Travel Journal, 131
To say that I was disappointed at rescheduling our medical campaign to Peru would be a wild understatement. Back in February, civil unrest prompted local officials to decide not to grant our request to operate clinics in the jungle near Puerto Maldonado. But God is good. As you read this sentence, I’m actively packing for Peru once again. I’m leaving Thursday, August 3rd.
We’ve had to be flexible and ready. This business is a business of waiting.
We waited for political dust to settle.
Waited for gear to show up in the mail.
Waited on licenses to be renewed.
Waited on schedules to mesh.
Waited on the line at airport security.
We waited on the Lord.
I’m drawn to the verses in the Bible that say, “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
That’s the old King James version. Newer renditions translate wait into trust. Those who wait on God end up renewing strength, flying with eagle’s wings, running hard, not getting tired, and all out thriving. It’s not an impatient wait. We wait in trust, knowing that God will do God things. And God will, indeed, do them. You can bank on that.
I have been involved in this medical campaign for the past few years. Many medical ministries exist throughout the world. Some are capable and able to set up huge clinic sites to reach people in difficult situations. Take an organization such as Samaritan’s Purse for an example. They mobilized thousands of medical professionals as well as garnered millions of dollars of humanitarian aid for the extreme need along the borders of Ukraine. The Salvation Army does the same for hurting people all over the world. Larger organizations have their place.
But what about the village of 80 on some unknown river in a (seemingly) godless jungle? Who reaches them? There’s no Boing 737 loaded to the gills with supplies and Bibles headed their way. Something like that is just not feasible. Even a team of 100 couldn’t make the trek. That’s where we come in. For seven days we go from village to village with a kind of tactical medical team. We keep the team tight. A doctor, a handful of nurses, a team of missionaries and locals, and myself, a paramedic—maybe 15ish people. We load up heaps of gear onto a long boat and travel a couple of hundred miles into the reaches of the Amazon, typically during the rainy season. I say typically because we usually do this campaign in February. But it’s winter there. (Don’t picture snowmen and ice fishing) Rain falls infrequently and the river is low. We face harder challenges this year, but that will just make it taste all the sweeter.
We will treat and minister to hundreds of patients and lost souls next week. These people know nothing of proper medical care. And they know even less, if anything, about our Great Physician, Jesus Christ. We will bring them the Good News of Christ—dead, buried, and risen—treating their souls as well as their bodies.
We’ve waited on the Lord to make this trip happen. And we wait to see what he’ll do in the jungle during the medical campaign next week.
Would you please pray for the medical campaign in Peru, August 7th through the 12th?
Pray for:
Local agency authorization to come through
The health of the team
Safety during the trip
Easy availability of needed supplies
The fragile political climate in Peru
And that many would hear the Gospel and that Christ would save them
anthony forrest
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