Was it worth it?

Was it worth it? This is what I asked Johnny, a member of a recent team to a remote village in the jungles of Peru. Before you hear his answer, there are few things you need to know about this trip.

Johnny Cobb got injured on the way to Mt. Olivos, so what should have been an 8-12 hour hike for him turned into an 18.5 hour hike through the jungle, at night, with no lights or water filtration systems. On top of that, the one thing you don’t want to happen when you’re getting ready to hike out of the jungle, happened: it rained. Rain means mud, which means more time and physical exertion, and Johnny was already injured. Rain also means strong currents when you have to cross the river, so strong, in fact, that they ripped our makeshift boats apart. So, was it worth it?

When Johnny answered this question he wasn’t thinking about his injury, the difficult journey into the jungle, or any of these other struggles. He was thinking about a young Peruvian boy. You see, once we got to Mt. Olivos, Johnny was able to work alongside a doctor to see and care for patients who otherwise would’ve had no medical care of any kind. One of the patients they saw was a little boy who had been bitten by a spider and, upon examination, it became clear that with no treatment this boy would not survive. The doctor was able to treat the boy, who now has every hope to completely recover. So, when I asked Johnny, “Was it worth it?” He answered exuberantly, “Yes it was worth it! That little boy was worth it!”

 James reminds us that “blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised those who love him” (1:12).  Would you pray for us as we continue to persevere and take the Good News to those in remote villages like Mt. Olivos, so that all might know the length and width, height and depth of God’s love?