This is a picture that I hadn’t look at until today:  Nicaraguan Wheelchair

Nicaragua 2007:  Inaugural basketball game:  US missionaries vs. Amigos for Christ

The game was rough.  I drove to the hoop, dribbled behind my back, jump shot, landed on someone’s foot.  I heard a pop. I thought that I could walk it off.  Wrong.  Little did I know at the time, but this ankle injury would send my life into a totally new direction. 

We had been in Nicaragua for eight days and were headed home the next day.  Bummer for me since my ankle looked like someone shoved a softball under my skin.  No amount of ice was going to reduce the swelling.  Normally a ride to the airport would be no big deal.  Except in a third world country where the transportation is a truck usually reserved to transport pigs and chickens.  The truck had no seats.  We had to stand in the bed holding onto pipe railing; with a few of us standing on a 2x6 wooden bumper.  I loved riding in that truck.  But not today.   

Today I was dreading the four hour standing ride to the airport

bouncing around in the back of a pig truck.

God works is mysterious ways.  A local missionary had requested that the truck, that was taking us to the airport, transport a load of supplies back after dropping us off.  A women named Meg Boren was going to follow us in her pick-up truck.  My friends insisted that I ride with her so that I could sit down and put my foot up (they also insisted that they ride with me).  At first I thought they were concerned about me but later I realized that it was the air conditioning that they wanted.  The A/C felt good after eight days in the Nica heat, but soon I forgot about it.  I was in the moment that would change my life, forever.

Did I say that God works in mysterious ways?  I spent four hours hearing an amazing story.  Meg sold everything and moved to Nicaragua to dedicate her life to serving the poor.  What?  Do people do that?  I had heard about it, but never actually met someone crazy enough to actually do it.  Several months prior I had just been on my first mission trip.  Meg sold her house and gave everything else to the poor.  She lived in a tent in Nicaragua for ten months while she built a community center and a house with the proceeds.  Meg will tell you that it has not been easy, but worth every sacrifice.  She has built an incredible ministry:  Circle of Empowerment.

God was telling me, through Meg, that it was OK.  Meg was my Burning Bush.

I didn’t realize immediately that God had spoken to me through Meg.  Nor did I realize that Meg would serve as a catalyst for me to sell everything and move to Africa to serve the underprivileged people of Mamelodi.  Meg showed me that normal people are called to serve.  There is nothing extraordinary about either of us.  But...

In God’s eyes we are perfect for the job. 

Thanks Meg.  You have served as an inspiration to me and allowed me to find purpose in my life.  I live everyday thankful that our paths crossed (not that it was an accident).  I hope that I have an opportunity to influence the lives of others as you have influenced mine.  I am truly blessed to have been touched by you.

wS

Meg Boren’s ministry:  Circle of Empowerment.