At certain times of the year, morning glories line the Northern Highway that runs between Corozal town and Orange Walk town in northern Belize. They don’t call your attention like the beautiful bougainvillea that take your breath away, making you wonder if Belize might just be a jewel among the countries of the earth. They are much more humble. You will miss them unless you travel the road frequently. They creep along the dusty, dirty shoulder where nothing else but sneezeweed would dare to lay down their roots. They make it clear that they have not been cultivated. They haven’t been planted there with human forethought and care. They come up on their own, roots deep under ground, impossible to get rid of even if you wanted.

Of all the gorgeous flowers in Belize, morning glories are among my favorites. I love a flower that refuses to take the hint that they are unwanted. They don’t mind the car exhaust, the dead animals being eaten up by vultures, the compacted earth that could never be used as planting soil. They don’t mind that they rarely get any notice.

It reminds me of our good God, who is always at work even in the darkest places. There are many places in our world that seem abandoned, ugly and without hope. Sometimes those places even appear in our churches, communities, homes and even our hearts. Relationships that don’t seem be able to be mended. Sins that can’t seem to be overcome. Loved ones that turn their back on their faith.

Ministry can also be like that dusty roadside. It can seem like the soil has been compacted by years of car exhaust and neglect. But God has promised that His Word will not return void. Like the humble morning glory, the Holy Spirit is at work, hidden, among roots that can’t be removed even if someone tried. And at the right moment, beauty and growth appear–maybe not in a flashy, take your breath away kind of growth–but real nonetheless. It is an honor for us to work along side national brothers and be a witness to the fruit of the gospel in northern Belize.

It is our privilege as missionaries to be used by God, whether He chooses to make our ministry is more like the bougainvillea, or more like the humble morning glory. We are currently in the middle of a six-month home ministry assignment. We are visiting our U.S. supporting churches, in states like North and South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas and California. It is our prayer that as we report on our ministry in Belize, that God would use us to encourage the saints that we can trust our faithful Lord. We are actually pretty tired by all the travel, even as we enjoy sweet fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is encouraging also for us to see how God is at work in the U.S. Some churches are growing and thriving, while others are struggling, and trying to revitalize again. But it is the same Holy Spirit that is doing His work deep in the hearts of His people,

 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Romans 15:13