Fried Bananas Bring Perspective

As I was standing in front of a stove in Tarapoto, Peru, burning fried bananas I had a moment.  I went into a little bit of a daze (which is why I think the bananas were crispy brown instead of golden).  I kept thinking, “this is my life now.  This is what I get to do.”  

 Before this year I had no frame of reference of what a city in the jungle was like.  I hear stuff all the time, but that is different. I did not even know how to wrap a global perspective around my life, let alone the life of someone in the jungle. Tarapoto was and is truly foreign to me.

 I had no idea that mangos simply grew on trees wild.  They just fall to the ground and people eat them.

 I had no idea that an entire town of people only drive motorcycles, mopeds or motorcars.  I never could have imagined an entire street filled with just motorcycles, but I have now seen it. I also never could have imagined three people plus a baby on one medium-sized motorcycle.  

 I had no idea that people sit outside their homes everyday to avoid the heat inside; which creates an environment of little block parties with people eating, kids playing, and lots of laughter.

 I had no idea that in the 80’s and 90’s when all the terrorism was going on in Peru, young people were being drawn in to fight against the government with $100.  They were so desperate for quick money that they fought against soldiers twice their age and experience. 

 I had no idea that these same soldiers would commit dramatic atrocities against these young people that were committing atrocities as well.  Taking a life is atrocious, pushing a live person out of a helicopter is beyond my understanding.

 I had no idea that three hours away, in the depth of the jungle, they grow coca for drug production.  It is a never ending battle that Satan is using to methodically destroy lives all over the world; even in little jungle cities like Tarapoto.

 I had no idea the amount of sexual crimes that are committed in the jungle.  The joke with Peruvian men in places like Lima, is that the woman are “caliente.”  It means hot.  But it is always used in reference to their sexuality or supposed promiscuity, not how they look.  Sexual slave trafficking is a problem, as well as simple promiscuity.  There is even more visible homosexuality in the Jungle then I have ever seen in any other time in my life.

 I had no idea that Tarapoto and the surrounding pueblitos (little towns), are one of the MAJOR centers for international witchcraft.  People come from all over the world to that spot, to preform sacred rituals of worship.  I had no idea that stuff like this was done in the same spots that normal tourists love to go, waterfalls.

 Do you see what I mean when I write “foreign to me”?

 How could I even relate to this culture?  My life has been so different.  My perspective on terrorism, drugs, sexuality, crimes against humanity, witchcraft, religion; it was all different.

 However, as I began walking and talking with the Christians I knew in Tarapoto, to try and understand things, I could FEEL something different about them.  I could FEEL their love and respect.  I could FEEL their love for Jesus.  I could FEEL their love for service.  They were passionate, and they were not perfect.  These people were impacted, and were making an impact.  They were doing it with limited resources, and in areas that are impoverished in ways that most Americans could not understand without seeing it.

 Why?

 I got to fry bananas in the home of a couple, Pastor Jaime and Mama Telma, that have been instrumental in planting 140+ churches throughout the jungle, (and they are still planting more).  When I say instrumental, I mean they did it.  They got in buses and went. They got in motorcars and went.  They got in big boats and went.  When the big boats were too big they got in canoes, and went.  They walked, they talked, they cried, they shared, they sang psalms, they gave everything they had, and they did it in the name and in the love of Jesus Christ. 

 The Jungle culture may be foreign to me, but Jesus Christ is something I could understand.

 God is using Papa Jaime and Mama Telma to put some holy perspective and shame into my life. They are showing me true biblical love.  They are teaching me what true biblical apostleship looks like.  They are teaching me something that I completely overlooked: true discipleship.  As they love, preach, teach, talk and walk, they do it always in the perspective of discipleship.  Discipleship FLOWS out of them.  

 How?  

 Because their love of Jesus Christ is so true and fervent, that His Love teaches through them.  They look at people in ways that sometimes I feel like I have only read about in the Bible.  They allow people to make mistakes both in life and in ministry, and they love them the same.  They are simple, and wise.  They are hilarious, and they do not try to make jokes.  When they call you “campeoncito” (little champion), because they forgot your name, you feel even more special than if they called you by your name. 

 On the front page of our website we put Matthew 28:18-20.  Part of the verse says “go and make disciples.”  I had no idea what that looked like until I went to make disciples, and got discipled instead.