Have you ever gone on a trip where you lacked the contacts and resources you needed, but you felt God guiding you to do it anyway? This is the kind of journey that Jesus sent his disciples on in Luke 9 and 10. It seems crazy - why do that? I think it was so that they could see that he would provide for them. The journey helped them to trust him more deeply as they began to do what they'd seen Jesus do.

Here's how their adventure starts. "He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey - no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town."

It sounds radical, but maybe Jesus still wants to prove himself to us in this modern day as he did with his disciples. Maybe he still wants to send his disciples - you and me - on Luke 10 trips to experience God as a partner in ministry.

It's normal for us as Americans living in the richest country in history to live life in our own strength, not ever learning how to radically trust the Lord. How are we ever going to trust him as he wants to be trusted unless we run out of options and have to lean into him? Just because our churches don't give us those opportunities doesn't mean that Jesus doesn't want to give them to us.

What if the example of the disciples was actually what God intended for us? Don't we as followers of Christ deserve the opportunity to see if the example of a journey without resources in Luke 10 is still relevant to us today?

Stories like the one Ryan Otto and Gabe Sanchez experienced in Guatemala can help us see the possibilities available to us. Gabe tells the story of how they left from Antigua to Lake Atitlan, leaving as the disciples did without money, expecting God to provide for them along the way.

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Gabe Sanchez's story

Ryan and I started towards a town called San Bartolomeo, a small town just outside of Antigua. We walked around the city, speaking to a few people but really trying to discern what God had for us.

Along the way, we met by a woman outside her house. She had a noticeable lump on her neck.

We stopped to talk with her. We shared our story, "We are here missionaries sent on a mission from Antigua to our home in Lake Atitlan. We felt God asking us to go without money, food, or transportation. We believe that God has people like you for us to talk to as we go. Is there was anything we can do for you or pray about for you?"

The woman responded, "As you can see, I have had a growth in my throat the size of a tennis ball for more than 5 years. It is terrible. I have been struggling to raise enough money to have the surgery necessary."

I said, "It must be so awful for you. I'm so sorry for your pain. Could Ryan and I pray for you?"

"Oh yes, that would be wonderful," she responded.

So we laid hands on her and began to pray.

As we did, this swollen mass that had made swallowing so difficult for years, began to soften. The lump decreased under our very hands. We could feel it changing as we prayed! And then her throat fully opened. The look on her face was priceless - she was shocked and amazed. She was healed.

What an experience! We talked to her some more and she shared her story, "I'm a single mother of 9 children. My husband was was physically abusive to me and the children, so I had to take them and leave. My life has been so hard."

We spent more time talking to her and trying to encourage her. She had seen God's goodness. She seemed so much brighter than when we first stopped to talk to her.

Eventually we continued on our journey. Ryan and I walked behind the market, preparing our minds for the long hike along the highway leading to Lake Atitlan, about 100 miles away.

Suddenly, Ryan got the sense we were supposed to enter an alley with merchants selling artisan crafts. Have you ever had a thought like that and wondered if it was just your own mind or maybe God speaking to you? You can feel a little crazy when you're trying to listen to God, being responsive to his direction. But we've seen him respond enough times and we were trying to lean into it on this trip.

"I think we need to go over to that alley way," Ryan said.

"Let's go!" I responded.

So we stopped in the alley and began talking to a few merchants. We didn't ask for anything other than the opportunity to bless them in some way. As we spoke there was a booth that caught my eye. A girl stood in front of her family’s little stand. She had been staring at us the whole time. I asked her where she was from. She responded “My name was Sandra. I'm here with my family. We are from Lake Atitlan.”

We began to share our situation with the family, asking them how could we love and bless them. The family huddled together for about one minute when Sandra looked over and said, “Why don't you go with us to Santiago, Lake Atitlan? We could take you there.”

Ryan and I were stunned! We had not asked for anything other than the opportunity to love and bless. Yet the Lord moved the hearts of this family to take us on a 2.5 hour van ride!

We sat in the back of the van trying to wrap our minds around the goodness and the provision of the Lord when Sandra said, "You look hungry. Would you like some of our chicken wings? Here's a bottle of water."

Every doubt I had about the Lord being my provider was being squashed. Here we were, sitting the back row of a van full of indigenous, Mayan-cultured Guatemalans, driving through the mountainous terrain in the dusk of the day.

Would they take us to the lake? Would they drop us off in the middle of nowhere? Where would we sleep for the night?

Sitting quietly in the back of the van I had these questions rushing through my mind.

However there was a peace, for the Lord had shown his miraculous hand through healing and provision.

As we arrived to the town of Santiago, approximately 8 hours from our home by foot, Ryan and I thought about what the Lord had next. We had been granted this amazing ride, but it was nighttime and there were no boats running and no chance of walking to our home an eight hour walk away. So we were preparing for the possibility of sleeping outside for the night.

As we stepped out of the van, Sandra said, "Why don't you follow me?"

Not knowing what she had in mind, we said, "sure" and followed her through this dimly-lit walkway. She led us to a house, and there she turned to us and said, "This is a bedroom. Would you be our guests here tonight?"

What?

We were in a room with a full size bed and a full length couch.

At this point, Ryan and I were nearly in tears out of gratefulness. We did not ask for any of these things!

Sandra introduced us to Elena, her aunt and the owner of the house. She had been with us in the van, but had not said anything to us.

Elena shared with me her story. She was a single mother and lived with her son Axel. Elena’s ex-husband left her for another woman and beat her regularly. She was in tears as she talked.

As we sat with her, we had a chance to bring her some comfort, speaking truths of the amazing woman she is and the blessing she has been to me and Ryan.

I asked her the question that had been racing through my mind since the moment I stepped in the van. “Why did you take us in? 

She responded, “I am the hospitality manager at my church. It is my duty to make people feel welcomed when they come on Sundays. Since my husband left me, I began praying to God that he would bring me some missionaries to take in and care of. I have been praying this for almost 10 years and I have never received any missionaries.”

My jaw dropped.

She continued, “When I saw you guys and heard that you were missionaries, I felt the Lord say, "Those are the missionaries I have brought you. I knew I was supposed to take you in, except I was too nervous to approach you. When you guys came over to speak with us, it was confirmation.” 

Seriously, isn’t that the most incredible thing you have ever heard? Ryan and I on this journey were an answered prayer that started a decade before we arrived!

At this point, we were laughing. "We thought the van was going to drop us off in the middle of nowhere!"

She said, "We didn't know who you were. Everyone in the van thought the two of you were thieves!"

Ryan and I continued to laugh. We had know idea that's what they were thinking!

Later we cooked a delicious dinner and had a chance to rest up for the next day. Just like the disciples with Jesus, we had left on our journey without any resources. We were forced to depend on him and his faithfulness was far beyond anything we could have imagined!

The trip showed us that what Jesus asked his disciples to do in Luke 10 still works! He still wants to prove himself faithful to us. Our faith grew so much through the experience. It was part of our training to represent Jesus no matter where he sends us. And it's part of the training we realize that he wants us to give to other followers of Christ.

Have you ever had a Luke 10 journey? If not, why not ask the Lord to send you on one - it could change your life as it did mine!