Sometimes. And That Time

Sometimes the words flow easily. Sometimes it's a matter of getting them out of my brain and onto a screen before i lose them. Sometimes, even 140 characters for a tweet is asking too much, never mind a few hundred words for these pages.

And who knows why. Sometimes i read the Bible and find what Edwards might have called 'a pleasing symmetry' between the Word and my heart, sometimes i'm just dull, dull dull.

Sometimes singing in church is a labour (because of my heart, you understand), but this Sunday it was a joy, so that's something. Such fluctuations in our hearts, our minds, our lives. Such coolness where warmth is appropriate, such out of place warmth for things that don't much matter. How can my smartphone be more interesting than Jesus? And yet so often it is.

On Saturday morning, i'm headed to Ecuador. Me and Rachel, three other adults and nine teenagers will board and early flight from Norfolk, Va, to Miami, and then to Quito. A night or two in Quito and then a bus ride over the Andes. We're going to the town of Missualli (probably not how you spell that!) to lead a Bible school, and then working our way back through Shell Mera and Banos, before flying home on Sunday week.

I've never been to South America before, and being the most south westerly Wycombe Wanderers fan appeals to me quite a lot. I'm looking forward to seeing how our nine teenagers (and me!) cope with a totally different environment, and what we'll learn from people in Ecuador.

But, as you might have guessed, one of the highlights of the trip will be the visit to Shell Mera. If the church were the right way up, people would drive for days to visit this place, not Elevation, although of course, if the church was the right way up, they wouldn't, but for different reasons! I can still remember the affect that hearing the story of Nate, Jim, Roger, Ed and Pete had on my in the final year at uni. It still does to this day. To stand in the very room, at the very radio, where their fate unfolded promises to be an overwhelming experience. It certainly should be. It will be a massive privilege to follow, even in the smallest ways, in the legacy of those men. Rachel and I have been watching these short Youtube episodes as we prepare, if you'r interested in finding out more, i can't recommend them highly enough.

So pray for us, and i'll see you on the other side.