Power Outside the Comfort Zone

With pockets full of stories, ready and anxious to share some truth with the people on the islands, 18 students and six adults got on a boat headed to that powerful place outside the comfort zone. During the preliminary meetings at Base Camp the first day, I realized I had stuck some insecurity and fear in my pockets along with my stories of hope. I didn’t have any confidence in the stories I had to tell, I feared that my lack of language would hinder me from making connections, and I was sure that I was going to fall short as a leader. Fortunately, our Father has His ways of drawing us back to Him. The morning we would depart for the first island, I sat on the edge of paradise with my cup of coffee and the Word. Amidst the voices in my head telling me I wouldn’t make it, I could hear His voice of truth telling me that He is bigger than my fear, bigger than my insecurities and ultimately the blessed controller of all things. Later that afternoon, as we got on the boat, I had a choice to make: I could let those fears be the largest and heaviest items in my backpack, or I could hand it off to our most reliable travel companion and trade it for some courage…
The courage and strength He gives is the kind that kicks in when you least expect it. I had not only survived that first island, but I came away with tremendous confidence. Not confidence in myself, but confidence in His power, and His ability to make His strength perfect in my weakness. This was made obvious once again in a touching moment the last evening at our host family’s house on the second island. Ibu Ilis had a seven year old daughter with a walking disability. From the moment I met Anna, there was a sparkle in her eye that I recognized, tremendous strength she had despite her handicap. The girls in our house had asked our Ibu to tell us the story of her daughter, how this disability came about. After the big farewell party, and after I had had about as much people time as physically possible for an extreme introvert like myself, we realized that we still hadn’t heard the story of her daughter. We decided we had better stay up and talk one last time. Through the story we learned that Anna had had Polio when she was a baby and the handicap was a result of the extreme fever. Despite going to many doctors and former Sea Tribe teams praying for Anna, there was no way to repair the damage done by the illness. I could see the despair in the family’s face, thinking there was no hope, and she would have to live with this permanent imperfection. It was in that moment I remembered why I recognized that sparkle in Anna’s eye. Her strength reminded me of my sister Emily. “Hey, I got a story.” I told them about how when this 6’2” soccer player was a senior in high school, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that attacks your nervous system. I told them how it was really hard for my family, but that we prayed for strength to cope. Through the tears, I explained that there is no cure for MS, and someday Emily may not be able to walk at all, but despite the difficulty she chooses to glorify God in her illness. She is always looking for opportunities to share God’s love and her testimony of how he is still using her. Finally, I said, “I told you this story because your daughter Anna reminds me of Emily. I am so impressed by her strength.” In that moment when I thought I had nothing left, God was able to use the story of my sister to connect the hearts of strangers-- a true testament to the power that lies outside the comfort zone.

I've got more where this one came from. As time permits, I will try to post more stories. Thank you all for your prayers for me during this life changing adventure. I can't wait to share pictures and video footage with you when I get home.