We ignored these people and continued our trek into the jungle. The next people we encountered were a little more adamant when they said, “You need to turn around and go back.” Then, the next people were even more forceful in their speech and said, “You don’t belong here. Go away!” Irma looked at us and said, “Do you know that I was actually born about three miles farther up this river. Would you like to see where I was raised as a little girl?”

I had experienced wars, violence and countless dangerous situations in my travels over the years. However, I had my son, Benjamin, with me and he was only 18 at that time and had never been in a situation like what we were up against. I looked at him and asked, “What do you want to do?” He said, “Well, let’s go Dad.” I said, “Okay, here are the rules. You will stay behind me. If we run into anybody, you are not to say a word, you are not to make eye contact and you are not to move. Do you understand that?” He said, “Yes, Dad.”

So here we are wearing shorts, boots and great big backpacks loaded with all our gear. We were climbing alongside boulders in this jungle river. I was really starting to concentrate on not banging my knees on the rocks and not falling down in this river. Quite honestly, I stopped paying attention to what was happening around us. We were walking for hours and it became monotonous. Suddenly, right in front of us two men stepped out of the jungle into our path. It scared our missionary friend so desperately that she jumped.

After her initial reaction, Irma began talking to these men saying, “Look, when I was a little girl I was raised on the other side of this river. All of this land used to belong to my grandfather. I bathed in this river until I was 15 years old.” One of the men approached Irma and he put his hands on her shoulder. He looked her right in the eyes and said, “I used to work for your grandfather. It’s okay. You are with family.”

Can you imagine the sigh of relief that we felt when that man acknowledged that everything was okay and we didn’t need to fear? Do you realize that King David gave us the wonderful assurance that God is our stronghold when we are fearful? Read Psalm 27:1-3:

“The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”

Be encouraged today in the knowledge that God is greater than any situation, circumstance or fear that you are facing today. Cry out to the Lord and ask Him for courage to withstand any foe that you might be battling in your life.

I just returned from serving in the jungle and on that trip, I did not return alone! I seemed to have brought a parasite or two back with me. It was obvious because I had to stop about every 45 minutes on my trip from Georgia to Virginia because the parasites were still quite awake and active!

I just laugh off situations that are mere inconveniences. I take some medicine and in a few days, I am fine. This discomfort reminds me that all around the world there are people who live with parasites as a way of life. Many of us have access to medicines, doctors and numerous medical advances to alleviate our suffering. It is not difficult for us in the United States to travel across the globe to provide medical care that would make a difference in people’s lives by relieving their suffering.

Take some time today to pray for those who suffer and for those who serve on the rivers of the world, attempting to be the hands and feet of Christ for these people.

The greatest thing we can do for someone who is suffering it to remind them of God’s promises. If you know someone who is struggling today, give him or her Psalm 119:49-50:

“Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”

We can have peace in the midst of suffering because we know His promises are true and sure. He will never leave us or forsake us, He is our refuge and strength, His love is unfailing and He will make our joy complete.

When I am put in that type of position where I am out of my element, I simply repeat the verse of Scripture, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of a bunch of office buildings, I am not going to be afraid.” I also try to remember that the Lord is with me during uncomfortable situations. When I enter a new office environment, I just try to remind myself that it is merely a part of the “forest” that I have never been in before.

I get a kick out of traveling up high in office buildings because it is something I don’t do on a regular basis. Instead, I travel along rivers that are low to the ground and surrounded by jungles. Do you know what also helps me when I have to rub shoulders with business executives? I smile and think to myself, “Okay, they have me confined up in their building and it is very apparent that I am not comfortable. But, I can take these executives out to the jungle and I could easily scare them half to death!”

It is simply a matter of perspective. Some of us enjoy paddling along rivers and soaking up the heat and humidity, while others would much rather be skiing down a snow covered mountain in the winter. All of us have experienced times in our lives where we are out of our element and it’s obvious that we’re nervous. If you see someone new in your church, you can bet that person is feeling a bit uncomfortable. Take a moment to go out of your way to make them feel more at home.

