The Road Less Taken

I have heard it said that, "Home is where your heart is." If this is true, my home is scattered throughout the villages of San Marcos, Guatemala, and with all who have served on short term mission teams there with us.

I guess one might say that my heart is torn or broken, torn between family, friends, loved ones, and being obedient to our Lord's calling on my life. But a torn heart is not a bad thing, much the opposite I suppose. May we always allow God to tear or break our hearts over the conditions people must live as well as the condition of the soul.

The prophet Isaiah said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." May we be found faithful.

Those of us who have this addiction of pressing and pulling on iron know well the process of growing larger muscles. Lifting weights tears the muscle thus causing growth, and so goes the heart. A heart that is torn perhaps increases in size.

The When Will We Cry? name came from a song I had written back in the 90's. The SBC, Ethics and Liberty org. published it for their annual "World Hunger" promotion project. It seem only appropriate we use it as the name for our mission organization in 2002.
One team member mentioned, as we were departing the airport, "when will we ever stop crying now that we have come to Guatemala?" I pray never! May we continue to allow our hearts to be torn, and may we carry the scars, etched into our very souls, forever. May our hearts never become so calloused that we refuse to "cry" for those who are perishing into the darkness.

Robert Frost wrote, in his 1920 poem, Road Less Traveled, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." The trips we take, the paths, the villages and the precious people where we serve are part of the "Road" Less Traveled."


Last week, in the small villages of La Mountanita and Piedra Partida, 21 Americans working with some 30 Guatemalan volunteers, laughed and cried, sang songs and fellowshipped together. Life for them, as for us will never be the same, I pray.

Someone asked me once, What is it you leave in Guatemala when you are gone? Besides the physical improvements, what is left behind is hope, faith and love. Teeth will find decay once again, as sickness and death are inevitable, but the love and faith that was given will forever remain in the hearts of the people.


Kim Dillard said, "I have waited 15 years to get to come on a mission trip, this is a dream come true for me." By Kim's dream being fulfilled she and the other team members gave more than a dream to the hearts of the children there. They became friends.

That Christ would make his home in your hearts through faith; that you, having been rooted and grounded in love, will be able to understand, along with all the saints, what is wide, long, high, and deep, that is, you will know the love of Christ, which goes far beyond knowledge, and will be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph. 3:17 - 19

We had a really wonderful week. Thanks again for your prayers.

All for our Lord's glory,

Lewis