How beautiful are the feet of them that bring good news.
I was a summer missionary during my junior year of college in the Republic of Panama. Actually, I was in the Panama Canal Zone so I didn’t really suffer too much for Jesus. I worked for Panama Youth For Christ. My main job was to spend time with kids while the missionaries were on furlough. The experiences we had were amazing. I was able to catch a cargo ship out in the Pacific Ocean and transit the Panama Canal all the way to the Atlantic. We went deep in the jungles and visited different native tribes with Wycliffe missionaries. One of our favorite things to do was to catch the Panama Canal Railway which ran from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. During the dry season, the train would plow right through the jungle fires. The trains were black with soot. The stewards would run and close the windows so that no smoke could get in the train car.
One of my favorite times was when the Missionaries took us to a town called El Valle. It is a resort town in the bottom of an ancient caldera. The Indians would walk for hours upon hours from the jungle to sell their wares at the hotel. The beautiful valley is famous for the abundant waterfalls and the Arbol Cuadrado, which means square trees. These unique trees have square trunks, not round.
We were able to lead lots of children and youth to the Lord that summer. It was a once in a lifetime experience. As I was thinking what to write in my article this week, I was thinking about Eastern Hills and the unique opportunity God has bestowed upon our church to reach so many people from diverse backgrounds. I thought about the train and how it kept us safe from the fires as they burned up the rainforest each year. God placed us on this hill to be the train that transports our community through the fires of sin to an abundant life with Christ. God has called us to minister to the “round trees” and “square trees.” I know that analogy is a little stretched but I couldn’t help but think about all the plants that grow in the Panamanian Rainforest. Over 10,000 different species of plants and 1,500 different animals from the slow three toed sloths to fast and deadly jaguar all share the same space in harmony.
We have so much going on at Eastern Hills this month. Our Plumb concert Friday night was amazing! What a great opportunity to invite lost friends. Our Youth BBQ this Sunday is another great opportunity to invite friends to our church to meet people and connect with our church. Of course there is the Fall Festival coming up on Sunday, October 28. All these are excellent outreach opportunities. Bring your friends! Introduce them to your friends here at church. Make the opportunity to introduce your church staff to them. Mingle with people you don’t know. All this can lead up to you inviting them to the My Hope Sunday on November 11.
The diversity of the Panamanian Rainforest is spectacularly beautiful. The diversity of our community is also beautiful. We all have friends who do not attend church or has been out of church. We all have Sunday School members in our classes who have disappeared. Let’s all reach out and introduce or reintroduce our friends to our loving Savior.
(Ask me about the time I almost ran over a 3 toed sloth while driving through the jungle.)
Brother Greg
