Somewhere between villages. | 1999 | Bangladesh

Boy from the neighborhoods of El Pozón. | 2012 | Cartagena, Colombia

Located at the place where South America meets Central America, Colombia is a country steeped in history. Many of the names on the Colombian map are essentially the fingerprints of the European explorers who shaped the story of this nation. Colombia itself is named after Christopher Columbus, although the first European to actually set foot on Colombian soil was Alonso de Ojeda, a companion of the famed explorer. Sadly, in recent years, Colombia has become better known for its civil conflict and drug-related violence than for its rich history and the more recent Juan Valdéz, the iconic face of Colombian coffee. However, the country is taking intentional measures to provide greater security in order to encourage tourism. One ad that I saw said, “Colombia — the only risk is wanting to stay.” I like that kind of positive message and hope that the good people of Colombia can successfully wrestle their country back from the drug cartels that have ruined so many lives.

Colombia is a beautiful country and so are its people. I spent a good amount of my time in Colombia among the poor and those who are working hard to give the children of the poor a good education. CDA, the organization that I visited, is doing an amazing job of educating children, providing vocational training, and making micro-loans available to the poor so that they can generate income to support and sustain their families. Yesterday afternoon I met Marta, a woman who received a small loan from CDA three years ago. She used the funds to open a neighborhood store. Her business has grown significantly and she and her husband are now able to better provide for their young children. Marta told me that while she is grateful for the loan from CDA, she is especially thankful to the Lord for guiding her enterprise. Her story has also inspired others who have applied for micro-loans from CDA.

I am returning home refreshed, encouraged, and inspired. Once again, God has reminded me of the resiliency and resourcefulness of the poor. I met some really smart kids who have managed to excel in school despite having few resources and who study  in homes with dirt floors and no electricity. I met parents, grandparents, and single moms who are committed to doing whatever it takes to keep their kids in school and in church. They know all too well the dangers that can distract and destroy their kids. I also listened to the dreams of kids who are driven by sheer determination to succeed. They understand that the journey toward the realization of their dreams may take a little longer but that they can get there. It’s kids like these and the parents who believe in them that can change the face and future of Colombia — a beautiful country.

El Pozón is one of the ramshackle neighborhoods located near the Corporación Dios es Amor or CDA school in Cartagena. The area is inhabited by squatters who have managed to construct houses out of assorted junk. The name of the area is derived from the word for “hole” and is aptly named because, when it rains, this area is subject to severe flooding. And when the water rises, the misery increases exponentially in El Pozón. The poor here have nowhere to go and must simply endure the misery and mosquitos until the waters recede. After the rains, the people work to repair the damage to their homes and then go on with their lives. That’s the way things are in El Pozón.

This afternoon, our team visited in the homes of the poor who live in El Pozón. This is one of my favorite things to do because I get to meet people and listen to their stories — the kind of stories that give me insight into how they live and what their hopes and aspirations are. I met some wonderful people this afternoon, but one of the most inspiring was a young girl named Lianis Ruiz. Lianis and her mother Margo live in a two-room shack with a dirt floor. Her mom is single and earns money by working as a maid. Margo could not say enough good things about the CDA school and what it has meant to Lianis and her younger sister who is in the ninth-grade. Lianis has attended the CDA school for the past seven years and just graduated.

I asked Lianis what she was going to do next. Without missing a beat she replied, “Yo quiero ser un médico” or “I want to be a doctor.” The look on her face told me that she was absolutely serious. This is her dream and she has every intention of pursuing it. I turned to the school official who was with us and asked what it would take for Lianis to pursue her dream. She told me that Lianis is an excellent student and hopes to enroll in the medical program at the local university in a few months. The family is raising funds that will be matched by CDA so that Lianis can continue her education. The cost of her tuition for one semester of college is the equivalent of $350 dollars — an enormous amount of money for this single-parent family. But, mother and daughter are committed to working hard to make it happen.

I encouraged Lianis to not give up on her dream and assured her that God will make a way. She smiled and agreed. I later whispered to Pastor Jorge’s son to keep me informed on what happens with Lianis. I appreciate that this sweet young lady and her Mom will have some skin in the game that will give them a sense of purpose and ownership. They do not expect a hand-out nor did they ask for one. However, if necessary, we will give Lianis a hand-up to help keep her dream alive. I am absolutely inspired by students like Lianis who work hard under difficult and oppressive living conditions. And I believe that one day she will walk across the stage to receive her medical degree and become the doctor from El Pozón. Lianis and her family have nothing of worth by this world’s standards, but they are rich nevertheless because they share a dream of a better life and are trusting in God to make their dream a reality.

