I am constantly being humbled everywhere I go here. By what I am seeing as a reality here, what people are going through and/or what they have experienced, and what lays ahead. Three different stories have inspired me lately and I want to share with you all.
1. This is Luda’s story. Luda is around 16 years old, and she has been all smiles from the moment we were introduced. Last Saturday night we were invited to a youth meeting / bible study at a church member’s house, and were able to hear her story here.
(It is expected that we share our testimonies almost everywhere we go, so we are all at the ready whenever a new group of people are hearing our names for the first time. It’s slowly getting easier to share, especially when the local group starts to share some of their hearts with us. )
Luda took that step in sharing her journey with us on Saturday. She started to go to church programs when she was younger, because her friends would go, and because she felt smart when able to recite the different bible verses. She started to quickly love the environment and what it meant to be loved by God. She then knew that this love was to be shared and it was her calling to bring her parents to Christ. Her dad is abusive, and would often lock her in her room so that she couldn’t go to church, and it was hard for Luda to not hate her dad. Her mom started to come to church with her and is now a believer. To hear that she was abused by her dad who would literally restrict her from not going to church, and that she is trying her hardest to bring him to Christ was one of the most selfless things I have heard. I could never imagine coming to Christ on my own without my parents there to help guide me and support me. And I could not imagine the frustration and discouragement associated with coming home to an abusive dad that I want to bring to God, and not letting that turn into a hate. Living in constant forgiveness like we are meant to. That is pure strength, and her story is encouraging.
2. This is Valerie’s story. Valerie is an older gentleman that Andre took us to visit in his home yesterday. He has been blind since birth, but you would never guess that with how well he gets around and does what he needs to do. We walked in and I was only able to ask, “How are you today?”, and that opened up the rest of the conversation for the duration of our visit about the book he is writing and the music that he has written. He is writing a book about how our lives are created to be a symphony that God has written and that each individual note has its specific place in the harmony of the song. There are signs and directions to help you play music, as well as signs and directions in life that help to orchestrate the glorious sounds we are created to make. He then fiddled with his dated Soviet Union equipment, showing us the program on his computer that talks him through where his curser is, and found the songs he has written to show us. He found his microphone in a cupboard, plugged it in, and started to sing some serious soul filled music.
Peter was translating a little bit of what each song was about and what he wanted to tell us about his story, and there was nothing but joy in Valerie. He was belting out the words he pieced together, and they were all for our Father. He sings in the market place in Bender (Transnistria’s capitol), but is only aloud to sing one song, because people start to get upset over his songs topics. He said that we see such different things and that he can see the light and darkness around people. The way he has accepted and worked with what God has given him was mind blowing to me. I am 100% capable of doing anything that would spread the love of God, and yet would be embarrassed if you asked me to write some songs to sing in Wal-Mart. He’s not though. I know that we all have different gifts and callings, but I don’t want to let what other people think about me hold me back ever again. I want to be so un-embarrassed for Jesus its ridiculous!
3. This is Valik’s story. Valik is an 18 year old boy that was paralyzed a year ago after jumping into a river and breaking his neck. Bender’s hospital didn’t have enough room or hope for him so he is currently staying at a mental institution where he works with physical therapists three hours every day. When we walked in to see him today he was in the middle of a foot exercise with the therapist, but had big, bright eyes. We started to talk to him about his life, what he likes to do, and how he is feeling. Everything that came out of Valik’s mouth was joyful, and accompanied with his handsome smile. He likes to work with wood, and to play soccer, and the therapist who was working with him said that Valik laid in his bed for 6 months before he was able to help him, because all of the other doctors had lost hope in him. This was the case for most all of the patient’s at this institute, some of whom were mentally disabled and the others who fit into Valik’s category of a ‘lost cause’ in doctor’s eyes. Yet, there was nothing but a sense of optimism in the air, and the doctor only spoke of how strong Valik is going to be.
My dad does not hit me or lock me in my room, I am not blind, and I am not paralyzed. Yet, what holds me back from telling everyone about Jesus’ love? What embarrasses me about singing at the top of my lungs what God promises those who surrender to him? What inhibits me from constantly choosing joy even when my circumstances tell me otherwise?
These stories have impacted me in such a strong way that I have to share them with you. The people I am meeting, the stories I am hearing, and the environments I am immersed in are unforgettable and I know they will be in my heart for eternity. When I see them all in heaven, I will thank them for encouraging me, as a missionary to their country. For showing me what humility is and how to be serving our Lord.
