Until now, regular readers of peace for the journey have known me as Elaine’s husband and her number one fan. Now for the first time I am a guest contributor to her blog, which coincides with another important first in my life—my first mission trip outside the USA.
A team of 16 young adults and chaperones left our church on July 16, 2008, for the South American nation of Bolivia and a new orphanage established by the Methodist Church of Bolivia. The Andes Mountain range is second only to the Himalayas as the highest in the world and is home to the Aymaran Indians, the native people of Bolivia. For ten days we called this harsh, desperately poor but splendid place our home.
Tacachia rests at the end of a forty mile stretch of winding mountain road. My sense of “belonging” in that little village was challenged from the very beginning. As one of Tacachia’s newest residents my name was a problem: “Billy.”
Billy is the name that I have answered to for almost forty-one years of living, but to a rural population that spoke only Spanish and Aymaran, none of them had ever met a “Billy” and had great difficulty pronouncing my name. I had a choice to make: to insist that everyone in my new home struggle with a name that defied their tongues’ best efforts, or I could change my name. The choice was easy. My high school Spanish teacher had us use the Spanish equivalent of our English names in class. Thanks to those lessons from long ago I quickly exchanged “Billy” for “Guillermo,” which is Spanish for “William.”
Instead of loosing any precious sense of my identity, compromising my standards, or watering down the Gospel message, the Lord led me to a deeper understanding of what it means to “deny myself.” When Jesus said to His disciples, in Matthew 16:24 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” Jesus meant that we have to be willing to replace our standards with His standards. As long as we stay close to the place we call home and the local church we call our own, self denial may not seem like a big deal. But what does the Lord require of His people when He leads us among strangers?
I believe that Acts 1:4-8 is concrete proof that Jesus does not use a “sliding scale” in measuring mission work. The idea of local missions, verses overseas missions, and one being better than another is an invention of man and not of God. Wherever you are, if you are a baptized believer in Jesus Christ, you are in the mission field. As missionaries, there is an ever present temptation to value our station in life, our title, our accomplishments, our circumstances, to the point that the world around us feels like they have no hope of relating to us.
To the people of Tacachia, “Pastor Billy” was a name their tongues could not grasp. They could not greet me. They could not introduce me to their neighbors. They could not hope to have any kind of intimate relationship with me, because “Pastor Billy” was the name of a stranger who wanted to remain a stranger. But “Pastor Guillermo” was a welcome guest who wanted to know them and wanted to be known by them.
What about my other names? I am a United Methodist pastor. I am an Elder in the Church. I have an undergraduate degree from Pfeiffer College and a Masters of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. I am proud of all these names—up to the point that these parts of my “identity” might become an obstacle in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Ten days with Pastor Guillermo taught me that my own selfishness has been the biggest obstacle in keeping me from sharing the love of Jesus.
Ten days with Pastor Guillermo taught me that Christians have to be willing to deny the things we often prize the most, for the sake of the least and the lost.
Ten days with Pastor Guillermo taught me that Christians have to love Jesus more than we love denomination, or education, or anything else that might build a wall between us and those He sends us too.
Ten days with Pastor Guillermo taught me that the most important thing I have to offer the Lord on the mission field is my obedience.
As it was with Pastor Guillermo, so I want it to be with Pastor Billy. I want to love others more than myself and to prize relationships over ego…Christ above self.
The lesson of my mission field has not been an identity crisis, but rather has been the fertile soil to finding my true identity in Christ. Not everyone will need a trip to South America to learn how to part with their selfishness, but as Elaine will attest, I’ve never been very good at doing things the easy way. God used Pastor Guillermo to humble Pastor Billy.
I’m so glad for the occasion to have met him in the little village of Tacachia.
peace for the journey~
Billy
If you want to learn more about the medical mission society that helped us organize our trip to Bolivia, please click on this link to Curamericas. Details about the Kory Wawanaca Children’s Home of Tacachia, Bolivia can be viewed at their website.
Pastor Billy – Guillermo!
What a lovely surprise!
“Wherever you are, if you are a baptized believer in Jesus Christ, you are in the mission field”
This is a wonderful reminder. In our small group we often talk of mission trips. A couple of the gals go to Guatemala and El Salvador every year. A gentleman in our group asked the question “what about the mission field in our own back yard?”
We are missionaries in a foreign land. Our homeland – heaven. And until we return home…
God Bless You!
I see that writing runs through the family, huh?
I love the statement: “the lesson…ha not been an identity crisis, but rather has been…finding my true identity in Christ.”
Thanks for sharing.
P
WOW what a treat! Thank you for sharing. Beautiful — Hubby, I think you need your own blog. Thanks for sharing the good news with others around this world. May God continue to multiply the seeds you planted. Blessings.
This is my first time here, but I will certainly be back. What a heart you have, Mr. Elaine (hehe), and an incredible message for all of us. Thank you.
I agree with Paula, God has put together a beautiful, faithful, family of writers.
