From the onset of our time with the communities, it amazed me at how excited they were to work with us to create or repair their systems. In both Guantúl and San Bartolo, we showed up and a horde of community members were there, ready to get to work with us. Even if there wasn’t much work to do that day, they had made themselves available for doing whatever work needed to be done. You could tell that they were so ready for us to help, and they were ready to put in the work necessary for improvement.
Later on, we went to work with a different community that had a VERY different mindset. That juxtaposition gave me an incredible example of how mindset means everything. Not only for yourself, the worker, but the mindset of the people you are working which can have a tremendous impact.
I think as we are growing up in the church, we are always told of the importance of getting the name of Jesus out to the world. Don’t get me wrong; I think that’s still something that needs to be continually stressed. But I don’t think enough is taught or shown of rejection and a suitable response to it. It’s wonderful to have the mindset that sometimes, the work you do in investing in someone is just part of their salvation. That the seed has been sown for God to help cultivate. That you’ve laid down another stepping-stone on their path. However, we also need to understand that in our natural state, we are sinful. Sometimes that means that a person will continually turn their back on God. As Christians, we need to understand the weight of that; we need to understand the eternal impact that has. But the thing is, that discouragement cannot be allowed to dictate who we become.
Through the long and short, there is no telling how our work with that difficult community will turn out. Will we have a positive impact on them? Will we have the opportunity to change lives? God alone knows. Yet if nothing else, I am thankful for the illustration that led my mind to a greater thought. We belong to God. When we face these moments of discouragement, we can bring them before an almighty God who offers peace. He is in control. Trust Him.