In honor of Father’s Day, I’d like to share a few lessons I’ve learned over the years from my Dad. I hope they will bless and encourage you as well.
Be Courageous – My Dad is the youngest of seven and the first of his family to leave Ecuador to move to the United States. He was in his twenties at the time and only knew one person here in the states, but that didn’t stop him. He still said, “Yes” to the adventure.
Don’t Forget Your Roots – Over the years, my Dad has stayed very connected to his extended family in Ecuador. He visits them often and is proud of where he came from.
Fight for Worthy Causes – My Dad has dedicated much of his later years to championing the rights of Ecuadorians living abroad. He’s helped get legislation passed in his home country to protect the rights of those who have emigrated from Ecuador.
Keep Dreaming!– My Dad has traveled far and wide. He recently came back from Italy. It was his third time meeting a Pope! He’s still building and doing construction. He’s still active in different civic organizations.
Use all Your Talents – My Dad has been successful in the field of mechanics as well as in real estate and politics. He’s written, he plays instruments by ear, and he’s got a very green thumb. In high school he enjoyed roughing it out in the Andes mountains with his friends as one of the leaders of his school’s mountain climbing club.
Find Time to Laugh – There’s a time to be serious, but then there’s a time to relax and share a joke or humorous story. My Dad has a healthy funny bone and enjoys telling stories. His laughter is pretty infectious, too.
I’m grateful for all these lessons and more! Thanks Dad, Love You!
“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2-3)
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I’m an author, speaker, life coach, Bible school instructor and evangelist who wants to encourage and inspire you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams! I’m also an author for Our Daily Bread. My NEW book God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) is available wherever books are sold.
My books Feisty Faith, By Faith, Crossing Your Jordan River, Waiting on God Well and Abounding Faith are available on Amazon. To learn more about Abounding Faith’s books, coaching, online training, the Abounding Faith for Today podcast, online store, YouTube channel and more, visit AboundingFaith.com. Join my email community today right here. Blessings!
I’m just days away from my short-term missions trip to Honduras. I will be one of almost 2,000 missionaries that will flood the nation of Honduras with God’s love. Although I’m so excited to be going and ministering to the high school students there through testimonies, skits, and prayer times, I still marvel that I am going. As I pack my suitcase this time around, I’m reflecting on how I even started going on these trips and why I go. Blessings!
I must say I am an accidental short-term missionary. At least in my eyes. I never grew up wanting to go on missions trips. I certainly didn’t know any missionaries. Over the years, I did discover that I enjoyed traveling. My goal years ago was to travel to the cities that hosted Olympic Games. And God allowed me to go to the modern Olympic Games stadium in Athens, Greece and the stadiums in Sydney, Australia, Salt Lake City, Utah and Los Angeles, California. Not bad! I am so grateful for all the wonderful places I’ve gotten to travel to over the years.
But God had different plans for me. After years of traveling for vacation and for work and after my amazing time in Israel in 2007, I knew it was time to “give back.” Before I could even ponder where I might go, God introduced me to Tyler Burkett from Extreme International.
Tyler was in town with his wife and a group of teens who were on a missions trip to New York City. I was guiding his team on an outreach through the New York School of Urban Ministry (NYSUM). During our lunch break, the kids mentioned that they had been on a missions trip to Ecuador. I was intrigued. My Dad is from Ecuador so I asked them which part they had gone to, and they proceeded to say the name of my Dad’s hometown! What? Of all the places in the world, these kids had gone on a missions trip to the place where my Dad was born and raised? When Tyler said he went there often and invited me to join them, I didn’t need to see a burning bush in front of me. I KNEW that I would travel with him one day. The next time I saw Tyler, it was two years later. I was in the airport in Ecuador with my teammates from Texas for the missions trip in 2010.
In between meeting Tyler and traveling with his group, Steve and Dianna Butcher from Amazon River Churches came to speak at my church, and they made an open invitation to go build a church in the Amazon jungle in Brazil! I wrote here how tough it was for me to decide to go, but again God had already softened my heart towards missions. I had no previous desire to travel to Brazil, but in 2009 I packed my bags and went on an adventure of a lifetime!
