Back to the Jungle/Just be faithful

The evening of January 11th I (Jeff) left with 27 other men to go to Costa Rica for about 10 days. We went to Shiroles to work alongside the same missionary and church we worked with last summer. It was a great trip, although a difficult turn around after only being home for 5 short days. We worked in various areas ranging from cabinet making, building walls in a home, digging drainage ditches, footers, and septic tanks, and in medical clinics. While much was accomplished (which we North American men love to see) I believe more work was done in the hearts and minds of the men on the trip and in the lives of those we served and served with in Costa Rica. It is always a privilege to be an eye witness to God's transforming power as he calls people back to himself or to himself for the first time. It is also a privilege to be a small part of reaching out to a people (the Bribri and Cavecar indigenous people of Costa Rica) who have largely been forgotten. God is doing amazing things in this remote corner of the world and it is awesome to see Him work.

As for me I had a profound encounter with God sitting in a remote village in the hills. We had hiked in the day before with food to distribute, had worked with a local doctor in providing a health clinic, and held a short time of sharing the evening before. I sat reading in Ephesians. To be honest I was simply going through the motions as it was our time of daily Bible study. To make matters more interesting it was my turn to facilitate the discussion on the passage following our quiet time. THe passage for the day was Ephesians 1 and I got as far as verse 1 before God stopped me in my tracks. In beginning the letter Paul writes, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus." (NASV) As I thought to myself, I hope I can be described as faithful God spoke deep to my soul the phrase, "You are and that is all I ask of you." As tears flowed from my eyes I was overwhelmed with God's great care for me that he would speak simultaneously words of great encouragement and admonishment. I so often present to God what I have done for him, when I am not convinced he really cares what I do for him, but rather he is calling me to just be faithful.