Andrew's Story

Partway into his service in Panama with TREK, Andrew felt himself growing restless. He was enduring a season of discouragement in Maje, where his team was serving the Wounaan, an indigenous tribe in the jungle. Language and cultural barriers made it difficult for Andrew to connect to this people group, and he grew frustrated over this difficulty.

Over the phone, Andrew’s mother encouraged him to continue in faithfulness in the place where God had called him to serve. She suggested that he start a one-on-one discipleship relationship with one of the youth in Maje. Andrew first responded with excuses. He thought it would be too hard to try to mentor someone of a completely different culture. However, even as he tried to talk himself out of it, he knew that God was prompting his heart to engage in discipleship.

As he prayed about it, Andrew felt God put a certain youth on his heart as well as a passage of scripture to study with him. He set out in the jungle to look for the youth, and when Andrew asked him about starting the discipleship relationship, he agreed. The two made plans to meet at 6am the next morning.

That night, however, Andrew began experiencing problems with his knee. He had an infection that was growing worse by the hour, and when night fell, he could no longer walk. Meeting the youth in the morning was important to him. He knew that this was what God desired of him and that He would make a way for Andrew to make the long trek through the jungle for his 6am appointment. Andrew prayed in faith that God would take the pain away from his knee by morning. When he awoke, he felt only a slight ache. As he began walking, the pain left his knee completely!

At 8:30 in the morning Andrew and the youth finally finished what would become the first of many discipleship appointments. The guys spent two and a half hours pouring over the first chapter of 1 Peter. As time went on they moved into deeper discussion and more challenging questions. Andrew saw the youth grow from a Christian who was young in his faith to one who desired to be changed for the glory of God!

Andrew is thankful for the challenge he received from his mom, and grateful for his opportunity to trust God to heal his knee. As he walked through the jungle that morning, praising God for his mobility, he was assured of God’s faithfulness in carrying out plans for His glory.