After going to Brazil with Steve and the team in 2009 and Ecuador with Tyler and the team in 2010, I was open to Steve’s invitation to AFRICA, which I wrote about here.
All this talk about traveling can sound kinda glamorous to some, but it’s not always easy to get on a plane, leave all your loved ones behind and go to some foreign country. There are shots to take beforehand (and sometimes gigantic malaria pills to swallow during the trip!), money to raise, vacation time to be used. There’s also lots of prayer and fasting to get ready for the spiritual battles that will take place.
Surprisingly enough, sometimes the toughest battles are fought long before even setting foot on the plane!
So why do I go? Seriously. Why worry about mosquitoes and critters and what the sleeping conditions will be like? Why go to places where I have to brush my teeth with bottled water and avoid certain foods? And WHY go to places where I have to carry toilet paper with me and drown my hands in hand sanitizer??? (Just trying to be real folks! Don’t worry, many times I’m also shocked by how modern some of the cities are!)
Clearly, missions trips should not be confused with your typical vacations!
I go for so many reasons including:
I see God move in miraculous ways! I have seen Him heal team members and keep us out of harm’s way! Yes, that means that team members have gotten sick and been healed while being out on the field. Some have come on trips defying their doctor’s orders, and God has kept them healthy! Other times He has held back the rain for us during the monsoon season, and He has kept us safe in the jungle in Brazil, on the mountaintops in Ecuador and in the slums of Ethiopia. Of course, I see God move in miraculous ways here at home, but there is something so special about how I see Him work when I’m abroad.
Families at the inauguration of the church in Brazil
Kids at a service in Ecuador
School kids in Ethiopia
I meet amazing people! From the sweet kids we get to play with and minister to, to the humble pastors we meet who receive meager salaries and little recognition, to the full-time missionaries we get to come alongside and encourage, there is no shortage of wonderful people to befriend like I wrote about here. Some of the heroes are the missionary kids who adapt to life “out there” and embrace the local kids as if they were their family. Speaking of local kids, in Ecuador there was a little 4-year-old who was the daughter of a local pastor. She came with us during all our home visits and she was such a delight. What a trooper! She climbed up and down the mountainside without any complaints.
My teammates also inspire me. They leave behind family and the comforts of home and sacrifice the little money and vacation time they have. They set aside fears of insects or of long flights, lay down worries about health issues, and just go and love on the people!
My faith g-r-o-w-s! God speaks to me extra clearly when I’m “out there” and I love it! I know that I am in the palm of God’s hand and in the center of His will for my life when I’m out there. And I know that we are covered in prayer. That’s why I can be at peace in the middle of the jungle while we’re painting the church in Brazil or while we’re swerving along the mountainside on winding roads without guardrails in Ecuador. That’s why I can feel God’s presence during an impromptu service in a junkyard in Ethiopia! That’s why I can talk to complete strangers about Jesus and pray for them on the spot!
I am so encouraged to see how the locals love the same God that I do. It reminds me that as Christians we really are one family with the same Heavenly Father! I am so blessed to be able to travel around this beautiful world that God has created! And I am humbled and honored that I can be the hands and feet of Jesus in any small way while I’m there.
Because God says GO! It’s all over the Bible. It’s some of the last words Jesus said to His disciples after He resurrected and before He ascended into heaven. That should be reason enough for all of us to Go! When God opens a door, it’s best to go through it! The peace comes from knowing He goes before us and is with us! That’s His Promise to us!
Some of you may be thinking about and praying about going on a short-term missions trip. I pray that God will confirm things to you and swing the doors wide open for you.
Below are a few verses that are near and dear to my heart especially as I prepare for mission trips. I pray they will bless you as well!
“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.” (Joshua 1:3)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!'” (Isaiah 6:8)
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'” (Matthew 28: 18-20)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
“…Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'” (Romans 10:13-15)
If this encouraged you, please feel free to leave a comment below. If you’ve already been on missions trips, I’d love to hear a bit about your experiences!
I’m an author, speaker, life coach, Bible school instructor and evangelist who wants to encourage and inspire you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams! I’m also an author for Our Daily Bread. My NEW book God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) is available wherever books are sold.
