Because of Larry.On my first e3 trip, I met Larry. We met in the Miami airport where we boarded a plane at about 11 p.m. and flew all night to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. From there we drove a short distance to the town of Montero. The next morning after a short rest, we gathered as a team in the restaurant of the hotel. We went around and introduced ourselves. I'll never forget what Larry said., "I have don't know why I'm here. I don't 'do' evangelism." I recall thinking, "boy did you pick the wrong trip."
The whole point of the trip was to start a new church, and to start the church the team would share the gospel in the neighborhood surrounding the home of the church plant. Larry would be sharing the gospel all day for several days. Larry's brother-in-law is a pastor, who also was on the trip. I suspect Larry's arm got a little twisted to come.
We broke into teams of four and went to various neighborhoods or villages to begin the work. I heard that Larry's hands and arms were literally shaking the first time he shared the good news of Christ through his interpreter. Then something amazing happenend--of course, right?
God placed Larry in a recovering addicts men's group in a small town in Bolivia. Larry's heart exploded, and he went from the guy who "didn't do evangelism," to the guy who couldn't stop talking about what the Lord was doing through him; to the guy who left Bolivia with only the clothes on his back because he gave everything he brought away; to the guy who convinced all the men on the trip to give their clothes away as well.
Six months later I returned, unannounced, to Montero. Multiple people came up to me and asked me when Larry was returning.
His impact was huge. It will span generations. And, yet, it was not, and is not, about him at all.
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:10)
Go therefore and make disciples. (Matt. 28:19)
Go, be weak so He can be strong through you.
Go on a short-term mission trip.
2 comments:
Wow what at great story. How unlike any of us to go and give all our stuff away. That story is such a great example of getting out of your own comfort zone and getting into where God wants you. And about being so blown away by something you never could have conceived of. There's no way Larry ever foresaw that experience. How many times do we sell God short by not just doing what He has told us to do. Just be faithful. Just do what God says. Don't worry about what follows. Be an Abraham.
Great post MIke. Keep it up
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