Shortly after entering into the ministry, I wondered what it would be like to travel and preach, teach, and share the gospel all over the world. I began to have a desire for one part of my ministry to be itinerant, but had no idea what this really involved. Years later, God has allowed me the chance to experience this desire during this summer. I think ... No, I know … that I used to want to travel and preach so I could be “the guy on the stage,” but I’ve learned that’s not what it’s all about. This Sunday afternoon begins the busiest summer of my life thus far – 7 weeks of travel from May through July. Come August, I’ll tell you if I still desire to travel as much as I thought I did.
I leave for Peru on Sunday. Recently, our church adopted an Unreached People Group called “the Aymara” in the town of Conima. “Unreached” means less than 2% of their population are Christians. Our Music Minister, myself, and two men from our church will be gone for a week doing follow up on some work our Pastor and two other men from our church did alongside a Medical Team in April with the Aymara. Our trip will consist of prayer walking, building relationships with the Aymara in Conima, following up with contacts already made by people from our church, and getting a house ready for 6 Summer Missionaries we’re sending to Conima through June & July.
Five days after we return from Peru, I leave for Iowa to preach at the revival I’ve already blogged about (see previous post). That will be followed by 2 back-to-back Super Summer Camps in June, another Youth Camp in July, Peru Trip #2, and wrapping up the summer with our church-wide / family mission trip to Beaumont / Port Arthur, TX. August will consist of me actually getting to spend time with my wife, and maybe catching up on some sleep.
So why blog about this? Well, I mentioned earlier that being “the guy on the stage” is not what this is about – nor is it about me bragging of my travels and opportunities. What this is about is the Kingdom of God and the gospel. At the end of time there will be believers “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev 5:9) in Christ’s Kingdom. That means people will be praising Jesus in the language of Aymara. I want them to be there. This trip to Peru is far beyond a good experience for me or for all those who go. Leaving the country is a privilege – sharing the gospel even more so. Evangelism is a privilege and a command ... and should be a burden deep within the heart of every believer. The Great Commission is world-wide (Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8).
This trip, and all the others, is about God and Him inviting me alongside what He’s doing through His Son by the power of His Spirit on a cosmic level and it has eternal significance. That changes the way we view mission trips. That changes the way we view evangelism. That should change the way we view day-to-day interactions with people. God’s inviting you alongside Him into something far beyond anything you or I could ever imagine or think up.
Some of my favorite verses to dwell on are Acts 17:26-27,
And he (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
God has ordained this trip to Peru. God has ordained who your and my neighbors are. All for the purpose of making Himself known. I challenge you to partake in this ministry and message that God invites us into (2 Cor 5:20-6:1).
Prayer Needs
Secondly, I write to ask for your prayers – not just while I’m in Peru, but for the whole summer. Here are some specifics:
- Pray for Alyson. I’ve traveled, but never this much. There will be extended periods of time Alyson and I are apart from one another, with only a few days in between that we actually see each other. Please pray for my wife & our marriage.
- Pray for my health. Typically, Satan attacks me with a stomach-bug just before big mission trips and ministry events like Peru. Thus far, I’ve been OK. However, “chicken-foot-soup,” “foot-stomp potatoes,” or guinea pig may do me in while in Peru. When my body is ill, I become very grumpy emotionally and lazy spiritually. Pray for my health & His energy (Col 1:29).
- Pray for safety. Any kind of travel is dangerous, especially when going to a foreign place. Please pray for our safety while traveling to, in, and from Peru (Alyson would really appreciate these prayers).
- Pray for boldness in evangelism despite language differences. I don’t speak Spanish, much less Aymaran. However, God’s Spirit can do amazing things for the spread of the gospel (see Acts 2:1-41). Pray that the language barrier would not be an issue, but that the church would be built up (1 Cor 14:5, 22).
(Note: we will have Les Lopez from our church as well as the local missionary, John Grady, as our interpreters, so we should be alright). - Pray for evangelism while we travel. When someone’s stuck next to you for a few hours on a plane, the question is bound to come up, “So why are you going to Peru?” Pray for these open doors (Col 4:3-4).
- Pray for salvations. A lot of what this trip involves is follow-up and preparation, but when the gospel goes out, it’s powerful, and people respond. Pray for lost to be saved on this trip and on those to come. (Rom 1:16-17, Isa 55:10-11).
- Pray for growth. For myself, those on the trip, for our church (FBC Willow Park), and for THE church (Christ’s body).
- Pray that we don’t shift from the hope of the gospel (Col 1:23).
Scriptures to reference & pray through
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison – that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Col 4:2-6)
and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.’ (Rom 15:20-21 / Isa 52:15)
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (Col 1:28-29)
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. (Eph 3:7-12)
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