My books Feisty Faith, By Faith, Crossing Your Jordan River, Waiting on God Well and Abounding Faith are available on Amazon. To learn more about Abounding Faith’s books, coaching, online training, the Abounding Faith for Today podcast, online store, YouTube channel and more, visit AboundingFaith.com. Join my email community today right here. Blessings!
As I mentioned in last week’s post, while I was in Ecuador in 2010 I got to take a speedboat ride along the Amazon River with my Dad and some cousins. While we were there, we stopped at a little village where we learned about the local tribes. That’s where I picked out the pretty earring pictured above.
This earring is very special to me, so I don’t wear it often. I did wear it to a birthday celebration with my sister and her family last April. After our lunch, we took some photos outside of the restaurant, and then I drove back home.
When I got home and was unpacking my car, I realized that I was missing one of my earrings. No way! My first thought was, “Oh no, when am I ever going to go back to the Ecuadorian jungle to find a replacement!”
It was dark, so I couldn’t see much but I quickly surveyed the inside of my car. Nothing. The next day I went back and even though it was daylight, I still didn’t see my earring. Not good.
I tried to forget about it, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I would see this earring again. Perhaps it was because at a retreat a few years back, God allowed me to find two of my lost earrings!
So for some reason, every time I entered my car I couldn’t help but just give a glance around in hopes that my earring would turn up. Still nothing. Why was I still feeling like God was saying that I’d get it back?
I mentioned the missing earring to my sister and she asked me to send her a photo of it. (That’s when I snapped the picture above). Two weeks later she was back at the same restaurant and she asked them about their lost and found. Only a sister would do that! Guess what she saw?
My earring was no longer M.I.A.!
So I did hear God correctly. I was reunited with my earring. Just not in the way I expected.
Why am I sharing all of this?
As I think back to that uneasy feeling I had when my earring was misplaced, I’m reminded of the parable Jesus shared about the woman who lost one of her coins. That coin was worth a day’s wages. No wonder she searched high and low for it. It was extremely valuable to her.
But why was Jesus telling this story? Certainly not to show that our possessions or money have any real worth. Far from it.
He was sharing that parable as well as the one about the lost sheep and the lost son to show how much He values even one lost soul!
“And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:9)
Just one soul is priceless to Jesus! What a sweet Savior!
God will go to great lengths to find His lost and wayward children. And sometimes He will use US to help Him with the search and rescue effort.
In just a few short weeks, I will be headed on my fourth short-term missions trip. This time to Honduras.
Why am I going? I don’t have any direct connections to Honduras. I’ve already been on missions trips to this part of the world. I didn’t have any friends on the team. And Honduras is one of the most violent countries in the world! I’ll tell you more about the trip as it gets closer, but for now I can only say that I am going to help seek and encourage even one lost soul.
If you’ve ever lost/misplaced an item and felt the joy of finding it again, perhaps you’ve had just a tiny, tiny taste of how much rejoicing there is in heaven when even one sinner repents and accepts Jesus. (Luke 15:7)
To get to pray with and encourage even one lost soul in Honduras will be an extreme honor for me.
If you are one of those lost souls, I would be honored to hear from you as well.
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Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the FREE Feisty Faith: Trusting God Day by Day 5-Day Sampler PDF as a free gift.
I’m an author, speaker, life coach, Bible school instructor and evangelist who wants to encourage and inspire you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams! I’m also an author for Our Daily Bread. My NEW book God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) is available wherever books are sold.
My books Feisty Faith, By Faith, Crossing Your Jordan River, Waiting on God Well and Abounding Faith are available on Amazon. To learn more about Abounding Faith’s books, coaching, online training, the Abounding Faith for Today podcast, online store, YouTube channel and more, visit AboundingFaith.com. Join my email community today right here. Blessings!
In Honor of Father’s Day, I’m sharing a story about the wonderful time I had with my Dad during my second visit to his native country of Ecuador! I pray you’ll enjoy reading about some of our adventures.
In July 2010, God made a way for me to go on a short-term missions trip to my Dad’s hometown in Ecuador. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would travel to Ecuador as a missionary! It was such a treat as the first week was focused on visiting humble communities in the Andes mountains at the altitudes of 11,000 feet above sea level.