I love the humbling thoughts you shared. Isn’t is true of all of us.
If we could let go of what we think defines us, imagine what God could do if we would all just be how He designed us.
What a blessing that you got to go on this mission with your son.
God Bless,
Amy:)
Thanks so much for this gentle reminder that we are in the mission field every day we are on this earth. Mission trips to other countries are important, both to those we visit and to us. We go to bless others and come away blessed. But the mission trip of every day is the one that is hardest to take. It means being faithful to walk in His steps every single moment, every single day. We can’t do it, of course. But we can take two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward…. It is our faithfulness more than our successes that make God smile. Blessings, marlene
Pastor Guillermo~My Pastor Billy,
Thank you for your blog. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing. I remember going on my first mission trip and asking myself, “What do I have to offer these people” and it did not take me long to realize that I was on the receiving end of something much more special than what I was giving them. Amen!
Thank you for serving on a mission team for OUR new orphanage in Bolivia. It’s always amazing the reciprocal blessings that occur in true love.
We have a good friend who is getting ready to graduate Asbury…he love it there.
Continued blessings for you and your family
I loved reading of your quick surrender.
1 Corinthians 9:22 “Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ.” NLT
Our names are in many ways the most personal things about us, yet you gave up any pride in your own identity to be identified with Christ. What a beautiful demonstration of love…your love for others and your love for Christ.
Glad you’re home safely. I was praying for you and Nick and all your family while you were away. It’s been nice to “meet” you.
Blessings,
Joy
This was just an amazing testimony of God’s life changing power. Thank you so much for sharing.
My name,Sita, actually is the name of a Hindu goddess, a wife, a paragon of virtue. Most Hindu converts change their name to an English ‘Christian’ name. However, my mom wanted us to retain our ‘Indian’ roots (our names)without identifying with the Hindu religion. And now that I have lived in the most multicultural city on earth, home to the largest South Asian community outside of India, I find that non-Christians open easily to me with my ‘name’.
Just last night when some moms gathered together for prayer, we looked at the root and spiritual connotations of names as we prayed for our children. May the Spirit continue to water that seed sown for His glory. Already there is fruit, blessing us as we share in God’s story in your life. Thank you.
Awesome! Not only was it fun to hear a bit about your missions trip, but to savor the reminder that it’s all – every scintilla – about relationships!
Way to go Pastor Guillermo!
Kathleen
What a beautiful post! It is a wonderful reminder that our true identity is in Christ and that one day, we’ll each receive a new name (Rev. 2:17).
Thank you for sharing such an insightful post!
Thank you, pastor Guillermo (Billy) for sharing this amazing experience and the lessons you learned.
May nothing become a stumbling block in my life for sharing the love of Christ!
Thanks for the challenge and inspriation!
Pastor Guillermo! What a lovely name! I used to work with a gentleman by that name and we called him “G” as Guillermo is sometimes hard to roll off of the American tongue!
Loved hearing about your journey and the resulting rewards. May God continue to reveal your true identity in Him.
Prayers and blessings,
Rebecca
Oh, and you are the number one fan of an awesome lady!
Our precious Billy, Pastor Billy, and Pastor Guillermo,
No matter what name you use, you are the joy of our lives, and we are so moved by your words in this blog, by your humility, your love, your grace and power, and by the Christ you represented to these beautiful people of Bolivia. We rejoice in it all and look forward to further stories and insights from you and Nick as the days go by. What you have shared affects our lives too; you and your family and the church are planting seeds of hope, friendship, support, and love.
God bless you!!!
Mom and Dad
What a precious gift to share such a humbling experience with your son! I have enjoyed hearing about your trip through Elaine’s eyes, and now in your very own words. I love the picture your story paints. To die to the things that we hold dear…to reach others with the Gospel…such wisdom!
It matters not where he takes you, but that you go my friend. It is your testament of faith AND humility that God smiles upon. Thank you for your willingness to be so honest in such an open forum. I am absolutely sure that the people of Tacachia were blessed by your love “Pastor Guillermo”. Use what they taught you in such an humble setting, and allow it not only to bless and enrich your life, but those that you come in contact with here. God bless you my friend.
Thank you for sharing these powerful lessons learned through “Pastor Guillermo.” Allowing your identity to be defined by Christ, no titles, no credentials…what a lesson to us all!
May God Bless You!
Tracy
Loved your post! Through Elaine’s eyes, I already had utmost respect for you, known as Billy, but now even more so as Pastor Guillermo!
These mission trips are truly life changing. It would be good if everyone could go at least one time on a mission trip in some of the countries where they have so little in material goods and yet so rich in the spiritual.
Thanks so much for your wonderful sharing of the trip.
I also enjoyed looking at the slide presentation of the precious children in Bolivia
Billy, Guillermo,
What a great post! When we lose ourselves in Christ, what wonderful surprises He has in store for us!
Thank you for sharing the blessings God rained on you in Bolivia. What a blessing to serve Him!