This past month we lived in a country where it is illegal for a person to leave the majority religion and follow Jesus. Making the choice to follow Jesus could mean being disowned from the family, losing a job, or being arrested. They can’t worship openly with a community. As I entered the country, my heart was heavy because I encountered so many people who do not have a relationship with Jesus and do not know His freedom and love. There were so many people who may have not even had the chance to hear about what Jesus has done for them. I was reminded of how it felt to be in bondage and not know the love of Jesus. I can remember what it was like trying to earn my way to God, when He has already declared that IT IS FINISHED. There is nothing I can give to God that He has not already given or no amount of good works that I could do to earn my way to Him. By His GRACE we have been saved. He took all of our punishment on His shoulders and has given us the opportunity to have true life with Him and be His children. There were multiple times during the month that I got discouraged, but through so many things God reminded me that He is in this country. He is working. He is going before and behind us. He was there before we entered and He is there now when we are in another country. We have the Light of the world in us and get to share His love and no amount of darkness can overcome His light. Even if no one sings His praises, the grass, the rocks, the ocean, and mountains will! I want so badly for my sweet friends and all of the people of this country to know His love and to worship Him. I want them to have life abundantly with their Father, Who created them. While we were there, God did open up so many doors to tell about Him and I’m so thankful for all of the people we got to meet. I felt so welcomed by so many people. I learned a lot about hospitality from the people in this country and I want to take that with me. People that we just met would welcome us to their house and make us food. It was such a special experience! One of the friends I met is a believer! I just want to leave you with my friend’s story and hope you’re encouraged. My friend is a native of the country and said that she was a follower of the majority religion. She thought for sure she would never leave it. She said she moved to Europe for several years and met some friends who followed Jesus. They genuinely loved her and told her about Him. She said they invited her to church, so she went just to check it out, but she experienced something she hadn’t before. She said she was longing for love and she experienced it at that church and from those friends. She decided to study the book of her own religion deeper. Later on, she encountered two women from a closed country who had become followers of Jesus and they told her about Him. She was amazed that they had become followers of Him. After some time, she decided to surrender her life to Jesus. She has been through a lot of struggles since then, but she continues to passionately walk with Him and she has hope! I asked her what her job was and she said, “My job is to seek first the Kingdom of God.”
Prayer requests:
-Please pray for this sweet friend and other believers in the country.
-Please pray that more and more people would come to know Him.
-Please pray for our squad as we transition to Ethiopia. We also just had team changes, so pray that we grow with each other and Jesus. Pray we are unified.
*For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!