The second week was devoted to visiting my large extended family and sight-seeing with my Dad.
It was during my second week that we traveled to the jungles of Ecuador and got to take a speed boat ride on the Ecuadorian part of the Amazon. It was quite an adventure for my Dad and I. My cousin Byron and his sister and her husband and their daughter joined us on the trip.
That evening when we returned to the town named Misawaji where we were staying, we were celebrating my cousin’s husband’s birthday at a restaurant and we had one rather chunky, white candle for him to blow out. After the celebration, I distinctly remember my cousin Byron asking what he should do with the candle and my Dad telling him that he should hang onto it “just in case” so he put it in his pocket and we all soon called it a night. The next day we drove some four hours to the tourist town of Baños which is known for its thermal springs and beautiful waterfalls.
I had been there briefly in 2003, but this time my family was determined to take me to the waterfall called El Pailón del Diablo or the Devil’s Cauldron. I didn’t like the name, but I like waterfalls so the six of us set off on our journey even though it was already close to dusk. So we’re walking and talking and taking photos and enjoying the smaller waterfalls along the way. I think it had been raining the day before, so we’re slowly descending down slippery, stone steps and also walking under a canopy of trees in the middle of basically a forest. I don’t think any of us knew how far we would have to walk, but despite the fact that it was getting darker and darker we were determined to get a glimpse of this famous waterfall.
By the time we reached our destination, the official walkway to view the waterfall was closed so we had to take an alternate route which to my horror meant that to view the waterfall we would have to step onto a narrow, wooden bridge that I can only describe as the bridge from the “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” movie. Just imagine crossing the bridge pictured below except the bridge I’m referring to was much higher and it was night! (To view other people’s pictures of the actual site, click here).
My cousin and my Dad just about ran over the bridge. I, on the other hand, froze for a moment as it was pitch dark by now and all I could hear was the sound of the rushing water beneath us and all around us. But I had come too far to turn back, so I said a prayer and basically said,”Ok Lord, I trust you. I’m in your hands.” With that I breathed, stepped onto the rickety bridge and was escorted to the middle so I could see the waterfall. I really couldn’t see much because it was so dark but that was just fine as for me the victory was having the courage to just stand on that bridge! Of course, the adventure didn’t stop there.
Now we had to climb back up the path in the dark!
This is where the spiritual applications started coming to me. There we were, the 6 of us stranded in a forest at night with no real plan. And then by the grace of God, my cousin Byron remembered the birthday candle and the matches in his pants pocket! God knew we would need them for this trip! So with Byron in the lead with the candle in hand, we all stayed close so we could see where we were going. Suddenly all these Bible verses started coming to life for me like, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105) Yes, for when I trailed too far behind my cousin Byron, I couldn’t see where I was going. I had to stay near the light! No matter if I couldn’t see anything else around me. I had to focus on the light!
I was also reminded that we are called to be the light of the world! During that journey, I saw the great impact that just one shining light has in a dark place! We didn’t have a big torch or a spotlight with us. For most of that trip, all we had was that one candle and that’s all we needed! God wants us to shine that brightly so that the lost will find their way to the One True Light which is Jesus! (John 8:12)
So while I probably wouldn’t make that trip near dusk ever again, I am so grateful for the truths that God showed me that day. Let’s all remember to let the light of Christ shine through us!
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Did this post encourage you? Get my weekly blog posts emailed to you for free by clicking here or the image below. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to the FREE Feisty Faith: Trusting God Day by Day 5-Day Sampler PDF as a free gift.
I’m an author, speaker, life coach, Bible school instructor and evangelist who wants to encourage and inspire you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams! I’m also an author for Our Daily Bread. My NEW book God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) is available wherever books are sold.
My books Feisty Faith, By Faith, Crossing Your Jordan River, Waiting on God Well and Abounding Faith are available on Amazon. To learn more about Abounding Faith’s books, coaching, online training, the Abounding Faith for Today podcast, online store, YouTube channel and more, visit AboundingFaith.com. Join my email community today right here. Blessings!
