Most of us didn’t like the fact that we couldn’t go to the Amazon last year and we look forward with hope for a better year of ministry that looks more like normal. But we still cannot be sure this year if the pandemic will allow us to return and we may have to wait longer.

While all of this feels like a setback for ministry and we hope to makeup for lost time, we need to remember that our plans are not as great as God’s plans and just maybe he has something greater that he wants to accomplish. We have to remind ourselves that our plans are postponed but God’s plans are always right on time.

We have good intentions, we all agree that people need to hear the good news, so any delay can make us wonder why God has allowed it. It may be difficult to accept but God often uses delays to accomplish his purpose.

The Apostle Paul experienced this concept when he was prevented from going to certain places and delayed from going to other places until a later time. Paul was willing to wait for the green light and to take detours to new destinations as he was led by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 16:6, Romans 1:13, Romans 15:22)

Just maybe this pandemic was the necessary opportunity to prove the faith of the church that has already been established in the Amazon. Our church plants have became a resource to bring life saving equipment and to share the love of Jesus.

Maybe those of us that love to go were forced to stay so that the network of churches could be strengthened in their faith to step up to a new level of spiritual devotion to take the gospel to their surrounding communities.