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by Sarah Jun
This past summer, God was so gracious to let me take part in what He is doing in Bolivia. I was in a season of living as a halfway Christian, unable to leave the church because I had grown up in it my whole life, but also not fully able to believe that a life with Jesus was worth giving up all the comfort and fun of the world. I came with a stubborn, skeptical heart, but God met me with gentleness, softening my heart with His love. I was led to remember my first love for God inmiddle school and was overwhelmed by the truth that He is good. This being my first mission trip, I was blown away by the power and presence of God in the nations—from healings and the casting out of demons, to the thickness of the undeniable supernatural joy, faith and love in the Bolivian churches.
Of all the churches that we visited during our time in Bolivia, the church at La Paz will always stand out. I recall the physical memories— the cold, the discomforts of high elevation and the heaviness of my eyelids as the service started at midnight. Yet, what stirs in my heart every time I think about this church is the eagerness with which its members came to worship even at midnight, the way they joyfully prepared a warm meal for our team, the way they gave us blankets to keep us warm. In their humble actions of love, I saw the reflection of Christ. In the old, dimly lit church building, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. I was humbled and challenged by their devotion.
God in His grace, taught and showed me so much more through His church Bolivia than I could serve or give Him. I can now confidently say that there is no better place to be than in trust and obedience to Him. No other thing in this world, whether social acceptance, the praise of man, or achievement, can compare to resting in His power and love. Carrying and sustaining this zeal back home has not been easy by any means, especially in NYC where there are so many distractions and pressures to make your name great and not God’s. But the verse that has been on my heart since the mission trip, Psalm 84:10, has helped me whenever I feel tempted to go back to my life as a halfway Christian. Thinking back to all God revealed about Himself in Bolivia, I finally understand what David meant, when he said he would rather be a lowly doorkeeper in the house of God rather than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
He is always worth it.
Thank you, God!
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