Bush-Bush Ministry

If I were to try to measure the success of our trip by human standards, the number of times we showed the Jesus film, the number saved, the number healed, then our trip could be labeled a disappointment.

Yes, we showed the Jesus film. Yes, we saw many people raise their hands to believe in Jesus. And yes, we prayed for many people to be healed. But to be honest, we do not speak any of the four languages we encountered on our journey and so we do not really know if the people genuinely believe in Jesus or were really healed. I think many of the people lined up for prayer because they wanted to be near the first white person they have seen.

This trip emphasized the core message of Iris ministries, “stopping for the one”, the one in front of you. It’s really the story of the Good Samaritan. For example, one day we drove seven hours through the mountains on dirt roads to get to one village. We arrived after dark into the area and could not find the church or the pastor and had to set up camp in a random spot. Because of our schedule we could not stay the next day and had to return home only briefly stopping at the church to tell them we were sorry we missed them. But while at the church Allison noticed a little girl whose scalp had a bad infection that was oozing with flies. She bandaged the little girls head and gave the mother ointment to treat the infection. This little child was the “one”. The little girl was the person in front of Allison. And for all we know, this mother might have been crying out to God for her little girl to be healed and God sent us on a crazy adventure through the mountains to reach this child. Does God love this woman and her little child so much to send our group on such a journey? Yes. Are we willing to lay down our own plans and agenda and “stop for the one” is the question I must continue to ask myself.

Lord, may I continue to be open to Your plan.