The Climb Back Up

<p>Picture yourself at the edge of a cliff 27 metres above the water, about as high as an eight-storey building. If you jump, you'll fall for just three seconds and hit the surface at around 85 kilometres an hour. Even the pros feel the nerves: British cliff diver Aidan Heslop admits, "If you're not nervous doing this sport, something is going to go wrong." *</p>

<p>Chances are, you'll never make that kind of jump. But if you've served on a GO Trip, you know a similar moment. It's those "butterflies" in your stomach. Your preparation is behind you, a circle of children's faces is looking up at you, and your heart is pounding.</p>

<p>That was Stephen during his GO Trip to Paraná, a state in Southern Brazil.</p>

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<p>It was Monday, the team's first day camp at a local school. One leader had warned that young hearts coming might not be open to the gospel. Instead, the children filled the place with joy, throwing themselves into every song and game and listening closely as they heard about Jesus.</p>

<p>Stephen had prepared for this moment before the trip. But when he sat down to lead his small group of kids through the gospel message, his mind went blank. The words wouldn't come. He stumbled through, unsure how to reach the children in front of him, feeling like his first jump had ended in a belly flop.</p>

<p>Later that day, Stephen began to see what he had missed in the moment. God had taken his imperfect offering and was already using it. His part was simply to stay faithful and climb back up to the edge.</p>

<p>So, on Tuesday, when he sat down with a new group of young children, he came ready with something small but powerful: questions. He hoped they would keep the little ones engaged as he walked them through the 12 Truths in the <em>Spark</em> magazine, a Scripture-based resource that shares the gospel one truth at a time.</p>

<p>When he reached the fifth truth, all about God's gift, he knew where to start. After all, what child doesn't love presents? He asked them about the best gift they had ever received.</p>

<p>Hands shot up, and the answers tumbled out. A PlayStation 5. A unicorn plushie. A phone. Stephen smiled. These were just the answers he had expected.</p>

<p>Then a rather quiet boy raised his hand. He didn't name a toy or a gadget. He said just one word.</p>

<p>"Love."</p>

<p>Stephen could hardly believe such insight from someone so young. He built on the boy's answer to share the heart of the gospel: God's love, shown in Jesus, is the greatest gift anyone could receive, and it makes every other gift wonderful.</p>

<p>And the conversation wasn't over yet. Later, when it was the children's turn to ask questions, the girl who had named her unicorn plushie raised her hand. "Is love the best gift God could give us?" she asked.</p>

<p>The team was overjoyed to tell her yes. God's love is the greatest gift of all, because through Jesus, it opens the way to live life together with Him.</p>

<p>Only a day earlier, Stephen had struggled to find a single word. Now a little girl was asking the very question the <em>Spark</em> magazine was made to answer. He hadn't needed a perfect first jump, just the courage to climb back up and the trust that God would carry him the rest of the way.</p>

<p>Cliff divers don't walk away after one rough entry. They climb back up, take a breath, and step to the edge again.</p>

<p>If your last GO Trip had its shaky moments, that's not the end of the story. And if you've never been on one, your first jump might be closer than you think.</p>

<p>The edge is still there, and somewhere a quiet child is getting ready to raise a hand. Your next jump is waiting.</p>

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<p>"The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again..." Proverbs 24:16a</p>
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<p>*Sources: Red Bull, "What happens when a cliff diver hits the water at 85kph? Here are 8 things," https://www.redbull.com/int-en/the-science-of-red-bull-cliff-diving; Red Bull, "POV: What it feels like to cliff dive up to 27m," https://www.redbull.com/us-en/what-it-feels-like-to-cliff-dive</p>