I spent the past week in the good ol’ Twin Cities, not having much of an agenda except to hang out, spend time with my friend, teach God’s word to a group of high schoolers, and help lead them in serving at a few different ministries.
Thankfully, God is bigger than any of my plans.
My testimony is this- that the LORD is alive and active and passionately, intensely pursuing his people. This world is READY for the message of hope and life He offers. He pursued me this week as well- for depths of my heart and will that I didn’t even know I was able to give.
So here are a few of my testimonies, Minnesotan style:
The second day I was there, Mafu and I were at the Sunday morning service at the church, and met a guy a couple years younger than us who had literally wandered in off the street to come to the service (the fantastic advantage of a small church…kinda hard to miss a newbie). We talked to him, got to know him some, and invited him to sit with us during the service. Afterwards, we invited him to a cookout and he accepted.
While we were waiting for Mafu to finish some things up around the church before we left for lunch, he asked me a couple questions and as we got to talking- something in my heart just ached for him. I could tell by the way he looked at me as I talked about my faith and my testimony that he was desperately searching for something.
Throughout the week, I honestly kept wondering at what point he would stop contacting us or be scared away by all our talk about this Jesus we love so much…haha. But he kept calling. Kept joining us throughout the week. He said that meeting us had made him realize that there could be something more. I was able to pray power over him. To call out Satan’s lies that he is destined for hell. To share the hope and life that Jesus offers, despite what seem to the hopeless circumstances encasing his life. To intercede and pray and cry out in between these opportunities we had to hang out. If you were wondering, I don’t know where this story ends. All I know is that the Lord is burning like a jealous fire.. desperately fighting to draw His people to His arms. And He wants to use you & me to do it, amazingly enough.
Then there was all that I witnessed within the cities themselves. In the depths of these beautifully diverse and heartbreakingly lost and broken cities is something even greater: hope. The first day we worked in “frogtown” of St. Paul- where the “Godtown” house resides. The missionaries there are living to bring the power of the Kingdom to that community by the love of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. I really just don’t think words can describe the love and power I witnessed during my time there (well, I could- just not in the limits of this blog!). Day 2 we partnered with a ministry called Jericho Road in the middle of Phillips neighborhood- the most diverse neighborhood in the U.S with over 100 languages spoken. We even spent some time in the local Somali market. Talk about an incredible cultural experience!
Godtown House
Jericho Road
As we were working in the food pantry of Jericho ministries, I watched as all different kinds of people wondered in and out, meeting with the ministry team and filling out forms that would be used by the team to help find them jobs, resources, and stability. While I was sorting through the piles of cans, our ministry host, Jeff, came over and asked if I would pray for a young woman who was waiting with her sister while she filled out the job forms. I introduced myself to them, and it became clear that the sister waiting was severely agitated and dealing with some severe mental health issues (this is my heart, if you didn’t know). Her sister was trying to calm her without much success.
I began talking to this sister, Jessica, who is my age, and asked if I could pray for her as well. She graciously accepted (good thing, because I’m slowly becoming one of those people who prays whether I’m asked or not…haha). As I prayed, she shared with me her struggle with severe epilepsy. I prayed for healing and shared with her that God has healing for today. Slowly as we continued to talk, she opened up and shared with me the confusing and contradictory religious practices that have surrounded her entire life. She had recently been to her first church service ever & said she felt something “happy” in her heart that she had never felt before. She shared with me where she’s been, the story of her baby boy, & the struggles that are burdening her now. I told her that God wants her right where she is. I told her how beautiful she is to Him- and boy, was that a true statement. I shared with her parts of my story. But I mostly just listened, honestly. Because people need to be known. They need to matter. They need to be heard and know that they are still loved and accepted unconditionally. This often shows more than my incessant chattering ever could. I also went and found her a Bible-the first one she’s ever owned- what a beautiful moment.
Whew. Is the Kingdom of God here, or what?
As I am sitting here reflecting on everything that happened this week- I think it’s fairly obvious that there is no small way to sum it up. There is SO much else I want to share, but I have probably already lost your attention with my wordiness by now, haha. But I will tell you I left this week broken. So broken I started crying at the airport Saturday morning and pretty much kept going until I reached my house Saturday night. Not because I was sad- but God used these stories, people who spoke into my life this week, and so many other moments and heart changes to continue the process of wrecking me for anything else but Him. But more on that in blogs to come. 🙂
I love you all and am praying for you. I am still in need of financial support, and it would mean the world to me if you considered partnering with me as I spend my last week preparing to leave (click the “Support Me!” link on the left to learn more!).
I would also really, really love a small collection of notes/letters, whether typed or handwritten. Things I can have available to read when I don’t have the internet. Those who ask shall receieve, right? 🙂
xox.
Courtney
