Is it possible to have such a thing? The answer is absolutely! This past month has been one of the most challenging and yet transnational months that I have had yet on the race! I wrote a blog in the beginning of the month (Writer’s Block Prayer on Feb 8, 2017) about how I let fear, comparison and lack of faith distract me from sharing my faith. However, most of our ministry this month was some form of public preaching and evangelism to all sorts of people of different ages and walks of life. My whole team was challenged and grew so so much in this area as well. The “harvest fields” in Zimbabwe especially are ripe for harvest because so many people young and old alike are open to hearing more about Jesus. Zimbabwe is also a “Christian” nation where the majority of the population preach and practice this religion. I would even say that most folks here have a genuine relationship with the Lord as well. However, that relationship has been fostered from generation to generation of families
What helped encourage our team as a whole grow in this area of preaching the gospel to lost and found is our host family. This family owned the hostel where we stayed at over the past month. Husband, wife and three young children welcomed us from the bottom of their hearts and made us feel like family! This couple is such a beautiful example of a godly couple that embodies kingdom living in every aspect of their lives! They were both so bold and fearless in sharing their faith with everyone that they encountered! They also had so many connections in their community where they built intentional relationships so that they could easily incorporate ministry opportunities.
The following are ministries that my team was involved with over the past 3 weeks:
Ingutsheni Mental Health Hospital Evangelism
Police Evangelism Blast
College Campus Evangelism
Sports/Football (soccer) Academy Evangelism
Petra Elementary School, talking during their assemblies and helping serve during “Mission Day”
Pelendaba Kids Club
Girls College
“ATL” (Ask the Lord) walking downtown in the streets of Bulawayo
children’s church/youth ministry at the Rock Church
In doing all of this, we were all asked at some point to either share our testimonies or simply share a word from the Lord to help encourage or point to truth! Towards the middle of the month my struggle with fear, comparison and lack of faith no longer became a struggle because I held on tight to the truth of being empowered by God’s grace to do his will! 2 Corinthians 12:9 says But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. As Christians, in order to keep our minds fixed on this truth we have to daily renew our minds and have faith that the Holy Spirit is doing a transforming work in us to accomplish God’s will in our loves. God’s will is simple…to glorify Him in everything we do. That includes talking to the random person you walk past on the street, going into a hospital and asking to pray for the families waiting in the waiting room, taking the time to ask deep questions and listening to a not so close friend, washing everyone’s dishes, a selfless act.
Another truth that helped these strongholds no longer be a struggle is that perfect love casts out fear! This is a truth that we need to flood our minds with every time the devil (or our flesh) tries to use this lie to take our eyes off of Jesus! Meditating on God’s truths makes talking about Him so much easier! My quiet time with my Father in heaven via reading his word, talking to him throughout the day by myself and with my peers, listening to sermons, talking to my peers about Him, listening to worship music, dancing in the rain and praising his name, anything that points my eyes towards him also helps in sharing who God is. Think about every time you boast about someone you love, you share about your interactions with that person or how they make you feel. The same goes with my Lord and Creator as well! DO I do these things perfectly? Absolutely not, there times I don’t feel like doing these things, but through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving though the power of His grace of the Holy Spirit dwelling in me I am able to do be brave and courageous for Christ!
How amazing is that?! Because of these truths I have been able to share my testimony and truths about God’s word to children, women, mental health patients, and random people on the street! I encourage you to also reveal in these truths and ask the Lord to build your faith and trust in him as you are also called to not only be His child but to make disciples as well! Remember no fear!
