Cast Your Crowns

We just finished a two week module on Cultural Anthropology with Brian Trainer. Brian Trainer is head of the missions department and teaches various Bible courses at Maranatha. I learned so much about communication, confrontation, and conflict. Here’s an amazing thought: It’s not just right and wrong, it might just be different. There are so many minor and even major differences between the State’s culture and the Peruvian culture. Many times it is easy to say, “Well, we Americans do it the right way, amen.” Many times these American ways can be perceived as being loud, proud, rude, and heartless. In missions, our job is to first understand our birth culture; second, we must understand the culture behind the Scripture texts; and third, we must learn and adopt the culture of the host culture— in my case, Peruvian. Only when we understand all three cultures will we be able to bring God’s Word to the people effectively. I am currently in this learning and adopting stage. I cannot reject my birth culture—I was born American—but I must learn to live and even love this new world’s culture as well. My mission is to become bicultural.

This past week has been a struggle. I was sick almost all week. The Lord provided much time for rest, healthy food, and even medicine. My Peruvian brother Heber is studying to be a doctor—he told me how to cope, what to eat, and what to drink. He also gave me some pills to kill whatever was in me. Being sick and exhausted for almost a whole week is trying on one’s emotions, spirits, and will. Thank you all for praying faithfully. Even though I have only been in Peru a short time, I realize more than ever the importance of praying for missionaries. I greatly admire their steadfastness, and I desire to reap eternal blessings with them. Oh what joy we will experience when we are given our crowns, and then even more to cast them at our Saviors feet. I talked with a veteran mission this past week and he told me some of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual struggles he has experienced. He said, “But it’s all worth it.” Being a servant of Christ is not a sacrifice, it’s a privilege. Serving Christ is the only life worth living—regardless of occupation, sex, or status. Someday we will cast our crowns at our Savior’s feet.

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8

“. . . and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy.”
Revelation 4:10b-11a