Tracy Evans shared with Kris Vallotton what sustained her during difficult times as a missionary.
Tracy Evans
The Stanford Physician Assistant and Christian missionary, Tracy Evans, discussed her experiences during missions. She was joined by Kris Vallotton as she recounted the challenging moments she had faced and the valuable lessons she had learned. Tracy mentioned the tough times when she needed to readjust her theology while living for five years with 20,000 squatters in a garbage dump in the Philippines.
She described it as a season where everything seemed to happen at once. A plague swept through and devastated the children in the area.
“I was so depressed and discouraged. We were digging graves as fast as we could,” she mentioned.
She was still a young believer at that time, and she was struggling. She humbly shared that she had all the zeal but lacked wisdom and experience. The people needed vaccines to halt the plague, and they were accessible, but she had no money to purchase them. It was tormenting for her to witness the children falling ill and dying.
A Difficult Moment
Furthermore, she highlighted, “Those times, um, you feel like you’re at the end of your rope. Well, I was at the end of my thread, and I’m hanging on with everything within me.” Sadly, during that challenging period, she was also sick and on the verge of death. She feared losing her sanity or even her faith. She felt like she was hanging onto the edge of a cliff, wanting to cling on with all her strength, but she was reaching her limits.
Kris Vallotton. (Screenshot). (2024). Cultural Catalysts with Tracy Evans, Retrieved March 20, 2024 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckkmtCBpcrY
Moreover, God spoke to her and reminded her of His love. As she looked out her door, she saw a father teaching his little girl how to walk. He held her hands as they walked together until the girl attempted to walk on her own. After taking a few steps, she stumbled over something, nearly face-planting into the steamy garbage.
Held by the Father
Suddenly, her father scooped her into his arms and nestled her over his heart. After a while, they started to giggle, and that’s when God told her, “Tracy girl, I’ve got you, and I never lose my grip.” Then, she mentioned that it felt like what God has said in Isaiah 46:4, “I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you, and I will rescue you.”
She believed that what sustained her during difficult times wasn’t her faith or strength but the Word of God.
“The gospel says it has a power in and of itself. And it held me… I had a friend that once said if you’re just hanging on by a thread, you’ll be okay so long as that thread is attached to the hem of His Garment… I realized yeah, I’m holding on but He’s holding on back and that brought me through and it brings me through still today,” she testified.
Watch the full video here.
Reference | Kris Vallotton
Header Image: Kris Vallotton. (Screenshot). (2024). Cultural Catalysts with Tracy Evans, Retrieved March 20, 2024 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckkmtCBpcrY