Though the days flew by, I certainly cannot deny that I’ve experienced far more than 2 months’ worth of adventures. In this land of tango, soccer, mate, and steak, I’ve seen everything from magnificent waterfalls to a gypsy church service. I even got lost across the river in Uruguay. But in the end, those aren’t the things that really matter. While such adventures might give me a story to tell in this life, they will be forgotten in the next. It’s crazy how much everything changes when viewed through the lens of eternity. Which moments, good or bad, will I be faced with when I stand before the throne of the Almighty God? What does He see when he looks at my 8 weeks in Argentina?
I have a feeling that if I asked God to describe my time here, I would not hear about anything you’d find in my scrapbooks or photo albums. I wouldn’t hear about where I went or who I met or what I did. Because in God’s eyes, these 8 weeks, just like the other 44 this year, were all about love.
To Him, there was no frustrating hour commute which often took longer due to unreliable transportation. Instead, there were precious hours spent in train, bus, or station where I was finally away from so many things that distract me from seeking Him.
To Him, excursions like tango lessons and rose gardens were no big deal. But how did I respond to the blind beggar I passed on the way? Or the little girl selling Valentines? Or the man on Cabildo with no arms or legs but with a money bag around his neck?
To Him, my time at Funda Cor was never useless. Though I might look back and say, “What difference did I actually make? I was only there for two months,” He says, “’And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.’ (Mat 10:42), and my daughter, you offered those children much more.”
To Him, it doesn’t matter that I went twice a week to a contemporary church of 20,000 people. What matters was my search for Him in a house full of individuals seeking life-changing encounters.
To Him, Thursday wasn’t about my goodbye party. The trampoline and bounce house and cake were all just parts of the backdrop. It wasn’t about me abandoning some already abandoned children or leaving the cuidadores that I now know do have feelings, after all. It was about following His path for my life, which once led me here but is now leading me away.
And even more than all of that, God looks at my time in Argentina and sees the work done deep within my heart, a work that’s not nearly finished but will be carried out “on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). A lot of that’s still pretty hard to see right now. But if you wanna see a glimpse, stay tuned…
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| With Camila and Dani |
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| Iguazu Falls |
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