It’s day 8 of the trek in the Georgian mountains- I’m cold, I’m hungry, and I’m tired.
That afternoon, our team had arrived to the small village of Adishi just as the daily rain started to pour. We waited out the storm in a guesthouse, expecting to camp nearby that night, but were encouraged to push to a campsite another 6km away. My stomach was growling, and while I watched other guests feast on bread and watermelon, I pleaded with God for someone to offer us something to eat. No one offered and the rain stopped, and when our group left, I angry-hiked ahead of the group, venting at God over the situation and over my discomfort. “Why, God?”
As I turn a bend, I see something odd in the trail. My team catches up and are all shocked by what we see. In front of us are three pristine boiled eggs and a single tomato, right in the middle of the trail. Despite other passing trekkers, cows grazing nearby, and the previous rainstorm, everything is intact, clean, and completely dry. Each of us got ½ an egg and a bite of tomato, and it was definitely the best egg I’ve ever had. There was no denying what it was: actual manna from heaven.
This story is one of my favorites from the trek, but it’s only one of many just like it.
When we were praying and preparing to begin the second half of our trek, we specifically heard that we were to hike from our current location of Mazeri to the larger tourist-town called Mestia. There were several hesitations and worries amongst the group- it would take a few days, there aren’t any guest houses, and it would be pretty off-grid. But we chose to submit and obey in faith that it would be good. When we were at the store buying food for the next leg, we ran into a local guide and shared what we were doing. He strongly discouraged us from our plans to hike to Mestia, and instead told us that we should drive to Mestia and hike the last part of the trail to Ushguli. I was super frustrated, because this went directly against what God told us not an hour earlier, but we couldn’t discount our chance encounter with a guide without at least taking it to the Lord. With our taxi driver waiting in the car, our team sat in the rain and prayed again, trying to discern which path the Lord wanted us to take. It took a while to silence our own thoughts, but the group finally decided that God was now asking us to change our plans- to hike from Mestia to Ushguli- but with an added twist. In spite of the longer distance and more guesthouses, God asked us to not pay for shelter or food, nor directly ask for it, which explains the situation at the beginning of this blog.
From the very beginning, when God asked me to leave my pack in Tbilisi, He asked if I would trust Him. Faith and obedience were constant themes throughout our entire trek. As our plans changed and fell through (on day 1 our bus took us to an incorrect town 3 hours from the trail), it became more clear to me that God needed to be the one in charge. From there, God kept asking us to do hard things- things that didn’t make sense, things that challenged us, things that required us to lay down our desires and expectations. God wanted to grow and refine my faith past merely saying “I believe.” My faith had to be active. It was sometimes confusing, and sometimes frustrating, but every time we stepped forward in stubborn obedience, God showed up.
When we rerouted, God provided us free transportation to exact spot where we needed to start.
We saw glaciers, secluded villages, and beautiful mountains that we would have otherwise missed out on.
Because we tent-camped, every night we were able to have a quiet, secluded space to connect with God and share time as a team. Plus the STARS!
We definitely experienced hunger, but God multiplied the small amount of food that we brought and still provided for us at least one meal a day- including the eggs and tomato!
The leg from Mestia to Ushguli is the most popular portion of the trail, and we got to meet so many other trekkers from all over the world. Some we got to share the Gospel with for the very first time, and others were fellow believers who we got to swap testimonies with.
If in our pride and human understanding, we decided to disobey God’s new instruction to us, we would have missed out on all of this.
In my biggest moment of confusion and doubt- when God asked us to reroute, He reminded me of Abraham, whose faith was tested at the altar with Isaac. Abraham’s faith was displayed in his obedience, even to the point of almost sacrificing his only son- the son which God promised would father nations. (Talk about a reroute!)
Recently, I’ve been reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship. He writes “only those who believe are obedient, and only those who are obedient can believe.”
“For faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience…no one should be surprised at the difficulty of faith, if there is some part of his life where he is consciously (or unconsciously ) resisting or disobeying the commandments of Jesus…The situation is therefore not the consequence of our obedience, but the gift of him who commands obedience. Unless we are prepared to enter into that situation, our faith will be unreal, and we shall deceive ourselves.”
We know that our works aren’t what justifies us, and so we write off radical obedience as “legalism” and “outdated.” But obedience is faith- believing God at His word and giving Him Lordship. Obedience alone isn’t what saves us, but it’s often necessary to discover the One who does. Abraham put Isaac on the altar, Moses went to Pharaoh, and Peter stepped out of the boat, all in faith.
If you want to really experience God and see supernatural evidence of His presence in your life, listen to His commands and obey.
Mary what an incredible account and testimony. I struggle with authentic faith and perhaps it’s an obedience issue. Your words inspire me to reflect on my own actions and to really be honest with myself. Thank you Mary!
This is a true testimony of trust and faith in the One and Only God! I am reminded often by your experiences that God always provides! Always! We only need to trust and wait! He provides for you and your teammates across the world and He provides for me and my “teammates” here. Always!!!
Such a fun story! And these photos are awesome!