first missionary journey of 2020
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth . . . The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand" (Psalm 121).
I snapped the above photo from an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway back in December, a truly gorgeous day in Western North Carolina. That is the entire Black Mountain Crest, from Celo Knob on the right behind the branches to Blackstock Knob, all the way on the left. Mount Mitchell, the highest peak East of the Mississippi River and 9 other Southern Sixers grace that ridge, and one of the most rugged trails in all of the United States follows the crest. Several years ago, I remember getting dropped off just to the left of where that photo ends and walking all the way to the far right of the photo in a single day, a true Southern Sixers slog of more than 20 miles. As I reminisce even now, I am reminded of Psalm 121. When we look to the hills or walk amongst them, may we remember that our help doesn't come from what this earth has to offer, but from Him who made the mountains, Him who made the heavens and the earth. To those who trust Him, He will be as a shade upon the right hand, our Keeper.
With this in mind, please pray for me as I leave the country in a few days. My first missionary journey of 2020 will be a solo jaunt down to Bogotá, Colombia in another range of mountains to join up with Eric & Mindy Trent and to help them finish this secondary Israeli backpacker season strong. All of us will be returning to the States, Lord willing, on February 3rd. Please pray for traveling mercies, for divine provision, for open doors with both Jew & Gentile, and for guidance as we explore mountainous locales outside Bogotá for future work along South America's . . . what the Israelis call . . . The Hummus Trail.
Praise God for a direct flight from Washington that will be shorter than a flight from the East Coast to the West Coast and for a dear brother and his family not far from the airport who are providing a safe place to park my rig for three weeks.
The last time I was in Colombia was 2017, a stopover with Team Yeshua enroute to Peru. We overnighted in Bogotá, found time to climb to the summit of a 10,000 ft. peak, and distributed not a few Gospel tracts on the streets. Back in 2013, I actually drove to Colombia from Quito, Ecuador in a rented car. We walked across the border and hitchhiked to a famous Catholic shrine tucked in a forested canyon where we stood outside and preached the Gospel of the Jesus Christ of the Bible. Many Gospel tracts went out that day as well. Needless to say, I am looking forward to a return and a stay, this time, of more than a few hours.
Summit of Monserrate overlooking Bogotá (2017)
We preached outside this famous Catholic shrine in Southern Colombia in 2013.
Again, your prayers are appreciated. Pray specifically for more of this, what Eric messaged to me just last night:
So, as Mindy and I we’re shopping for some leather bracelets today, an older couple approached speaking Spanish and inquiring about Michael's age. They looked like tourists, so I asked if they spoke English, and they did. I asked where they were from and they said ISRAEL! Totally unexpected! We had a great conversation with them and got two Hebrew Gospel tracts and a dinner invitation into their hands. Praise the Lord! They must’ve been in there 50s or 60s and are here for a few more days. They said they would come over if there was time. We'll see.
Interestingly, there is a State of Israel Avenue in Bogotá. Recently, Eric visited a synagogue down there and shared with a few of the guards.
Before I sign off, and in the spirit of your prayers for this upcoming journey, allow me to encourage and exhort you a bit with something I have been lately pondering:
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us" (Acts 16:9).
This vision was a CALL from God, and that Macedonian Call was NOT to build churches, establish orphanages, dig wells, raise awareness about sex trafficking, facilitate illegal immigration, learn language and culture, virtue signal, or to promote tolerance. That call was "to preach the gospel unto them" (Acts 16:10). Let that sink down into our hearts.
"Come over and HELP us" (16:9) = "PREACH the Gospel unto them" (16:10).
The Gospel is the help of all helps, and when it is preached, hearts will change. And when hearts change, New Testament churches are, by default, established (cf. Acts 16:5,15) and folks are delivered (Acts 16:18).
If the preaching of the Gospel is not the means and the end of all missionary journeys, including my upcoming trip to Colombia, the rest is vanity (Psalm 39:5).
It's also interesting to note that when Paul and his companions were given the vision, "IMMEDIATELY we endeavored to go into Macedonia" (Acts 16:10). There was no "deputation" (I overheard someone ask a missionary once if he was on "deputation." He replied, "depu-WHAT?" LOL), fundraising, letters that read "We need to raise $7000/month before we can go to the field," or a pie graph of needs sent to local churches with big pieces for "retirement and health insurance," "head office," or "comfortable housing." They immediately went to where they were called, and the LORD met the needs through His people (Acts 16:5).
When God called Jamie and me to go on our first missionary journey back in 2003, we left the seminary in a rented moving van with no vehicle to our name, no income, and a certain uncertainty about where to even begin. Upon arrival at the destination where the small amount of stuff we possessed would be stored, we were escorted to the local Toyota dealership and told to pick out one of the brand new Tacomas. To this day, I don't know where the money came from. Once we "endeavored to go," then the pressing need was met. Some years later (2009), I wrecked my truck and destroyed my bicycle while pulling out of the driveway on the way to begin another missionary journey for which there would likewise be no "deputation." I had already bade farewell to my wife and two small children who weren't at home at the time, so I called my mom. She drove out and looked at the damage, asking: "Is it drivable?" I affirmed so, and she responded, "I think you need not delay. Go, and the Lord will fix this" (How many can say they have moms like this?) I hit the road and drove a thousand miles in the rain over the next 24 hours. I had to cover all the tracts and Bibles with thick plastic to keep the water out. Within a week, the truck was fixed (one thing I had forgotten on my to-do list before leaving town was cancel the collision on that truck, praise God), a mere $60 fixed the smashed trailer (which, to this day, does not leak a drop), and I had a brand new bicycle that didn't cost me a dime. That bicycle got me to the end of the Dalton Highway at the tip-top of Alaska before I gave it to a Chinese girl in Wasilla who needed something to go back and forth to school and work. And interestingly, when I pulled back into that same driveway eight months later with my pregnant wife and two small children, I looked at the checkbook and noticed that the balance was roughly the same as it had been the day I pulled out with a wrecked truck. I guess in these things we could have stopped to do some "deputizing," but boy, we would have missed big blessings that continue to make occasion for praising the One who calls. God never guides where He does not provide, so when called, immediately endeavor to go, and go to preach the Gospel!
To this day, we don't know where the money for this Tacoma came from. I do miss that companion of many, many miles. Long may you run, my friend.
Pulling out of my driveway after my mom said "Go!" All the damage was on the other side. Seems like yesterday. That Tundra was a trusty friend too.
May the LORD prosper you and yours in 2020 as you endeavor to serve Him and help others through the preaching of the Gospel. Maranatha!
Jesse Boyd
FPGM / Zerayim