Traveling the Andes Mountains

An excerpt from Traveling the Andes Mountains
Reflections from a Trekker
By Rachel Kerney, Argentina
January–March 2011

To tell the truth, I was not looking forward to the trip with my team into the Andes Mountains in July 2010. I had been involved with each team that my husband, David, took out, helping with lesson planning, preparing visuals, and printing invitations and verses. Now it was time for me to go with my team of Alan, Carina, and Micah. David goes on all of the trips as the driver, leader, and contact person. After a frenzy of preparation at home and with the team, we began the trip into the mountains early one morning. I asked God to help me change my attitude and to help me be open to what He wanted to do in my life on this trip.

On the final day, we were all ready for the activities. We arrived in Villa el Monte and found out that the community leader would let us use the sports complex for our presentation. Our team divided up to invite children to the program. A 7-year-old girl named Magali walked with us through the whole town with her younger sister in tow. She was enthusiastic about the program and wanted to make sure everyone was invited. She pointed out each home where kids lived. She made sure no one was missed. My heart was warmed. We had prayed as a team for someone who would respond to God and seek Him. Was this eager little girl that person?

After that program, it was time to drive home to Salta. It had been a good trip and we were confident that all parts of it, including the delays, had been orchestrated by the Lord. As a team, we had presented God’s Word and had blessed others, and now we were also full and blessed as we returned home. The drive home seemed short as we joked, laughed, and listened to music. Maybe it was also the prospect of a shower, clean clothes, and our own bed that had us excited. One of the songs we listened to on the way back was a ballad about the parable of the sower. That song hit home because we had been intentionally sowing the seed of God’s Word in a hard and thirsty land. I believe God will bring fruit from our labors.

Has God been calling you to serve in a way that you aren’t really looking forward to? Matthew 25:40 (NLT) says, “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Take time today to ask God to change your attitude and ask Him to work through you. God will bring fruit from your labors too.