Driven by a passion to share the gospel
Lisa Kappeler writes eagerly from the little Uriay village in the jungle that she calls home. She is rejoicing to be back after an extended absence and she’s so excited to be there that she says, “it’s hard to know what to tell you first.”
For starters, there was the overloaded canoe they traveled back in, carrying all their gear back to the village. “It was loaded from stem to stern. … We didn’t do much moving around, that’s for sure—even when we saw a big crocodile on the bank!”
Lisa and the co-workers who are joining her temporarily in the village were greeted with warmth and excitement by Uriay friends. She took a minute to enjoy the delight of being home. And then she got right to work. She knew how much there was to be done.
Much teaching and discipling needs to take place in the tribe. A day after arrival, Lisa was spending time with various Uriay Bible teachers, encouraging them as they study different passages of the Bible and prepare to teach.
“These guys are such young believers … they still need help and direction,” Lisa explains.
Besides teaching the teachers, there is the monumental task of translation to continue working on. Lisa is encouraged with the willingness of her translation co-workers in the village. “I’ve almost had to slow them down. … It’s so cool to see them … make plans to be ready to help.”
Lisa made very little time for what she calls “a light case of malaria. I was still able to go to the teaching of the Bible lessons,” she explains.
There is not much down time on the schedule and there is a deep and driving heart desire to keep busy and on-task in the ministry God has called her to of sharing the gospel clearly with the Uriay people.
“I can’t tell you how good it is to be in my house again—in spite of the heat and rats and all the craziness that goes with living in the jungle. It’s so much fun to chat with the various Uriay ladies and guys, to have the kids love on me and let me love on them,” Lisa comments.
And then she adds thoughtfully, “But then, it’s always nice to be home, isn’t it? No matter where home is, it’s always better to be there than anywhere else in the world.”
Lisa calls this jungle village home so that she can invest her life doing what she loves more than anything else. She uses her days and hours to share the gospel that will make all the difference in eternity for the Uriay people.
So what are you doing with your days and hours? Perhaps God is calling you to be part of the team as a volunteer, or using your skills for one to four years, or as a career.