An Adventure

On our senior class mission trip to Venezuela in 1994, we enjoyed the hospitality of Carlos and Susan Arce.  Their church was thriving with kids’ ministry, visitation outreach, and a healthy building program.  Their middle son, Steven, was going to help a friend on the outskirts of Barquisimeto Saturday, and I offered to help.  The friend was digging an underground cistern to catch drinking water when it was available.  Water and electricity were sporadic, so a cistern and a generator provided backup.  Several other friends showed up for the digging party.  The ground was clay and proved to be hard digging.  There were no rocks at all, but the clay resisted shovel and pick.  We took turns with a pickaxe in the 3-meter square pit, and then shoveled out the loosened dirt.  After a great lunch, we finished the cistern in the afternoon and left for home.  We rode public transportation, but the late afternoon was very busy.  It seemed that everyone wanted to go into town for Saturday night.  After two packed buses came and went, Steven spoke with a driver and made a deal.  The aisle inside was full and the three steps onto the bus were full, so we stood on the first step of the bus door and hung onto the door handles so we wouldn’t fall off.  We rode on the outside of the bus for 20 minutes pulling in close as traffic passed.  Steven laughed and said that we were fortunate.  Because we were on the outside of the bus, we didn’t have to pay to ride.  I would have gladly paid a few coins to be on the inside of the bus than the free ride on the outside of the bus hanging on for dear life!  But for Steven, it was an opportunity to save money and to have an adventure.  Hey, life is an adventure!  We don’t know what is around the next corner.  Paul said in I Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face …”  Someday in eternity, we will look back and understand the events of our lives.  But now, we must trust God and simply “hang onto the bus handles” and go on with life.  Trust God, and you’ll never be sorry that you did.