Tuesday, May 25, 2010

42 airplanes.

I'm sitting in the Salt Lake City airport on my way to visit friends in Portland, Oregon. I take back the disparaging thoughts I've had about Utah because it looks surprisingly beautiful out the window with snowcapped mountains and bright blue skies.

On the flight over here from Chicago, I added up (with the help of pen and paper) the number of airplanes that I've been on in the last 6 months and came up with a grand total of 42 airplanes. Of course, many of those were connecting flights, and I didn't even pay for half of them... But that's a lot of traveling, especially considering that during those 6 months I made 7 trips between the US and Bolivia.

I want to share a video that a friend posted on Facebook a few days ago that got me thinking about all this traveling...



It's been a process, but God's been opening my eyes to how lost and hurting people are here, despite appearances... It's impossible to miss noticing just how much people need God in Bolivia, but somehow I've overlooked it here in America. Or maybe I've just not been sensitive... I encounter so many people in this nomadic life I'm living, and I tend to see right past them without ever noticing them. I travel with an ipod and book, lost in my own world. Such a shame to have wasted so many opportunities to share truth and love with people. But I'm encouraged by this new insight to be bold and to reach out to people, and I'm so thankful that God still continues to shape and mold my heart.

Friday, May 14, 2010

homeward bound.

It's a funny thing when you're willing to go anywhere and do anything that God asks... to love and help the poorest of the poor... to give up comforts and leave behind friends or family... to contract scabies and parasites... to witness death and utter despair... to give all of your time, money, and love away... And instead of taking you to the ends of the earth, God sends you right back home.

Even if it's only for a season, it's a funny thing and doesn't always make sense. But God cares more about us and the condition of our hearts than he does about our location or what we do for him.

So I'm homeward bound for a week... or two... or maybe much more.