Getting lost on a trip or losing our car keys can be stressful events in our lives. To be lost in this world without Christ could lead to an eternity of being lost without the Savior. There is hope, though, as found in Luke 19:10:

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

It occurred to all of us that we were in big trouble. Thank goodness Thomas Webb of Meridian, Miss. was in charge of seeing to it that we had safe water to drink. Thomas is a person who comes prepared with back up systems. He made sure we were okay and Thomas saved the day, otherwise, we would have been in big trouble. During that crisis time, Thomas was right, he was ready and he was able to follow through with the task at hand.

Fellow Christians, on your walk with the Lord today, examine whether you are right, ready and able to follow through and do what you told the Lord you would do. I sure hope you are prepared because He is counting on you and me to get the job done.

The next time you make a promise to do something for the Lord or for others, remember James 5:12:

“Above all, my brothers, do not swear-not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no, or you will be condemned.”

Let us be men and women of our words today and be ready in and out of season in our service to the Lord.

At the end of our trek, do you know what I discovered? I found a magnificent church. About 75 children came pouring out of the forest. They greeted us in the church and we sang, prayed and laughed together. We watched as the sun set over the mountains of Central America and it reminded me that whether we are on top of a mountain or gliding down a river, the Lord is with us. Whether we are in a remote jungle or immersed in the midst of an urban city, there the Lord is also.

Wherever you may be today geographically or emotionally, He is with you. Even if you are by yourself, you are not alone for the Lord is right by your side. The next time you feel that Jesus is a million miles away or you feel engulfed by the heartaches and sorrows of this world, remember David’s cry to God in Psalm 139:7-8:

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

My prayer for you today is that you discover, as David did, no matter how far you travel to the ends of the earth, no matter how deep you go in the depths of the seas and no matter how high you climb the highest mountain, God will be with you every step of the way. In fact, His word tells us that the Lord has gone before us, so take comfort today in knowing there is nothing you can face in this life that your Lord has not already experienced.

The next day, our bush pilot located us and the first team was sent out. Thomas Webb and I waited for the last flight out. Our pilot, David, got us in the plane with all of our equipment and supplies. He then warned us that the plane might be overloaded. As the plane traveled down the runway, the pilot started screaming.

Thomas and I looked at each other and I said, “Well, this is it.” As the plane barely cleared the trees, the pilot finished his scream by saying, “I just love this!” He scared us to death, but it reminded us of something—even if it is frightening, scary or a challenge, we just love serving our Lord around the world.

Whether you are a volunteer with Rivers of the World (ROW) or serving as a missionary with your church, we are all called to share the good news of salvation to everyone—whether it is our next door neighbor, co-worker, someone in another state or in another country.

In Mark 16:15 we read:

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.’”

Today, I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone, set aside your fears, “go into your world,” and tell everyone about the saving grace of God, the immeasurable love of Jesus Christ and the hope of eternity they can have through a personal relationship with our Lord.

The effects of Malaria is a real threat to people in this part of the world, who may experience fever, chills, nausea, muscle pain, and even death. The use of pesticides to control disease-carrying mosquitoes is not a healthy option for these delicate jungle environments. Instead, researchers have found naturally occurring bacterium that is harmless to humans and animals, but kills the mosquito larvae.

The bacteria are actually commercially available, but its cost can be prohibitive for developing countries. A team of researchers at the University of Peru developed an inexpensive way to produce the bacteria by growing it in coconuts.

A small amount of the bacteria is dropped through a hole drilled in a coconut. The hole is then plugged and the bacteria then reproduce inside the coconut. After a few days, the coconuts are opened and poured into a mosquito-infested pond. The mosquito larvae eat the bacteria, which in turn kills the larvae by destroying its stomach lining.

The children in these remote Peruvian villages are being taught this technique of inoculating coconuts in order to reduce the threat of Malaria.

God not only created mankind, the air we breathe, the water we drink and all the animals that roam the face of the earth, He also created this unique bacterium which is reducing the spread of Malaria in remote jungle areas.

Our Lord has also instilled in us the wisdom and knowledge to discover answers to our problems in the environment in which we live. After God created Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion over the earth and instructed them to:

“Subdue it (using all its vast resources in the service of God and man); and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28 Amplified Bible)

Let us go forth today and be good stewards of the earth that God created for humankind to enjoy for a season.