Amidst the poor and the broken whom I had expected to find when I left with a mission to love I have encountered the richest people I’ve ever met. They are the most ordinary people who are doing the most extraordinary things.
They define missional living.
They have shown me what it truly looks like to live ‘sold out for christ’.
They are humble vessels for the Lords purpose, with hearts on fire for his glory
They pushed me closer to Jesus.
They radiant freedom.
They have inspired me and I want to share their stories with you. (w/ permission of course)
Pastor Brian: Lusaka, Zambia
Pastor Brian lives outside the main city in a very poor community, he lives in a small home in the middle of a cornfield with his wife, Dora and 4 kids. He also houses a young man from his church who he mentors and a woman from the church who needed a place to stay. In his story he told us how he was homeless for a time, he slept in a church at night but later got kicked out. “I never want anyone to feel the way I felt, with no where to go and no one to help me”
We would walk through the market place handing out invitations to church, Pastor Brian would say “Every person needs a flyer in their hand when we are done” “Revival is coming!” His passion for seeing his community encounter Jesus was overflowing; it was contagious.
We spent a week visiting hospitals and clinics praying for patients and sharing encouraging words with waiting rooms full of hurt and sick people. Afterwards we would hand out fruit and clean windows. Pastor Brian wanted us to not just to preach the love of God but to demonstrate it. And you better believe it, pastor Brian was up on a every window sill, in suit and tie, washing windows with us.
Chang: Hanoi, Vietnam
“Gods work is the only work that really fills me up”
You may remember Chang, I wrote a whole blog about her a few months ago. But what I find so incredible about this woman of God is that she isn’t doing anything extreme, she’s not running a ministry or pastoring a church yet she’s living in the biggest way possible. She effortlessly glorifies the Lord just by the way she walks in Godly boldness and the fullness of his joy. She can’t stop praising him or telling people about the power he has. His name is quiet literally always on her lips.
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
Psalm 63:3-4
Pastor Nico: Chiselet, Romania
“I didn’t want to come back when God called me, now I love it and I can’t imagine living anywhere else or doing anything else”
Pastor Nico is a part of out stretched hands ministry. They have multiple churches in different gypsy villages. Pastor Nico grew up in the village of Chiselet. Years ago there was a huge flood that hit them hard. The whole village lived in tents for months afterwards. This was the very time God sent Brad (the founder of outstretched hands) to Romania. Brad would bring food to the families affected by the flood everyday. Through this Nico was saved. Years later he had an opportunity to move to a nice city and earn great money, a set up for a ‘successful life’ but the Lord told him to go back to his village. It was the last thing he wanted to do but he was obedient.
He now pastors a church and runs an after school program for kids. They get help with homework as well as a meal. And he is absolutely overjoyed at the work he gets to do everyday.
2 weeks ago I got to watch Pastor Nico baptize 5 people from his church, one of them was 85 year old woman. It was ultimately the work of Jesus in their hearts that they were baptized but I really believe that God used Nico to draw them closer to knowing their fathers heart for them.
Every week Pastor Nico and members from his church meet in a home, they worship together, then they send out half of the people to go visit the homes of neighbors to pray for them and to invite them to church, the other half stay back doing intercessory prayer. Last week we had the chance to take part in their weekly meeting. After we went on the house visitations we met back at the house and Nico asked me to share a word with them. Immediately I knew what I was suppose to share. What they are doing seems so simple. And it is. But in America what they are doing would never happen. I told them how special they are and how inspiring what they are doing is. They don’t just go to church on Sunday, they don’t live their lives as they desire but give God an hour or two on the weekend. They meet on Sundays, they hear the word but then they GO AND DO THE WORD. They are the church.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
James 1:22-25
Elisei: Chiselet, Romania
“People don’t understand, they say I have to go to school and make sure my life is successful, but I say I am going to do my ministry and my school, in that order, if I can’t finish school then oh well.”
“I would not even leave my home for a girl, they need me here. They need my energy and my Jesus here.”
Elisei is on staff with outstretched hands as well. He works with the kids in the village of Roseti. He is a man totally on fire for the Lord. His passion, his joy, and his love are kingdom sized. Calarasi is one of he poorest cities in Romania, many people leave after school to find work and just to get out. But Elisei refuses to leave. He sees the need his own home has for God and he remains so faithful to see them find their Father.
What I find so awesome about all of these people is that they never left their homes to become missionaries or in order to be used greatly by God. Yes of course God does call many of us overseas and away from our homes to missions. And that is a wonderful blessing. But many times God calls us to be missionaries in our own backyards to minister to our neighbors, or our friends, or even to our own families. And what a blessing that is too! So often “missions” sends our minds into this automatic drive that in order to be a “missionary” we need to move to Africa or India..or anywhere but our home. Pastor Brian, Pastor Nico, Chang, and Elisei could have all left their villages and poverty stricken communities in search for a ‘better’ life but they didn’t. And their lives are more fruitful because of their obedience.
Pastor Brian, Pastor Nico, Chang, and Elisei have abundant lives. They draw people closer to the heart of Jesus by just being. And while the world may see them as poor, I see them as the richest people I know.
