No but seriously

A short time ago I asked one of our Nest staff to compile a list of all the troublesome creatures she could think of which live in the jungle around here, and how they could harm us. I’ve been trying to stock our new infirmary to be able to render first aid specifically to our environment. She came back to me about a week later with some facts and pictures of quite a few different kinds of spiders, ants, scorpions, and snakes. She had the list divided into two. Very matter a fact she pointed to the first and said “ these are bad,” pointing to the second list she said “and these will kill you."

Yikes! Ok I thought, on-top of the falling trees, flooding rivers, now I have to watch the very ground on where I step. Two of these snakes from the “kill list” , are particularly treacherous. Unlike coral, and some pit viper models who advertise their danger with bright vibrant colors, the Bushmaster ( matabue) and the feared Terciopelo, these two are ambush hunters. Perfectly stealth, they are so camouflaged i couldn’t see one if I was staring right at it.

Now I fully know these guys are not out to stalk me and eat me for lunch, mice and frogs are more to their taste. But they do startle on a hair trigger and with lightning speed. I’m not going to bore you with the fascinating medical science of in-venomation, but it’s devastatingly serious.

As I look over the Nest this morning, I ponder on what other dangers are out there that could bring harm or malice. Apart from the obvious natural causes, there are far more serious predators afoot. In general, the Nest has been welcomed into the community by many, but not by all. Alcohol and drug-infused men filled with hate and violence have approached us with a sinister curiosity. Some of the very men whom have abused the girls we are now sheltering, are living and abusing other girls within a half-mile of the Nest! The community tolerates this evil and some even send a warning for them to go into hiding when the police come to arrest them. There is this sense of apathy and self-devaluation, that creeps about, like “ oh well, it is what it is “. As a missionary, I arrived here with a heart full of the joy of God’s righteousness, only to slam headfirst into this huge wall of “who cares." I can tell them in every which way that Jesus cares, but it’s not real for them unless they believe it. To be fair, there are some who do believe in the transforming relationship that a creator God wants to have with us, but it’s a very small minority. Tiny.

So what can we at the Nest do about all these seen and unseen dangers?

Well, very practically, we can start with rubber boots. Both to shield us from the fangs of the Terciopelo, but also as a spiritual barrier of scripture’s promises, that sets our hearts and minds on a future hope beyond the present pitfalls. I’m sad to say this, but we also need a fence. A good one. It will bring a certain sense of security to us and our resident girls, that we are here to protect them. Currently, we are pretty much just protected by the wall of jungle; we are remote but not isolated. I firmly believe that God has, does, and will continue to put a bubble of protection over the Nest, but a good sturdy fence wouldn’t hurt either.

As to the gloomy spirit of apathy that permeates this culture, our defense is the Joy of the Lord. I’m not saying we always have to be “ rainbows and unicorns," but the strength of our heart determines our actions, and the BriBri are watching. Like a saying in our 12-step meetings “its attraction, not promotion.”

That, and endurance and lots of it.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14

And what if we do get bitten by one of these

“kill list" snakes? Well, time is going to matter, a lot. Our cherished off-grid remoteness will not be an advantage then. In nearly all cases of venomous snake bites, the only definitive treatment is the early administration of anti-venom. Currently, we don’t have any, but I’m working on it ( apparently there’s a nationwide shortage). But what we are not short of and actually have an abundance of, is an anti-venom of a different sort. It holds the life-saving cure that we can administer to ourselves, our staff, resident girls, and the BriBri people around us. That anti-venom is Jesus. Let me show you how.

In medicine, venom is extracted from live poisonous snakes. (Who wants that job!). This venom is then injected into another animal, usually horses or pigs. The immune system of the animal creates antibodies to that specific venom. So anti-venom is not actually the venom but the antibody that seeks it out, locks it up, and renders it innocuous.

So Jesus took the fatal fangs and venom of sin, his blood and death rendered it powerless and by faith we are injected with the very antibodies in His blood and are therefore immune to the end result of sin, which is death, in all its forms.

Pretty cool, right!?

But do keep your boots on nonetheless.

With love and gratitude,

James Beach