Since we've been here in Costa Rica we've had our share of sicknesses. Nothing major, thank the Lord, but enough to make you think about the cost of following the Lord where He leads.
One example of an early modern missionary is John G. Patton. He was a missionary to the cannibalistic island of Tanna in the 19th century. When he, his wife, and their newborn daughter arrived they had hopes of working together for the sake of the gospel. However, a few months later John's wife died. Then shortly after the baby died. He buried them both with his own hands and it was a major blow to him as you can imagine. However, he strongly believed in the absolute sovereignty of God, as the Bible teaches, as saw it as the Lord's will. He stayed and thank the Lord Tanna has many healthy churches to this day that can trace their roots back to the work that God did through John G. Patton.
For example, last night around 11:00pm Iva woke up coughing again, but this time she was gaging and couldn't hardly stop. Thankfully she finally did stop and went back to sleep, but it was enough of a shock for Amie to raise concern about our children's well being. She mentioned that ever since we've come here Samuel and Iva can't seem to shake this cough. They've had antibiotics etc. but it keeps coming and going. This is not a blog about our children mainly but about the cost.
She brought up a question that we would all ask ourselves and should ask ourselves. Basically, "How much is this going to cost us or our family?" That is not the way she put it but that is really the question. I mentioned that it may cost us much more than this and we have to be ready for that. It was a sobering reality for both of us to think about.
One example of an early modern missionary is John G. Patton. He was a missionary to the cannibalistic island of Tanna in the 19th century. When he, his wife, and their newborn daughter arrived they had hopes of working together for the sake of the gospel. However, a few months later John's wife died. Then shortly after the baby died. He buried them both with his own hands and it was a major blow to him as you can imagine. However, he strongly believed in the absolute sovereignty of God, as the Bible teaches, as saw it as the Lord's will. He stayed and thank the Lord Tanna has many healthy churches to this day that can trace their roots back to the work that God did through John G. Patton.William Carey (known as the father of modern missions) was a missionary to 
India in the 19th century as well. He also suffered the loss of a child while there on the mission field. His wife never fully recovered from this and progressively got worse until she finally got so bad that she even attempted to kill William. Thankfully, William Carey stayed and translated the New Testament alone into 27 different languages. I'm not sure about the OT but you can click on his picture to learn more.
India in the 19th century as well. He also suffered the loss of a child while there on the mission field. His wife never fully recovered from this and progressively got worse until she finally got so bad that she even attempted to kill William. Thankfully, William Carey stayed and translated the New Testament alone into 27 different languages. I'm not sure about the OT but you can click on his picture to learn more. My point is that it has cost some people very much. Jesus even taught on this fact when He said that we are to "count the cost" In Luke 14:25-28.
Read these sobering words of our Lord:
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?"
He ends with, "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33
Who knows how much it will cost to follow Jesus. But in order to keep going our love for the things of this world and even each other must appear the be "hate" compared to the love we have for Christ.
Please help me to love you that much Lord. So that when the cost of following You becomes great I won't quit, but instead...trust You.
