A Diamond at the End of the World

There is a cold nip in the air, and I stir to get out of bed. The morning is still dark. The bay and mountains still have the shadow of night cast over them. Soon the sun will peek-a-boo over the mountains to rise and take its place in the day. I am in the town of Ushuaia, Argentina. Snow, glaciers, penguins, seals and everything cold is all around the house I'm in. I get some warm clothes on and go make a cup of tea. I'm thinking about how I can't believe I am here. A few weeks ago, I looked at a book called Lonely Planet to see what the farthest city in South America is and discovered Ushuaia--the “End of the World.” Ever since that phrase entered my brain it has been ping-pong-ball-bouncing all around inside. “The End of the World, The End of the World, The End of the World...” And I am here.

My head is still waking up with my thoughts slowly coming to mind. It's funny how I'm at the “End of the World” with all the 2012 Armageddon talk. There is a common theme in Christianity with the word “world.” “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind...”(Romans 12:2) I keep asking God what he is saying through me being at the end of the world.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)
Jonah being swallowed by a whale for three days and then being spit up is a prophetic sign of Jesus dying for three days and then being raised back from the dead. I feel that my team being at the end of the world is also a prophetic sign. We are at the end of what the world has to offer and give. We are at the end of ourselves. We are at the end of the world's cravings, lust of eyes and boasting of life. We want what only God can give. We want the will of our Father.
With snow-covered mountain peaks surrounding the city like castle walls, I take another sip of hot tea to drink in the moment. I look out over the bay filled with sail boats and cargo ships. Thankfulness has been pressing in on my heart relentlessly over the past two days. While I was sharing at a Baptist church, something changed in me. Normally thankfulness flows out of my heart, but in this moment, my heart became thankfulness itself. It's hard for me to believe I am here at the end of the world. It has been so long since I headed out from Vancouver, WA in the USA. For the last 8 months I have been getting further and further away from USA. But now I am headed back to USA with every time I travels. I have began the trip back home.

Cusco Peru

 How on earth did I get to Peru with $50?!

On September 9^th I started out on the longest road trip of my life. Starting in Vancouver Washington and driving all the way down to the tip of Chile(going down the west side of South America) and back up the west side of South America to Venezuela. Selling the vehicles there and buying a boat to sail the Caribbean. To finally land in Florida. Currently I am in Lima Peru. How on earth have I made it here with starting with fifty dollars? Only with God's help could this be pulled off.

 I had just got back from Mozambique Africa and God had been speaking to me to join this team doing missions. I really wanted to go but didn't have the money. I had been praying for money and I kept feeling him saying go. I had fifty dollars to my name. Oh he was also telling me to give my car away to a friend. I was telling him that I should trade it in so I could have the money to be able to go on the trip. He disagreed so I gave away my car to my friend. In the back of my mind I was thinking ok when I do that surely that will release financial break through for me.... nope. Two nights before I had to make the choice if I was going or not is one of those moments that I will never forget. I felt like God was saying “I'm not going to give you the money before you leave. That you have to trust me.” I told him that I needed some conformation then because well that's crazy. I was with my Dad he was telling me that he wanted to watch this christian movie called “Faith like potatoes.” I was hesitant to watch it. Most Christian movies are so cheesy and badly made. But I decided to sit down and watch it with him. The movie is based on a true story. By the time it was over it was the conformation I asked for and gave me the faith that I needed to go on this trip. (P.S. I highly recommend watching the movie)

     

       Our first stop was Redding California were we attended a Bethel church service. The service had started and I found my self standing in a row full of faith for this trip. When I say full of faith I mean about to poop my pants. I saying to myself “What on earth are you doing!” and “You are really dump.. for real.” Fear and doubt had grabbed a hold of my heart and mind. Reasoning with myself that I didn't have a church supporting me and I could count the number of people that said they would support me on one hand. There was a group of my friends there that I could catch a ride with back up to Oregon. No one would think anything less of me. I mean I only had fifty dollars and I tried. God wasn't telling me to try, He was telling me to go. To trust him. I remember praying “Dad(God) what your telling me to do well quite frankly it scares me to death.” and him saying “Breck I'm your father. I will take care of you... I want to give you good things... I know whats best for you. This trip is part of your destiny and will release you into the future that I have for you.” With that all of that the fear and doubt fell off of me. Its was a weird feeling knowing that the choice I was about to make would change the rest of my life. I some how knew if I didn't step out in faith now in this crazy way I would never have the faith later in life. All the stories I have heard of how faithful God has been in other peoples lives, I was about to step out and see for myself if God is faithful or not?

