Not Our Family!

Escaping comfort of suburban life gives family a trip of a lifetime
By Eileen Griffin

God chose to take our family, and, despite our shortcomings and inexperience, use us to minister to His people in Comas, Peru. Our God had direct intention for every new friendship, every conversation, every nail pounded and every child hugged. I am so grateful God does not exclude the imperfect and slow learners. Our job as a family was to remain open to His will and follow His direction, even if in baby steps.

In Comas, I watched my children, Nicole and Taylor, reach out to young children, the sick and the elderly. Whether it was a soccer game or face painting or praying in homes, they shared Christ’s gospel message of love by both word and action. My husband, Bud, received the title of honorary “Peruvian.” He worked in sync with local countrymen building a small home from rubble. Probably more significant was the soul connection between men, despite a language barrier, connecting through Christ and His message of redemption.

People! The Griffin family just doesn’t do that kind of thing! Not out loud, anyway. I found myself riding in a crowded van through dirt covered hillside roads each evening. We were armed with our Bibles, prayers, and a bodyguard as we prepared to visit the sick and lonely. I just sat in a surreal frame of mind thinking, “I just don’t do this kind of thing.” But really, this is exactly what Christ has called me to do in the Gospels—to share the good news of Jesus Christ our Savior. Maybe God was calling our family to “live out loud”—to take a chance on Christ and share His message.

It was absolutely amazing to see Christ’s work in action in the hearts of people we met as strangers and came to know as brothers and sisters in Christ. I think I may sound like a religious fanatic, but I was simply a firsthand witness to God’s work in action. The fact that He took a handful of ordinary folks from Nashville and dispersed them in Peru along with a fairly solid language barrier, yet continued to work through us, is a miracle in itself.