You Were Here

Graffiti is not a good thing.  Let me (Bruce) say that from the beginning.  When I was young, the standard line of graffiti, when the person leaving the message had no artistic ability or imagination, was simply to write, "Bruce was here" or "John was here" or whatever.  You get the idea.

One of the great struggles of missionary service that we've come to experience is trying to help people "back home" to feel a part of what you're doing.  There's no way Sarah or I would be here were it not for the incredible network of prayer and physical support that God has established for us.  Everything we do here is an extension of so many people from so many different places.  That's a very cool thought to me.  

John's house, to me, has been the physical embodiment of all this. I didn't graffiti it - but "You Were Here".  Below you will see the finished product of a year's worth of your generosity, prayers, and incredibly hard work on John's part........

John's House

John's wife (far left) and just 2 of the kids are his

The kitchen

The bathroom (back corner) and garden

Obed is a guy in the Bible that we know next to nothing about other than who his parents were and who his son and grandson were.  Obed's mother (Ruth) made what seemed like a simple decision to remain loyal to her mother-in-law rather than head back to her family after her husband died.  She didn't have any clue about any good fortune awaiting her - it was just a simple decision to be faithful.  In reality, the future looked pretty bleak and there is no known "silver lining" on the scene.  Eventually, Ruth meets a relative of her mother-in-law and he becomes her protector, provider, and eventually her husband.  Then the story just goes on in relative silence.  Seemingly "off-stage".  No big dramas.  No major dialogue. Just a couple generations coming and going.  And then.............BOOM!  Obed grows up and has a kid named Jesse.  Jesse grows up and has a kid named David.  And David becomes the greatest king in Israel's history and the descendent of Jesus Himself.

It's a story that makes me think about and appreciate the seemingly small things we do.  Some decisions we make, all we know at the time is that they are good and right - but they may in fact be so much more than we imagine.  What if John and his house and his children were one of the reasons for our being here?  As John grows in his faith and brings up his children to love and honor the Lord - what might happen?

Whether we're given a leading role or are seemingly an "extra" - there's no telling what God is going to do.  We're not called to strive to be "successful" but to be "faithful".  The rest is up to Him.