Pamplona

Yesterday, I had the chance to go back to Pamplona, a poor part of town here in Lima. It's been about six months since the last time I was there. Even though I had been there and worked in this place several times, I guess I kind of forgot just how big the needs are in that area. As we drove up the dirt mountain, both sides of the dirt street are piled high with trash, the smell of human waste is almost unbearable, drunk men stumble aimlessly in the streets, and the kids playing in those same streets are covered in dirt. This town is just 30 minutes from where I live, but what a vast difference from the wealth that I see around me everyday. My heart was kind of broken again for those people. But as we walk into the small church in Pamplona, we are greeted with happy, smiling faces. These people have a slight chance of ever advancing in life, but here they are, smiling and happy. That joy that they have is a result of the work of God in their lives. Victor, who is a Peruvian that plants churches in many areas like this on throughout Lima, started working there back 7 or 8 years ago. It's taken a lot of work and a lot of prayer to start a church in that area, but now, all these years later, the church is growing, and you can see the change in the lives of the members. A 16 year old orphan leads the worship. When she sings, it is plain to see that she loves the Lord with all of her heart. The Lord has just began to work in her life within the last 6 months or so, and she is continually growing spiritually. She is one of 8 young people in the church. 45 minutes before the service is going to start, church members start gathering in the building. After there are 10 or 12 of them, I see them pair off and start praying for the service. No one instructed them to do this. They are just new believers hungry for the Spirit of God. I also had a chance to talk with a woman named, Marisol. She is a mother, her husband is often gone looking for work to make money for his family, so she cares for the children alone. She told me that the Lord had given her a burden for Africa. She has a dream of going to Africa one day to work with the poorest of poor there. She wants to work with orphans, Aids victims, and mothers - teaching them how to care for their malnourished children. This is a woman who has about $10 to her name. Wow! She has nothing! But she wants to use her talents to serve the Lord somewhere else in this world that has more needs and less hope than she has! Until she can make it to Africa, she will be praying for those people. How selfless! She realizes there is need in the world beyond where she is.
I often think, what if every Christian would think like Marisol? That there's a world in need, and we can help! If we could just learn to look beyond ourselves and give till it hurts, that just maybe this world would be turned upside down! I just finished reading this book called Radical, by David Platt. Here is a quote that I really liked: "[Sharing the gospel] is a cause worthy of moving urgently on. We have the gospel of Christ in us, and we do not have time to waste. Some wonder if it is unfair for God to allow so many to have no knowledge of the gospel. But there is no injustice in God. The injustice lies in Christians who possess the gospel and refuse to give their lives to making it known among those who haven't heard. That is unfair."
We have the key to eternal life. Let's share the gospel urgently, regardless of our circumstances. It can't wait.