Every small town has something of interest. It may be a palace made of corncobs, a giant ball of twine, or a festival that’s known across three whole counties, but every town has some claim to fame.

In Cataldo, Idaho it is the Old Mission, a Jesuit Mission, settled during the early westward movement in the United States. The mission consists of a small home and a chapel, interesting but not extravagant although I did learn it is the oldest standing building in Idaho, other cities may have a ball of twine but they won’t beat that.

I browsed around and found a few pictures and plaques that detailed the region's history and as I read through the history of floods and land ownership, one particular story jumped out and seemed to speak directly to me. It was the story of the young Jesuit priest who first came to the Couer D'Alene Indians. This young priest had felt the call into uncharted territory. He felt called to go to a native tribe that had not yet been visited by the missionaries, a tribe about which little was known. He set out to introduce them to Jesus, not knowing whether or not he would be welcomed, turned away, or killed.

But this unknowing didn't stop him. Instead, wearing the black robe of a Jesuit priest and carrying with him two crossed sticks to represent the cross of Jesus, he entered into their territory. After a long and arduous journey, not only was he greeted with hospitality rather than hostility, but he was also received by a people who were ready to hear about Jesus.

The reason for the reception, 50 years before the chief of the tribe, a man by the name Circling Raven, had had a vision. In the vision he had seen a man in a black robe carrying two crossed sticks. The vision told the chief that the man was going to bring to them “a new spiritual power and open up a new way to the heaven trails.”

And so, 50 years later as this young Jesuit walked into the unknown, he was received as known. To the Couer D’Alene Indians he was not a surprise; he was a direct fulfillment of the vision given to Circling Raven. As a result, the entire tribe of Couer D'Alene Indians came to believe in Jesus, because one young man dared to venture into the unknown.

As I stood in this small mission, a tourist attraction not many will ever see, I knew in my heart that I would have paid any admission price for the encouragement I had just received.

See, this was early on in my journey, and I too, daily entered uncharted territory. I was unsure of everything and all too often I was afraid to boldly talk about how I was learning to walk like Jesus walked. I was not afraid of violence but of rejection. I was afraid that people wouldn’t understand or wouldn’t want what I had to offer.

This vision of Circling Raven and the mission of the young Jesuit priest that became its fulfillment provided me with a necessary reminder that God does go before us to guide the way. We are not bringing God into any situation; we are only to look for him once we are there.

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