My Colombian-born friend Jorge Cardenas is no stranger to the Kingsland staff. Jorge is the pastor of Iglesia Sobre la Roca, located just down the street from Kingsland. Over the past several years we have formed a special bond with Pastor Jorge and his church family. And, for the past several years he has repeatedly asked me to join him on a trip to his native country to see how our churches can partner in the education of the poorest children. Finally, I am in Colombia with Jorge and delighted to have him show me the good work that is taking place here — work that is making a difference by empowering children and transforming families.

We arrived yesterday in Cartagena de Indias, a city founded in 1533 by Pedro de Heredia, a Spanish conquistador. Located on the Caribbean coast, this city became the main Spanish port as well as the major gateway to South America. Today, visitors to the city are greeted by Las Murallas, a centuries-old 13-kilometer stretch of thick walls built to protect the city from its enemies. The Ciudad Antigua, or Cartagena’s old town, is located within Las Murallas and is a Unesco World Heritage site. The Ciudad Antigua is characterized by narrow cobbled streets, quaint balconies, and massive churches that cast their shadows across colonial plazas. It’s a beautiful place that stirs your imagination.

This morning we traveled a 120-kilometer stretch of the Via al Mar between Cartagena and Barranquilla. This well-maintained highway follows the coast between these two cities. Baranquilla, founded in 1629, is an industrial port and Colombia’s fourth largest city. I love what the Lonely Planet travel guide says about Barranquilla: “There are few tourist attractions and little reason to visit…” Those are the kind of places that appeal to me. And, I am even more interested in this city after our visit to the school operated by CDA — Corporación Dios es Amor — a Christian organization founded by a New Zealand missionary. They are providing the children of the poorest of the poor with the opportunity to get an education and to develop a Christian worldview. Jorge’s son, a former Houston ISD school principal, returned to Colombia and joined the CDA staff.

This morning we visited the families of three of the children enrolled in the school. I am very acquainted with poverty and therefore was not surprised by the horrible living conditions around the school in Barranquilla. But, what makes things different here is the hope that these parents have for their kids. I met one grandmother who is caring for her only granddaughter. Her home was the worst of those we visited. “It’s staying up by the grace of God,” she told us. And she was right! It’s only a matter of time before her tiny hovel crashes in around her. This grandmother started a little business selling chips and candy in order to pay the modest monthly tuition for her granddaughter who is an excellent student. Before we left I took their picture in front of a sheet metal door in their home painted with the words “Jehová es mi pastor; nada me faltará” — “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” This woman knows the meaning of those words. She trusts God daily to help her keep her granddaughter in school.

Our time at the school, in the surrounding slum neighborhoods, and with the faculty touched my heart. The teachers earn the equivalent of about $300 dollars per month to teach children in concrete block rooms with no fans or air-conditioning. They do it because they love God and they love the kids under their care. These kids will have a possibility of a better future because of the vision of a man from New Zealand (now deceased) and those who continue to carry out his legacy of caring for the poor with dignity and love. As we drove back to Cartagena this afternoon, all I could do was to think about and pray for the teachers and kids I met. I am seeking God about how our missions ministry can be an answer to their prayers.

Over the past few months I have had conversations with several people who are wrestling with whether God is calling them to some type of full-time vocational ministry. These conversations have centered around what characterizes a call to ministry. I have offered the same feedback and advice to each of these individuals, some of whom are college students, who are earnestly seeking God’s leadership concerning the future. While in transit in Miami today, I received an email from yet another individual who wants to chat about God’s call and where God might be leading him to serve.

The Scriptures are the best source for understanding the nature of God’s call to ministry. From the call of Abraham in the book of Genesis to the call of the disciples and the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, a call from God is a call to go beyond — to be willing to leave behind everything that is familiar and comfortable in order to serve His purposes wherever He may lead.

When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John He said, “Follow Me” (Matt. 4:19). The word “follow” implies movement away from something or someplace. To follow means to move behind someone in the same direction. In the case of these fishermen, to follow Jesus meant leaving what was most familiar to them in order to venture toward new horizons. Jesus knew that in order for these men to reach their highest potential in life and to make their greatest contributions to the kingdom of God they would have to leave the context of the Sea of Galilee.

Being willing to leave the context of familiar places is imperative to anyone who answers a divine call. We must have the attitude expressed by the words of the old hymn, “Wherever He leads I’ll go … I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so, wherever He leads I’ll go.” I have had to remind myself more than once through the years that the words of that hymn are not “Wherever I’m comfortable I’ll stay.” As A.W. Tozer once said, the kingdom of God does not advance at our convenience but at our inconvenience. He was right. Yet, in some cases the call to go beyond is indeed a call to stay where you are — but to live in a radically new way for the kingdom of God.

