The End of the Spear and Missionaries

We just saw The End of the Spear for youth group last night. The End of the Spear is the “true” (true with dramatization) story about missionaries who go into the rainforests in Ecuador to convert the “most violent society ever documents by Anthropologists” to Christianity. There’s a ton which happens (and the movie only tells maybe 1/3 of the story) and I can’t tell you much of anything without giving too much away.

You have to see what these missionary families are willing to give up and what they’re willing to go through to educate these people on the ways of Christ (which is their passion). Once you’ve watched the movie (or before watching it) also pick up Beyond the Gates of Splendor, the documentary which tells a lot more of the story.

I am sometimes amazed at missionaries and the work they do. You have people who believe something so much they will go out into the world and try to get others to learn about and accept their own beliefs. People who would rather have nothing to do with you and care nothing about your beliefs. People who aren’t even searching for the message you are bringing.

I don’t know what I’d do without my computer and broadband (Cable Modem, DSL, etc…) Internet access… I even love that our phone service works over the Internet ($18/month for unlimited calls in the U.S. using my regular phone line, how awesome is that). I just can’t imagine living without a computer and I do think everyone should have broadband access. So, I’ve made a decision.

Erin, Rachel and I are heading off to Amish country for a few years with the sole purpose of convincing them that they would be able to work their land so much better with a computer and broadband access. I feel so passionately about this that we’re packing up tomorrow. We’re leaving behind our family, the church (they can find their own youth minister and technology people) and friends. Tonight we are packing our laptops and wireless broadband cards, a couple clothes (don’t need many, we’ll order what we need online when we get there) and a portable generator. Tomorrow night we head off for Pennsylvania to find a good Amish couple and let them know the Good News about broadband.

I’ll inform my wife about it tonight, unless she reads this entry first.

Seriously though, how awesome is that? To know what you want to communicate and leave your entire life behind to let others know? That is definitely something I couldn’t do. I’m having a hard enough time making changes to my life so I can just go back to school. And I’m sure no so great at telling people about God and the changes he has made in my life.

What do you believe in so much that you’d leave your life behind for it? Right now God is high on that list, but family might be a little higher. I would run to Iowa for a year if I found my mom had cancer. Right now I don’t think I’d run to Ecuador to tell people who will pass out of this world and be excluded from eternity about Christ. Though I probably should be, in the big scheme of things which is really more important?

Peace,
+Tom

posted by Tom at 7:28 AM