Adventure in the Ybytyrusu Mountains

(View this update and many others in our February Ministry Update.)

Ahh, yesss.  I love this part of our ministry.    It combines some of my greatest passions: youth ministry, discipleship, and backpacking.  This is a ministry that I plan to offer two times a year to the youth leaders that I am regularly meeting with. 

In fact, the youth leader backpacking trips are meant to go hand in hand with our trainings.  We are blessed to live near Paraguay’s highest mountains (also where our new camp property is located).  Since much of Paraguay is flat these mountains can be seen from most of our surrounding communities. 

For example, as I talked up this backpacking trip one of my youth leaders, Olimpio (above with arms spread wide), he started to get excited.  His parents’ farm, though an hour and half away, has a spectacular view of the Ybytyrusu mountains.  So while milking cattle and tending the fields Olimpio would think about our upcoming trip. 

 

What continually amazes me is that though most of these guys have grown up in view of the mountains almost none of them have ever hiked a trail, seen a waterfall or stood on top of a mountain there.  I count it a privilege to be the one to show them some of these places for the first time as we meet with God together in one of the most beautiful parts of their country. 

Once in the mountains I led four studies in Hebrews 10.  Around a camp fire we engaged in discussion about the importance of drawing near to God.  On top of Paraguay’s third highest mountain we watched a storm roll in below us while contemplating why we need to regularly meet with other Christians and go to church.  Sitting on rocks beside a cascading waterfall we meditated on God’s coming judgment and challenged each other not to shrink back but to persevere to the end!  

In one day we hiked close to 20 miles!  It stretched many of the guys to their limits forcing them to look to God and each other for strength.  Now that the trip is over they haven’t stopped talking about it and asking when we’re going to do it again!