This week, I have been repeatedly thankful for the opportunity I have had to be in Ecuador. I grew up in Ecuador, spending 15 years of my life here. It is cool to be back in the Andes mountains; cool to visit familiar places. It was also neat to eat part of a guinea pig with my sister. The main reason I am here, though, is to celebrate my parents. They have lived in Ecuador for thirty years, faithfully serving God. Thirty years! (What follows is approximately what I said in Spanish to several hundred people at my parent’s goodbye party.)
As you may know, my parents have decided to move to Missouri, USA in further obedience to God. It is perhaps appropriate at this juncture in their life to look back and reflect on how their lives have affected me. It is probably impossible to enumerate the ways my parents have impacted my life. The most important thing they have done for me is teach me about Jesus. I have been blessed with two great, godly people as my parents. Thank you, God! At this point, though, I want to point out three clear lessons that I have learned from my parents.

The first thing I have learned is this: Trust God. In the thirty years my parents have spent in Ecuador, and especially in the fifteen years I was there with them, I have seen many instances of life being difficult. I have seen horrible things happen to them, to our family, and to their ministry. And yet my parents have exemplified a positive attitude through it all. And, more importantly, they have trusted in God. They have made a point of serving God for the sake of serving God. Their lives have not been about them or us, their children, or worldly successes. Their lives have been — and still are — dedicated to the story of God.

Psalm 37:3 — Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

The second thing I have learned from my parents is this: obey God no matter what. It would have been easy for my parents to leave Ecuador for any number of reasons during their tenure here. And most people would have supported them in their decision. But they have been committed to obedience to God first and foremost. Their commitment to God is complete. They will obey God. Period. How to obey God is not always easy to discern. And actually obeying Him is certainly not easy to do. But my parents have been committed to obedience.

Acts 5:29 — But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The third thing is this: be joyful. Throughout the good and the bad, throughout the difficult times and the easy, happy times, my parents have been joyful. I am convinced that this joy is not something they can create within themselves. I believe this joy is something they have simply because they are in tune with God. Joy, a facet of the Spirit’s fruit, has bled through them throughout their lives. It seems clear that this joy comes BECAUSE they are dedicated to trusting God and BECAUSE they are committed to obeying Him.

John 15:11 — “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

May we all learn something from these two awesome people. May we be dedicated to trusting God through it all; may we be committed to obeying God no matter what; and may we shine the joy of Jesus through our lives.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your godliness. I love you both.

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This entry was posted by zac on Sunday, October 19th, 2008 at 9:36 pm and is filed under The Un-Category. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.