the gift of eternal life from the King, the rulership and lordship of Jesus expands His mercy and judgment. It is this kingdom that is preached and will continue to grow in breadth and depth until Jesus, who now reigns from heaven, reappears to rule more fully on earth. So we can say that the kingdom today is present today but not yet fully present.

2. KING JESUS’ REDEMPTIVE WORK that was prophesied and included His birth, life, death, and resurrection. This was done at the Father’s will in order to bring chosen, sinful men, women, and children to Himself so that He may forgive their sin, lead them, and protect them until they are resurrected.

3. LIFE WITHIN THE KINGDOM that begins with the acceptance of God’s free gracious gift to sinners that comes to be expressed through a new lifestyle. Recipients of this grace are grateful. Recipients of this love are loving. Recipients of this forgiveness are forgiving. Recipients of God’s provision at salvation are accepting of the easy and the difficult that God provides during Christian growth. It is the mission of the church to make this message of the kingdom credible by living the reality of life within the kingdom.

We’d begun the week with an emphasis on intimacy with Jesus and an emphasis on the idea that this whole week was a date with Jesus. So I tried to tie the week together during the devotional this morning by looking at the story of the generous landowner in Matthew chapter 20. It is a look at Jesus’ explanation to Peter that life in the kingdom has us relating to the King based on grace, not merit. We cannot earn anything apart from His grace. Through the last minute hires we see that the King is abundantly generous with His grace. And through the early morning hires we see that the King is sovereign in dispensing His grace.

After such an amazing week, it was so good to acknowledge the kingdom of our King in unity and how we should think about how we’re to approach day to day as citizens of the kingdom. Soon we’ll be back in our everyday lives and maybe tempted to be prideful, jealous, unjust, passive, defensive, and more concerned with loving others based on what they earn than their needs. We’ll need to remember our King and how to live in His kingdom often.

Afterwards we drove to Antigua to shop for a couple of hours. The drive time provided us all to reflect on all we’d experienced the last six days because tomorrow morning we’ll be leaving for home. Coming here we’d been reminded of the tender question of our senior pastor, “How many people have you shared the good news of Jesus with in the last year?” For most of us, that answer had radically changed. Coming here, we’d wondered how we’d fare for two hours of 53 year old Herman’s devotionals. For most of us, we are going to face withdrawal when we can’t hear him pray or cannot detect his distinctive three syllable chuckle, “Heh-heh, ha” that was actually four syllables for a hard laugh. Coming here, we’d speculated about whether we would be able to get along with the other strangers on the team. For all of us, there were no more strangers in the house. Coming here, we’d wondered if God could really use us. For all of us, He has. After all, He’s the King.

Dinner that night was a celebration of all we’d thought about on the drive. God had shown up in ways we’d never imagined. He’d shown up as the Provider through the giving of all those on our support team. He’d shown up as the Good Shepherd in the hearts of the Guatemalan who invited Jesus into their hearts during the week. He’d shown up as the Jehova Rapha, the God who heals, in the physical improvements of the villagers. He’d shown up as the Servant of Sinners in the welcoming arms and selfless actions of the MMM staff. He’d shown up as the Lord of Love in our team who could only love supernaturally because He loved us first. After all, it is all about Jesus.

What can I say? We arrived home safely but exhausted. But things were different.

The flowers and trees were in full bloom. Pollen covered everything outdoors, which was radically different. But, after all, it is April. This is the month that is said to derive its name from the Latin verb aperio, which means “to open,” because of the buds and blossoms open.

The roads were open. But that is just a function of driving through the city at 9pm on a weekend.

Yet what may be most significant is that our minds and hearts had been opened and enlarged. It had been a week of grace. Much like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, our hearts had burned as He walked with us into the villages and as He opened the Scriptures up to us. The week had not only begun with Easter’s message of resurrection. It ended with a deeper sense of the reality of the resurrection.

When the apostle Paul wrote Romans chapter one, he wasn’t saying that the gospel (good news of Jesus) PRODUCES power. He was writing that the gospel IS the power of God in verbal form. (based on Keller quote). But now we had experienced that power. We’d also grown in our love for Jesus and His voice that both calls and sends us. We didn’t open to love Him more because we saw more of His power though. We came to love Him more because we better understood that He is worthy of our worship.