As I'm getting ready to leave for Brazil, I'm reading through Acts with a Bible study called the "iGo Challenge" (igoglobal.org). It's an incredible 10 day study designed for someone's last 10 days in the states before leaving on a trip to share the gospel overseas.
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(The gospel is that God created us (humans) to be with Him, but we rebelled by going against His instruction and followed Satan instead, God's enemy. So, we (everyone on Earth) are separated from Him because of our rebellion, or sin. Although God still loves us dearly, He is also just, and He cannot "let us slide" when we're living in sin. He is perfect, pure, good, righteous, noble, etc- and living in sin is living against everything He is. It's living as His enemy as well. So in this state, we're destined for judgement for our sin and the penalty of eternal separation from God. The Bible says we're dead spiritually because of sin. BUT, the good news is that God provided someone to save us from this death: Jesus Christ, His own Son. Jesus lived a perfect life without sin, but yet was killed by men and died a sinner's death. He did this to pay the death penalty that you, me, and every person on earth deserves for our sin. He died for it so we don't have to. Then, God rose Jesus from the dead to show that Jesus had defeated sin and its death- and is the only One who ever has. If anyone hears this, believes that they can't save themselves from their sin, and trusts Jesus' sacrifice to be their only claim to salvation- they are saved. They can defeat sin's death through Jesus' resurrection and be spiritually alive! And when they are judged by God, they can say something like, "I trusted in your Son's sacrifice for salvation from my sins. I've loved Him ever since!" This salvation takes away the penalty of separation from God and grants them an eternity spent WITH God. Jesus paid my death penalty, and now- although life is hard and I still let sin entrap me at times, it doesn't have any grip on me that I don't let it have. I'm alive in Christ, not dead in sin like I was. This is the beautiful, urgent message I live to tell others! It is joy- not always comfort- but irreplaceable joy.)
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I'm on day eight today (crazy! The trip is only two days away.) The study was on Acts 20:17-27 when Paul is saying goodbye to the Ephesians before leaving for Jerusalem- where Paul knows he'll probably be imprisoned for sharing the gospel. He's leaving these people, who he's literally poured out his life to for years- to follow God's guidance to share the gospel in Jerusalem, where he might very well die. So it's an emotional scene to say the least. Check out what he says:
"And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." -Paul, Acts 20:22-24

Wow. I'm praying for that same Christ-centered focus. As I think about it, if Jesus, my Savior, lived a simple life on Earth: poor, often hungry and homeless, hated by so many people because of His message, loved by a few, beaten, and killed on a cross (wikipedia crucifixion- it's absolutely gruesome)... then why do I even play with the idea that my life will be safe, comfortable, and risk-free? It's so hard not to waste my time chasing after 'my own life'- keeping it all in perspective. I fall on my face in this so many times into materialism, anxiety about the future, wanting my own desires my own way instead of asking God what He has for me. But God is my strength and focus! That is so much easier to type than to live. But every time I read the Bible, there is strength, focus, guidance and everything else I need to live it out! It's amazing.

So if you're a fellow Christian, please pray for me to have this focus as I leave. I'm PUMPED for what God is already doing in Amazonas! I'll keep this updated as I can (probably not as long of posts though- ha!)