Bible Study

October 2004

Pain, Comfort, and Small Voices
by April Joy Whitmore, Journeyman to Brazil

As I sat down to write up a Bible study about missions and about my time here in Brazil as a journeyman missionary for the IMB, I was tempted to ravage through all the huge miracles and missionary/third world stories I could find in my memory. The more I searched the more I sensed I needed to leave that temptation behind. Not that there aren’t God-sized stories. There are. And not that there aren’t goose-bump raising accounts of God’s glory in this little corner of the world. There are. But too often these stories become the reality of what missions is and yet it’s not what missions is about - not entirely.

1 Kings 19.11-13
“And He (the Word of the Lord) said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke into pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”

Only one chapter before this, the Lord displayed His greatness among the people on Mount Carmel, yet now Elijah is hiding out in a cave. Many huge and powerful acts had occurred in Elijah’s recent memory and yet God’s still voice is what deeply shocked Elijah to the point of him hiding his face in his cloak.

The time God has given me here in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has been exhilarating at times, but more often than not the deepest and most life-changing moments have been lonely and “uphill,” very much like I think Elijah felt in that cave. Many large and loud occurrences happen around me daily yet I have come to realize that God is in the small voice. His most shell-shocking and life-changing moments have been very personal and intimate.

This Journeyman experience, without doubt, has been the most difficult and uncomfortable time of my life. But as this chapter of my life concludes, there is only one thing to say: Valeu Pena. In Portuguese (the official language of Brazil) it means “it was worth it.” Valeu pena not for the obvious perks of living in a different culture, country, or hemisphere, but because this decision to serve with the IMB, put me in a position similar to that of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s check the facts:

Jesus Christ was the first foreign missionary. He left his heavenly home to become what He was not – the Lord of Lords becoming a servant to humanity. He brought a message of salvation (Himself) to a lost and dying world. He learned and spoke a different language. He adjusted to a different culture - surely Heaven functioned differently than the Mediterranean world in the time of Caesar Augustus. And oh the cravings of home cooked meals Jesus must have experienced!

This is a glimpse of missionary life. The mega stories that unfold on the pages of bibliographies of Amy Carmichael and Jim Elliot are amazing; however another side of those stories is so often overlooked: the opportunity to identify the small voice of an enormous and intimate God - a God who would consider us worthy to partake in the life of Jesus. “...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Phil. 3:10-11).

How can we say we want to be like Jesus when we refuse to allow Him to move us out of our comfort zone and into the sharing of His sufferings? When we resist the His calling to the deepening of our faith through obedience, discomfort, and yes, pain, we opt for a superficial relationship with our Creator over a relationship fully realized in all seasons and all situations.

Please don’t get me wrong- I’m not ready to jump up on a cross and stretch out my life like Jesus did. The Lord still has growing and stretching to do with me. What I am saying is that the girl who boarded a plane over a year and a half ago, will soon board a plane to return home again, but as a completely different woman. The growth of my faith has not been pretty, but it has been full-faceted.

One area where God has grown me in regards to materialism. Matthew 19:24 says, "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When I lived in the States, I never thought this verse applied to me because, basically, I’m poor. Seriously speaking, I’m not poor, but I would definitely not have labeled myself as rich, so I just disqualified this verse from applying to my life.

After living here in Brazil- a third world country- my perspective has dramatically changed. Most of my friends here are truly poor financially. They are poor in the standards of Brazil and would be even “poorer” in American standards. This verse hit a new level in my life because of my experience here in Rio. For example, Rio has American restaurants like Outback and Fridays. When I get really homesick, I like going there to eat so I “feel” like I’m in the States. These restaurants however are very expensive according to Brazilian standards. In essence, what I am doing is medicating a spiritual problem (vulnerability, sadness, frustration, etc.) with a monetary “fix.” My friends on the other hand, cannot afford this type of “prescription” and thus, they run to God instead. Perhaps this verse is not bashing money as much as it is bashing our weak tendency to run to material comforts instead of to God, the True Comforter.

If you are considering an adventure on the mission field or in another area that will call you out of your comfort zone, don’t just consider the opportunity from your vantage point. Don’t consider the quantitative results alone. There are many results that will transpire that cannot be put into words. These results are priceless. Consider what the Lord desires to do in your life and in the lives around you. Perhaps even through pain and discomfort.
“ I thank Him who has given me the strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to His service.” 1 Timothy 1:12