If Life is Like a River, then Ministry is Like Rafting

Some say that life is like a river. It makes sense. A river bends and winds its way down to a vast ocean, just like life winds its way through the years and ends in a vast eternity, either with God or without him. You never know what lies around the bend. It could be beauty or devastation, waterfalls or still water.

If life is like a river, then ministry is like rafting.  There are times of still waters where you get to enjoy the beautiful scenery as you float by. Routine and quiet days fill the weeks of ministry. Ordinary milestones like anniversaries, weddings., baby dedications, and birthdays are like the beauty on the banks of river where you see carefully planted gardens, towering trees, and flowers blooming. You float peacefully through those days, reveling in their joyful serenity, appreciating the warm sunshine and relatively cloudless days. Sometimes the quiet can lull you into thinking that life is peaceful and all the hard times are behind you.

Then, suddenly, the current speeds up and you know that difficulty lies ahead. At times in our ministry lives, we have had some warning that ministry was going to get difficult again. Perhaps, it was an undercurrent of unhappiness or a conflict that did not quickly resolve. At other times, it took us completely by surprise. As we rounded the bend, we were able to see the white water ahead and know that it would take all of our energy and all of our skill and strength to avoid the rocks and stay upright through the roiling waves. We knew that we might even be injured in the process, but that at least it would be tough and exhausting. We knew, too, that we needed to lead the raft of people in our ministry in such a way that we would not cause permanent damage to anyone on board.

However, in ministry "rafting," we have a Guide who has been down "our" river ahead of us and knows every unseen danger. If we were to try to navigate on our own, we would put ourselves and those with whom we minister at serious risk, but with our Guide we can rest assured that He will help us navigate around the sharp rocks and through the white water. He will even help us over that massive waterfall that looks impassable.

These days our journey in ministry with IPM often feels like river rafting. We have quiet, peaceful days when we are preparing for our next trip. We spend our days studying, writing, corresponding, making phone calls, connecting with churches, and reaching out to those around us. Then the speed picks up as we buy tickets and start making lists of the things we need to take with us. We stop the mail and the garbage pickup. We alert our neighbors to our upcoming absence and send out emails to relatives and friends asking for prayer. And then we take off - into the white water, speeding through the next days and weeks when we touch down in a new place to teach.  Then almost as suddenly as it began, we end our time there and find ourselves back in relative calm.

We would appreciate prayer that God would use us in each phase of our ministry - on those quiet, calm days and on the exciting, rushed ones. More than anything, when we eventually find our way to the end of our river and enter into the ocean of eternity, we want to hear a shout of "Well Done" from the Captain of our souls.

One Week and Counting

One week from today we leave for Cuernavaca, Mexico. We will board the plane in Chattanooga and fly to Atlanta.  From there we will catch a connecting flight to Mexico City.  In Mexico city, our missionary, Sergio Herrera, will meet us.  We will get on a bus and ride the remainder of the way to where they live near Cuernavaca.

Many things have already been accomplished. 

Two cases of Spanish Bibles.

• We purchased Spanish Bibles and a flannelgraph set to take with us.
• We have been preparing lessons.
• A friend in Maine is checking over my Spanish grammar on the things I've finished while I continue to work on more lessons.
• We bought our tickets.
• We have been in communication with the Herreras about the upcoming seminar.
   

In the midst of all this, I have been so glad to have an office again.



It has been great to go to the bookshelf to research the things I need for my lessons.

What is left still to do?  Much.

The regular things of life do not stop just because we have a trip coming up.  Resurrection Sunday is coming.  There are special events this week, including the arrival of family visiting from Minnesota.  We also need to:

• Figure out how to pack the Bibles and other materials we are taking.
• Finish the lessons we are preparing.
• Print off handouts and outlines.
• Talk to our neighbors and ask them to keep an eye on things while we are gone.
• Hire someone to cut the lawn and water the fledgling garden that Charlie planted.
• Gather our personal items and pack them without going overweight with all the things we are taking.
• Get a ride to the airport.
• Somehow do the other things like eat, sleep, exercise, pray, read our Bibles, go to church, and all the other normal things of life.

If we were to write a detailed list, I'm sure it would be very long.  But you get the idea.  We would definitely appreciate prayer as we count down to our departure.