While in Ukraine we have been able to be involved in a variety of ministries. One of the ministries we have done is an eyeglass clinic. We traveled to a town a few hours away. Our contact and the church he works with buy reading glasses, then go to towns and setup an eye clinic at churches there. This is an opportunity for the church there to reach out to their community and as we were there we got to pray and share about Jesus with those who came to have their eyes checked.
ME & Vera @ the eyeglass clinic
Taryn, Jenni and I were sitting talking with one elderly woman and another Ukranian woman came up and began to chat with her. They talked as if they knew one another and the woman who had walked up seemed so excited about whatever they were talking about. I asked our translator what they were talking about he said, the woman who had just entered was sharing with the woman about Jesus. The woman began asking our translator if we knew Jesus, he explained we did, and her eyes just lit up with joy.
I was so challenged by this woman, she was so passionate about Jesus. She told us she had been a believer for 25 years. As we talked about her family her eyes began to flood with tears. Our translator explained that her children were not believers. She said she prays for them and longs for them to know Jesus.
It broke my heart and yet was so challenging. She came to her church that day to share with others about Jesus who she loves and yet her heart is so broken as she longs for her children to know Jesus. But that doesn’t hold her back, nor does that fact that she is over 75 and needs a cane to walk.
Vera (sharing about Jesus) and a woman who came to the clinic
Retirement came to my mind, yet I do not think this woman would even know what that word meant. And it got me thinking about how I want to be like my friend Vera (I nicknamed her Vera Wang ) staying strong not only until the end of this race, but until the end of my time on earth. And I would think if Jesus had lived past 33 years of age he would have never retired from sharing with others the gift of life eternal. I want to be like Vera, and never retire from increasing God’s Kingdom.
I shared with her the verses below that I hope to cling to in my life, even when I am of old age.
1 Corinthians 1:8-9
He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is FAITHFUL to do what He says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
