Toni

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I was born in North America to parents preparing for mission work and spent my childhood and youth with the Terena people of west central Brazil. While living with them I placed my faith in Christ and was baptized by a Terena pastor in the Aquidauana River in the state of South Mato Grosso. My parents were (and are) deeply committed to the growth of a truly indigenous church among tribal people and my sisters and I were steeped in this all our lives.

After high school I left my adopted country for Bible school in Canada and college in the States with the idea of going to medical school and returning to serve the Indian people of South America in this capacity. However, while in college I was influenced by a mentor who encouraged me to consider truly committing to South America by going to medical school here. After prayerful consideration, I and my family decided I should follow this course. A quote from Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet" captures what I was feeling. He said, "The lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul and then walks grinning in the funeral". I felt that if I did not make a final decision and "burn the ships", I would end up losing my passion to the comforts I was becoming accustomed to in the North American academic setting. The decision was made and I left for South America. Although this might seem extreme it was, after all, not that great a leap for me. I was used to living in South America and had been taught by word, example and personal experience to respect and adapt to other cultures. Thus, it was somewhat less difficult for me to make the pilgrimage to Bolivia, via Brazil, to attend medical school, marry a Bolivian and rear my family here in Bolivia.

Placido was introduced to the Ayoré people by a retired South America Mission missionary. It was an obvious decision for me to follow him into this ministry. I am grateful that after so many years of moving from country to country I have finally put down some roots and made this country my own. At the same time I know God blesses those whose hearts are set on pilgrimage and who recognize this world is not our final home. I never want to be so rooted in one place that I would be unwilling to move if God asked this of me.
 

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