Brenda Burney was an intern with South America Mission in Bolivia during the summer of 2005.  Below is a poem with her final impressions of the summer, followed by a few of her first thoughts of ministry in Bolivia...

Standing in the middle of the intersection, many diff'rent roads from which to choose

I look down one, then another; though all are different, they all look the same.

Cars zoom past as I stand in indecision; some stop to offer me a ride

Torn, I turn around again, yet still cannot see which path is right.

From my heart and out of desperation, I cry out to He who made the map:

“God, I don't know what to do or where to go.

I want to do your will, please teach me how.”

Then I see Him there right by my side. I look up to ask Him where to go.

With a smile, He looks down at me and whispers,

“The way is not for you to know right now.

Just climb on, hold tight, and enjoy the ride!”

I look again down each road in turn, realizing that without a guide I'll be lost.

One last fearful glance around me then climb onto the shoulders of my Lord

“Take me where you will. I chose to trust You.”

Though…I don't know exactly what that means.

As soon as those words have passed my lips, He takes off down the road

As trees whip past me, the landscape soon changes from the familiar to the unfamiliar

I no longer recognize the objects I see

As my Lord continues to carry me along an unknown road.

I hold tightly to Him, thinking

“If He puts me down, I have no idea where I am or where to go.”

He whips around bends in the road

Sometimes taking the left fork and sometimes the right.

Suddenly, I realize the further He carries me, the more I trust Him.

The less I know, the more I'm at rest.

I begin to look up and notice the view

The wind whips through my hair; the sun shines from a cloudless sky

Palm trees wave their branches, worshipping Him as we pass by.

Suddenly, He slows, stops, and sets me down.

Dirt from a foreign soil stains my feet.

My hand grasped tightly in His

He smiles, “Come. Do the work I have prepared in advance for you to do.”

Walking next to my God, I stumble and fall more often than not.

Patiently, each time, He helps me up, brushes the dirt from my knees, and leads me on,

Teaching me to use muscles never before used

And I learn that not even walking is the same

When I'm far from home.

At first, my entire mind is focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

I wonder, “God, you told me I'd be doing work for You

But I can't even walk. How can I serve?”

Again the whisper comes, “TRUST.”

Days, then weeks, go by as I continue to stumble along.

Occasionally I take one or two steps without having to think so hard

But progress seems so slow

Frustration grows with each fall, with each momentary loss of balance.

“Learning to walk is a waste of time! I want to run in the path of Your commands!”

Yet I know walking must come first.

I see the end of the journey in the distance, realize that I will finish before I learn to run

Before I learn to serve fluently.

It is only then that God takes me by the hand

Turns me around, and shows me my progress

And I realize that learning to walk was in itself the work He had for me to do.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS...

It's been one week. One week of needing to concentrate intently to understand what is being said. One week of doing everything from helping a doctor in an Ayore camp to teaching English. One week of learning to kiss on the cheek as a greeting and to keep my hand on my valuables at all times. One week of trusting God to use me despite my weaknesses.

One week.

125 pictures taken.

And one week to learn that one week really isn't all that much.

It isn't enough to change the world. It isn't enough to become fluent in Spanish. It isn't long enough to form close relationships. And the next five weeks won't be either. But, whether I have one day, one week, or six weeks, it is enough to follow God. It is enough to be obedient. It is enough to continue to learn, continue to grow, and continue to further His kingdom.

So, when I leave for San Ignacio on Monday, I need to keep in mind that this is just one more step in God's will. When I fall, He will right me and continue to teach me how to follow Him. I am not here to serve myself. I am not even here to serve people in Bolivia. I am here to serve God, and in doing so, I will serve those around me and will learn and grow myself.