As with any trip, such as the one we recently took to Belmopan, Belize, there is a natural tendency to ask the wrong question, both leading up to and coming back from the trip. I heard it many times in reference to this trip, “So, what will you be doing?” Or upon our return, “So, what did you do?” And while that is often asked in genuine curiosity and out of a good heart, it indicates something so ingrained in our perspective of the world and of missions that we ask it and don’t think twice about what the question is highlighting within us. You see, at the heart of that question is the belief that whatever is accomplished will define whether the trip is successful or not; that our goal is to provide something of value. Yes, we were able to do some things that will hopefully provide a lasting, even eternal, impact on the people we had the honor of meeting. But our trip was not defined by what we did, rather, by how it helped to shape the minds and hearts of our own team.
I, for one, came away with a huge appreciation for the simple faith exercised by the Church in Belize. Here in America, we are far too easily distracted. We operate in a constant state of hurriedness. When we do find time to be still and focus on who the Lord is, it is often through the grid of a commercial society that is highly opinionated and rarely wrong. We have much to be grateful for, but, instead of being grateful for those things, we often take them for granted and allow them to get in the way of those things which are truly important. Our houses are palaces, our vehicles are luxurious, and our access to food, gas, healthcare, entertainment, and education is unmatched, but, at the same time, our schedules are full, our wallets are empty, our happiness low, and our anxiety is off the charts.
We went to houses in Belize that didn’t have doors, didn’t have four walls or a floor, and didn’t have air conditioning; homes where those living in them were unsure where their next meal was going to come from, and where family members were sick or dying without the resources to go to the hospital for help. And yet in all those difficulties they trusted in God to provide. They trusted that He was who Scripture said He was; that no matter their circumstances He would still be faithful. They may not have been able to articulate it in that way, but it was a visible reality in their lives. They shared their stories with joy, not pretense, because of this trust. They prayed for us because of this trust. They welcomed us, served us, taught us, and loved us because of this trust. It was a simple faith, but it was beautiful. And whether we did anything of value while there, it is this faith I hope to remember and practice as long as I am on this side of eternity.
~~ Tim Wilson