I'm thankful for friends like Shasta, who know how to encourage me in my faith. Here is a passage she merely pointed to, and laid in front of me while I was on the phone.
"I remember when I was first preparing to go to Sudan, a nation impoverished by years of civil war. The trip was going to cost me around $3000. It wasn't easy to travel into Sudan since they were still at war, and we would have to charter a plane and spend a few extra days to make that happen. I remember one dear lady in the church coming up to me and asking, 'Why don't you just send the three thousand dollars to the people in Sudan? Wouldn't that be a better use of money than your spending a week and a half with them? Think of how far that money could go.'
I wrestled with that question. Was I wasting these funds in order to go when I could simply give the money instead? Should I even be going? I continued wrestling with that question until I got to Sudan. There I had a conversation with Andrew that shed some light on the question.
Andrew was sharing with me about his life in Sudan over the last twenty years. He had known war since he was born, and he described facets of the suffering and persecution his people had been through. He told me about the various groups, most of them secular or government organizations, who had brought supplies to them during that time, and he expressed thanks for the generosity of so many people.
But then he looked at me and asked, 'Even in light of all these things that people have given us, do you want to know how you can tell who a true brother is?'
I leaned forward and asked, 'How?'
He responded, 'A true brother comes to be with you in your time of need.' Then he looked me in the eye and said, 'David, you are a true brother. Thanks for coming to be with us.'"
...my preacher always says, "You can go, or you can send, but you can't do neither".
...and mom, of course I'm scared. You think I'm not, but I still get afraid on trips. Even after all the taking care of me God has done. But i know that His ways are not my ways. And all the scary things my mind can dream up like plane crashes, and sickness, and being stranded. Those all abide inside the Will of God. He knows what He is doing and He can choose to protect me just as easy as He could choose to allow those things to happen.
And I was just complaining the other day how I'm young and single and healthy and I don't know why God has me in the suburbs in TEXAS. But what good is having that liberty if I don't use it?
I think this is a good opportunity. I would be honored to have your support in prayer.
