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You can’t teach what you don’t know, and you can’t lead where you don’t go…

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Rev. 7:9-10

We never exactly felt a specific “call” to full time missions. We just got married and said here we are Lord, send us. We heard about a need and got down on our knees and said, “Lord do you want us there? We will go.”

Men everywhere are longing to give their lives to something greater. For years my Dad has prayed that his children would give their lives to reach others with the Gospel of Christ and accomplish more than he has in his lifetime.

For the past 10 months we’ve watched the moon rise and the sun set, before most of the world wakes up. We have waded in the cold waters of the Pacific ocean, explored waterfalls in Taiwan clear and pure enough to drink, and awakened to the soft sound of rain while buried under blankets in our tiny bedroom on the 6th floor of our apartment building. We’ve been startled by earthquakes and our room swaying like a hammock, we just sat together silent and held our breaths until it passed.

We’ve stood on clear Autumn nights in Chicago, coats and gloves on, hot apple cider in hand, and watched the last Fall leaf fall to the ground, signaling the beginning of Winter.

We’ve sampled baked goods across the Kentucky river, and savored rhubarb pie and the best coffee from a little town at the foot of the Ozarks. We’ve waded through snow up to our waist while on a hike deep in the woods, faced coyotes too close for comfort, and listened to the birds sing and geckos croak at dawn and dusk.

We’ve ridden double decker buses in Hong Kong and eaten guavas and gourd apples from Malaysia and Thailand, and pineapples cakes from Singapore. Yesterday we enjoyed a warm breeze, the occasional smells of stinky tofu and oyster pancakes, pan fried buns, and watched a few villagers loading up their wagons with rice and fish for neighboring villages. The orchids are in full bloom everywhere now and the grass here grows free.

We’ve seen a night sky full of stars and played with barefoot aboriginal children in their traditional dress, feathers around their head, beads around their neck, their eyes sparkling. We have done hand-motions to try to buy some “chicken” and snorted like a pig to ask if that is pork rice at the market. Mooed like a cow. You get the picture 😉

We’ve spoken and sang and prayed with people in camps and conferences and churches and schools all over the world. But we believe there is more for us. And we are surrendering to it afresh today. We are lifting up our eyes and looking at the fields. The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. Lord, make us a family that bears Your name-a mighty reaper of souls. And thrust us out into the dark places of the earth where Jesus is not known or loved or celebrated!

Today we are celebrating 2 years and 7 months together. We are sitting at our dining room table, around us grow rows of rice fields growing as far as the horizon stretches, our hearts are full and we can only choke back tears at feeling so blessed to work together for the King of Kings. We plan on doing this all our life. Never ready settling down anywhere, just letting the Lord carry us wherever in the world He needs a witness. (Along with the 10 or 15 kids He blesses us with along the way 😉 This world is not our home, we’re just a passin’ through. This is why we have left our families in Mexico and the United States. Why did we come here but to lay down our lives for the church of Christ. He died and rose from the dead so that these people could know mercy and forgiveness as we have. We are here because we love the Savior.

My Dad always said that the greatest adventure is serving Jesus. He was right. You’re not a fool to give what you cannot keep in order to gain what you cannot lose.

“Most men are not satisfied with the output of their lives. Most men look at their lives as they get older and say, ‘I’ve not done enough with my life, I’ve not done enough for the Lord.’ Nothing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within his followers except the adoption of Christ’s mission towards the world He came to redeem. Fame and pleasures and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God in the fulfillment of His mission.” -J. Campbell White

Gerardo_Cristina_Taiwan

About Author

Cristina esta casada con Gerardo y tiene dos preciosos niños. Sawyer de 4 y Madison de 2. Ha pasado su vida viajando. Ahora lo hace desde la isla del Encanto, Puerto Rico donde se dedica a una de sus pasiones, ayudar adolescentes a conocer a Jesus y ayudarlos a crecer en su fe con la organización internacional "Young Life". Cuando Cristina no esta vendiendo en eBay esta planeando su siguiente viaje desde Taco Bell. Puedes encontrarla en Instagram como: @crodriguez1984

4 Comments

  • hollywakefield
    May 7, 2015 at 2:49 PM

    Love this! And love you both!! Beautiful couple inside and out. Serving as the Hands and Feet of Jesus! Nothing can be more rewarding!! So inspiring. Hope you and baby are feeling well!

    Reply
  • Patty
    November 25, 2015 at 5:44 PM

    Power!!!! Dios los bendiga y siga usando poderosamente sus vidas

    Reply
  • Keely Patton (Hicks)
    April 17, 2018 at 8:27 PM

    I sure do love you guys! Your testimony is incredible and such an inspiration, man has God blessed me with family that loves Jesus!!! Praise the good Lord !!!!

    Reply

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