That was the question posed to me yesterday. The young man asking it is from Colombia. He has been in Peru for two years. I had just preached a message on answering the call of God.
Miguel told me that he has been overwhelmed by the plight of the Peruvian people, especially the poor. He told me that he had seen poverty before; but that poverty did not compare to the destitution he has seen in parts of Lima. I would have to agree. I have stepped across open sewage, running down the middle of the dirt road. I have stepped in all kinds of nastiness, including human waste. (You never get back into your vehicle without first checking your shoes.) The strong smell of dirt and mold in some homes and even in some worship centers is stifling. And I have seen worse: young and old alike combing through mounds of garbage, hoping for something of value they might be able to sell for a few cents.
But Miguel and his wife are discerning people. They know that the physical poverty is nothing compared to the spiritual destitution. Sin is rampant. Souls perish, lost and separated from God. Religion replaces a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Praise God for men and women like Miguel and his wife, who have lifted their eyes and seen the harvest around them. Pray they will find that place God is speaking to them about. Pray their own economic conditions will not interfere or distract them from the calling God has placed upon them. And pray for more laborers for this vast harvest around us.
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