End of the Spear

Update: 

I got an email from Jaime Saint that Steve Saint came across this post and has shared it with others. First of all, how awesome is that?! Like I said on Facebook this week, some people are star struck by celebrities, I am star struck by missionaries :) I would love to hear some feedback below in the comments section if you have the time and feel led to share something. If you have a word of encouragement or a scripture that comes to mind for our family or my son, Dylan, in particular, that would be awesome too. If you would rather send it in email you can do so at lins114@yahoo.com. Thanks for sharing in a portion of our families journey via this blog. I look so forward to sharing more as we walk the life God has called us to. 

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"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose"

 Jim Elliot 

I just finished watching "End of the Spear"- the story of 5 missionaries who went to the jungles of South America in search of the most isolated people they could locate. After much hard work and prayer, they laid eyes on the Wadoni people- a tribe who spent their lives spearing outsiders, foreigners, other tribes and even each other. A tribe who had never heard of the true and living God, they lived in fear that the only way they could "jump the Great Boa" (cross over into paradise) was to kill their enemies. But this belief was challenged when they speared the 5 missionaries to death. The missionaries never fought back, showing "little strength"- and yet, in that moment, the tribe was able to see these men carried into heaven. Their eyes were open to the Heavenly realm for a moment. Later, the missionaries families would return to the tribe that killed their husbands and fathers, and continue the work that was begun- to share the message of Jesus Christ.

Here is their story shared through their wives:

It's so hard to wrap my mind around why these men would be "called" to do something that would end up, not only killing them, but killing them before they could even see the mission accomplished! It takes years sometimes to see why things happened the way they did. But it's in that moment, we can say confidently, "Now I see why."

This is a video of the man who murdered one of the missionaries. Now, he travels the country with the son of the very man he speared to death over 50 years ago.

I thought about showing Dylan "End of the Spear". I want him to have an accurate view of the suffering and great need in this world- but I also don't want to shatter the innocence of childhood by showing him too much, too soon. I decided that I would watch it with him and talk to him as we watched. That night, I put him to bed like I normally do. We prayed, I rubbed his back and told him how special He was. He went to sleep but about an hour later, he came to my room sobbing. I don't know if I have ever heard either of my children crying like that. At first, I thought "The images were too much and he's scared." But after talking to him, I realized that wasn't it at all.

Dylan's heart was broken. He sobbed as he tried to explain what was wrong. He said, "I just don't understand. How did they do it? How did they have that kind of courage? I want to love God like that. I want to love Him that much!" Over and over... he was inconsolable. I just rubbed his back and listened to the cries of his heart. We stayed awake for almost 2 more hours. Falling asleep together, I started quoting Jeremiah 29:11. His voice merged with my own as we recited it together. I told him that he didn't need to be scared of what God would call him to do. Still crying, he said, "That's my favorite verse, Mommy. Thank you." I told him he was so precious to me and he said, "No Mommy, you're the precious one." So sweet...

That February 4th night, my son was deeply impacted. It is such an honor to guide and lead him through his childhood and into adulthood. It's not fun to think about, but I'm already half way done parenting him. In 9 more years, he will be 18. At that point, not only do I want him to have a faith that can move mountains; that can offer himself to be used however God leads him...

...but I want that kind of faith too.

"I have no greater joy than this: to know that my children are walking in the Truth."
3 John 1:4