The Gospel of Mark records the account of Jesus healing a demon-possessed man. This man was so grateful for what Jesus had done for him that he asked to follow Jesus. He was willing to go beyond. However, in this case, Jesus told the man, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mk. 5:19). Before being told to stay at home this man had expressed a willingness to go — to follow Jesus. It was only after he had expressed his willingness to go that Jesus instructed him to stay and then charged him with a new responsibility — to tell others “how much Jesus had done for him” (Mk. 5:12). This man left the choice with Jesus. We must do the same.

Regardless of whether you are wrestling with a call to vocational ministry, each of us must be willing to follow Jesus, to go beyond. The last command of Christ was a command to go and tell — a command that each of us must obey. For some, this means actually leaving home to go to another city or another nation. One of my mentors often reminded me that we are called to follow and commanded to go but never assured that we will return — and that’s ok. Over the past thirty-three years that I have served in full-time ministry, the places where I have felt most at home are the places where He has led me. And, I have learned to not hold on to places or things too tightly so that I can continue to go where He leads. There is no better place to be.

As I look back over the years, I am grateful for how God has faithfully led me to places where I had to depend on Him and where He allowed me to serve His purposes in new and exciting ways. Living adventurously for God is all about allowing Him to place us in new and unfamiliar contexts or to give us new assignments in our present context — to put us in a position where we have to depend on Him, where He can use us to advance His interests, and where we can bring greater glory to Him. I can honestly say that I have no regrets about answering His call and following Him. I believe that life’s greatest adventures are reserved for those who have the courage to heed God’s call and to go beyond.

Kingsland's Rough Riders in Nicaragua.

A few days ago our missions ministry sent our own rough riders to serve in Nicaragua. Doyle Lowrey, our Executive Pastor, serves as our missions ministry’s point man for our partnership in Nicaragua. He was more than excited to accept the challenge of mobilizing a team to work with Eric Loftsgard, our partner in Nicaragua, to take the Jesus Film to some of the remotest parts of the country. Our team is traveling light on dual-sport motorcycles. They have already encountered lots of obstacles and challenges, including tough terrain and flat tires. But, the people of the remote villages they are visiting have welcomed them with open arms. Our own rough riders are playing a key role by serving God’s purposes in some tough places. Please keep Doyle and our team in your prayers as they continue their off-road journey this week to take the gospel to those who live off the beaten path.

Just another form of public transportation. | 2012 | Agra, India

I am always curious about why a man or a woman will forsake any prospects of comfort and a normal life in order to do something hard. When Navin and his wife became aware of the plight of the railway kids, they prayed and fasted as they sought God’s direction about what to do. Ignoring the problem was not an option. They felt they needed to act in order to make a difference in the lives of these kids. And, they did not allow the magnitude of the need to discourage them. They understood that they could not do everything but that they could do something. So, they decided to start by opening their own home to these kids who lived like animals, sniffed glue and paint thinner, ate from garbage bins, and picked pockets in order to survive.

The first year was the toughest. Navin said, “The kids would not sleep and constantly fought with one another.” But Navin and his wife continued to patiently love and work with these kids. I had an opportunity to meet several of the boys and a couple of the girls. They were polite and courteous and calm. Today, these kids attend a Christian school and have a hope for a brighter future. Since starting their work in 2006, Navin told me that they have been able to reunite three kids with their families. And at a recent church service, one of the boys asked for prayer for his mom and dad because he did not know where they were. Like others Navin and his wife have helped, this young boy became separated from his parents amid the hundreds of thousands of passengers that pass through the railway station every day. Perhaps one day he too will be reunited with his family. In the meantime, he has a safe place to live and will get a good education because one man and is wife could not ignore the plight of children like him.

My friend Don told me that although he has many needs, Navin never asks for anything. Instead he prays and trusts God daily to make provision for their rent, food, clothing, medicines, school tuition, and other needs. Navin and his wife can testify to God’s faithfulness in giving them their daily bread. After leaving Navin’s home, God impressed upon me to do something to help. So, on behalf of the people of Kingsland, I was able to purchase mattresses and a water heater for the kids. We had everything delivered the following day. Navin was overjoyed and filled with gratitude. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to meet Navin and look forward to seeing him again when I return to Kolkata. He and his wife are officially on my list of unsung heroes. They are making a difference.