Last time, we left off with me and a couple of others from Marlow, First landing in Quito, Ecuador. Typically, we would have headed from Quito to Cayambe where we worked with Ecuadorian and members of the Quichua Indians.
But this trip was different. This time we were headed to Mindo, Ecuador. We were going to see if the Lord might want us to work with the folks in that area.
The first few days we were in Mindo, we stayed locked in on our work. We made new friends. We met pastors and church members. We found ministry opportunities. The longer we were there, the clearer it became that the Lord would have us there.
As with many mission trips, we set aside the last day to sightsee. When we asked our new friends in Mindo if there was anything exciting we might do, they took us to a zipline.
As soon as we pulled up, I was convinced this thing was more than a bit sketchy. But part of our group was determined to do the zipline. Somehow, some man pride splashed into the rest of us and before I knew it, I was strapping into a harness that looked like something you would put your poodle in to go outside for a potty-break.
They gave me gloves with leather straps attached. This, I was told was the brake. I was supposed to put my hands on the cable behind me and apply enough pressure to stop. They were kind enough to warn me not to put my hands in front of the wheels because, as they put it, it will cut your fingers off. There’s some motivation for you.
The next part of the gear I was supposed to wear was a Styrofoam bicycle helmet. I was disappointed they had one large enough to fit my Ligon noggin.
When I looked over the edge of the cliff where we were standing, I noticed that the jungle floor was at least a mile below me. After some fairly quick calculations, I came to the stark realization that the Styrofoam helmet was probably not going to save my life if I fell.
I realize by now, some of you are wanting to call me “big baby” or a variety of other derogative things. But I wanted out of this deal. The guys I was with were running off the platform like scalded road runners and zipping over this incredibly huge valley.
It was then I felt a polite push from behind. A young Ecuadorean man shoved me off the platform (how dare he!) and suddenly I was ziplining to beat the band.
I did notice that the longer I was on the zipline, the faster I was going. The faster I was going, the quicker I was coming to the other side. I was coming in hot. People were scattering. It was going to be a wreck of epic proportions until one of the young Ecuadorian men who worked there stepped out in front of me. The collision knocked him down and started me spinning like a top.
Once everything calmed down, I informed the two young Ecuadorian men that I was quite through and did not need to do any more ziplining. They informed me that I didn’t have a choice. The only way, they said, to get back to the other side where the vehicles were parked, was to complete all of the ziplines.
I said, “Great! How many would that be?” The answer? There were 15 more ziplines.
Here’s a couple of things to think about. One, don’t start something that you are not prepared to finish. Two, when you are in a predicament, don’t hesitate to ask Jesus for help. But don’t be surprised if even He may have got off somewhere behind you. Three, life is short and you can make it shorter. Finally, I am really glad Jesus lives in Ecuador. That meant I didn’t have to yell quite as much to get Him to hear me.