              Around seven months later I find myself in Peru. After going to every country in Central America and a couple in South America thus far. God has worked through other people in giving me money in all kinds of ways. Not going to lie, it hasn't been all rainbow and butterflies. I cant even count how many times my bank account has been zero or I didn’t know were my next meal was going to come from. But God has been faithful to provide my every need. I remember one time(one of many stories) in Nicaragua I didn't have any money for dinner. I was talking with God and really well I was just frustrated. It wasn't so much that I didn’t have food for dinner it was I didn't feel like God was providing for me. I was telling him “God I am ok with going out with a meal. That isn't a big deal. But you said that you will provide for my every need and I don’t feel like your doing that for me.” God was silent. Nothing. Then five minutes later Jessie(team leader) comes to my room and says “Breck I got some pizza for you.” He gave me three big pieces. Later that night once I was alone. Those three pieces of pizza made my shed a tear or two. Not because I love pizza so much. But that I knew God heard me and answered me. That God cares about the little things in my life.

The whole experience has blown me away. It so fills my heart with thankfulness that it's almost overwhelming. Learning I can be content in all things with much or little. Thank all of you that have prayed and given to me. It means more to me than I can express.

            And I know your time and money is valuable and I am honored that you would spend either of them on me.

I am about halfway done. God got me this far and I know he will get me to the finish. I want to take the time to remind you that Im just Breck. You know the guy who grow up in a small towns. That graduated from Scio High School . Even though my mom tells me I'm a special snow flake and close to the greatest thing on earth. I'm just simple ol normal human. What I am saying is if God will do this for me, I know he will do it for YOU. Follow God, go where he leads you into the impossible and watch him make it possible. Believe it or not you can trust God with money.

It really is that simple. And I leave you with this.

God is faithful!

Every step or breath I take screams it. God brought me from America to Peru starting with $50! 

  

“You could be speared to death tonight.”

     (Out in the jungle in Ecuador. Talking with an elderly man named Kata. He grow up in the jungle with his tribe and family. Towards the later days of his life did he start interacting with the more westernized world.)   

  

 As he began telling of how his life used to be, I could see his eyes drifting back and coming to life recalling his former lifestyle--the hunt, the sounds of nature all around him, and that feeling of fear always there, knowing that he could be killed by a spear from a different tribe. Now that he lived in what we call “civilized”, a part of him had died. All the advances that had been made over the years didn’t matter to him at all. He spoke with a hurt in his voice, recalling how it used to be and having to face how he lives now. All the adventure had been taken from him. The best way I can relate what I saw is to say he had been tamed like an animal. It was like a part of him had been killed when he became westernized. He said that he wanted to go back to his tribe, but he couldn’t. His tribe would kill him for trying to return to them. They would know he wasn’t one of them anymore because of the smell of soap and shampoo on his skin and hair. What hit me so hard was all the “civilization” he had tasted didn’t even come close to comparing to life in the jungle. I asked him what was one of his happiest moments in life. My question was translated, and I came to find out that in his language there isn’t a word for happy or for thank you (thankful). But Kata told stories about hunting with his friends in the jungle. They brought back flashes of memories to him, and he remembered that many of his friends were no longer living. The way he talked about hunting with his friends in the jungle made something inside of me awaken. He didn’t express any emotion or talk passionately. He spoke with a look that showed he wasn’t bluffing. He simply expressed what life was like for him. He had tasted both worlds, and he preferred the way of the jungle.

We asked him if we were in a dangerous place staying here. He began to tell us of the Tigrus tribe and how six months earlier there was a white family who had moved out into the jungle not too far from where we were. That tribe came up on them and killed them all with spears--except for the child who they took with them. Kata explained that they would do the same to us. They would kill us for being on their land. He would try to protect us, but he would most likely die trying. He then informed us that he had seen their footprints close by a week prior. He said they leave their tracks where people can find them, so people know that they have been there. When Liney was translating all of that she was laughing. She said, “I don’t laugh because it's funny but because I’m nervous.”

Kata said,“You could be speared to death tonight.” The hut got silent. Each teammate looked to each other to try to find some comfort after what Kata had just said. He continued to speak and told us many more things that afternoon. To say the least, every one of us slept with at least one eye open that night. I have to say it is a unique feeling to know that you have the chance of being speared to death. The stories Kata shared weighed so heavy on my heart.

I stayed up late that night sitting next to the fire inside the hut, thinking over what Kata had said. I daydreamed (at night) about what it would have been like to live in the jungle with a tribe. I imagined the feeling of going out with friends to hunt for a boar or any other animal we might see, what it would be like to hunt with a spear, and how different it would be then hunting with a gun.

The adventure Kata was talking about couldn't be felt by simply hitting a game-winning shot in a basketball game, scoring touchdowns in football, or compare to the thrill of playing a video game. What Kata was talking about I have never done. I knew that I had never tasted the adventure that he was talking about.

After talking with God for a bit, I went to sleep that night with this realization. Men are made for adventure. If a man doesn't live in adventure, then a part of him is dead. I realized that I need it like I need food. Adventure is part of what makes a man. If I don't have it, then at best I'll be a boy and waste my life doing meaningless things. Without it, I'm like a tamed animal longing to get free. It reminded me so much of a quote from a movie that so many men love:

“Every man dies... not every man really lives.” - Brave Heart

When a male hears this quote, he knows it's true. It so goes to the heart of a man that he doesn't even second guess it. After reflecting on the conversation with Kata and God, I came away with this...

Adventure is what makes a man really live.