Answering a Call… to South Africa

By Christen Aquino

It’s a Wednesday morning.  I notice the caller ID on my phone; it’s one of my best friends, Kelly, who serves as the VP of Program Development for Life Teen.  I barely get the greeting out when she asks, “Do you want to go to South Africa?”  I pause.  “Come again?”  She says more slowly, “Do you want to join me in Cape Town, South Africa for their annual Life Teen Empower Conference?  Please say yes.”

Six weeks later, I find myself on a 15-hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, or Joburg, as it’s known by locals.  Apart from sleeping, I’m thinking about the two keynote talks I’ve been asked to give: one of which is, “Answering a Call: Why Did God Call Me?”  No surprise, this is the same question I’ve been asking myself since Kelly asked me to attend the conference.  Certainly there are more eloquent, more equipped people to be here, than me - a youth minister from Ohio.  Why did God call me?

In prayer and reflection, I was drawn to think about the time I was invited to Haiti on a mission trip to Life Teen’s first mission base (2013) and to Israel on pilgrimage (2016, 2019), and I realized that often God has to move me outside my comfort zone to get my attention; to stretch me and help me grow; and to force me to rely on Him alone.  The experience of being in South Africa certainly provided me with these moments; seeing the beauty and diversity of the Church, the jaw-dropping splendor of God’s creation in Table Mountain and the surrounding topography, and total reliance on God while being away from the familiarity and safety of home.

Additionally, as I reflected on the question of why did God call me to go all the way to South Africa, just to give two keynotes, I reflected on St. Paul, Timothy, and the early church.  Why did they travel places, like I had done, like other priests and youth ministers had done, coming from as far as the country of Ghana to Cape Town to attend this conference?  St. Paul and his companions traveled to visit other communities for the sake of one another - encouraging and strengthening one another in faith and continuing to proclaim the Gospel.  The conference brought together over 130 youth ministers, priests, and religious together from across South Africa, as well as a special delegation from Ghana looking to bring Life Teen to their country as a means to better serve their young church.

While these reflections helped ease some of my doubts at being asked to attend the conference in Cape Town, I still couldn’t get past the feeling of unworthiness at the call to be there.  This brought me to pray with one of my favorite Scripture passages: Peter Walking on Water (Matthew 14: 22-33).  If you’re not familiar with it, I encourage you to read and pray through it, but to summarize: Jesus has just fed the five thousand, he sends the disciples off in a boat, while he dismisses the crowd and goes off to pray.  While Jesus is praying, the disciples are caught in a storm at sea.

​​As the story continues, Jesus comes toward them, walking on the sea, and the disciples become even more terrified.  “At once, Jesus spoke to them, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’  Peter said to him in reply, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’  Jesus said, ‘Come.’”

Have you ever stopped to wonder what qualified Peter to walk on water?  It’s not because he was fearless or the leader.  Nothing qualified Peter to walk on water, except that Jesus called Him.  “Peter said to him in reply, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’  Jesus said, ‘Come.’”

God doesn’t call Peter according to his skill set or qualifications.  God values Peter’s availability over his ability.  God sees something in Peter - who Peter can be with Him.  He does the same thing for us.  We need to make ourselves available to God and trust in the work He can do through us.

Ultimately, I went to South Africa because I made myself available to God’s invitation. I’m not perfect, not the most eloquent speaker, not the most experienced, but I was able to trust that He would bring me through it and that His work would be accomplished in me.  When doubts began to enter, I look back at all the unqualified people God has called throughout Scripture:

• Moses had a stutter
• Timothy was too young
• Abraham was too old
• Jeremiah was depressed
• David was an adulterer
• Paul was a murderer
• Peter was a failed fisherman, who betrayed Jesus

God is calling each of us to do what is impossible so that we have to rely solely on Him.  He reminds us in John’s Gospel, “without me you can do nothing.”  But “with God, all things are possible.”  Even walking on water. 

FOR REFLECTION

• How have you relied more on your own ability than on God?
• How can you make yourself more available to God?
• What work do you think God wants to do with you (and through you)?
• Have you never had a “walking on water” experience?  That is, something God called you to that was beyond your ability that He brought to fruition?