So frequently I hear “God never wastes experiences”. This has been unmistakably true. In Honduras, I got to relate to a street kid who lost a parent to suicide because I’ve lost friends that way too.
Here in the Ukraine, when I got the opportunity to teach English, I thought to myself: “Okay, teaching English… how is THAT going to be ministry?
As I got tagged with the “Advanced English” group, I asked them what they wanted from this class. Almost all of them said, “More confidence”. I began to go into “teacher mode” and teach them the technicalities of verb conjugation. This held their attention for about ten minutes. As we usually give them a break in between lessons, many had already asked to leave or go outside.
However, I asked myself, “How did I get confidence in speaking?”
I was taken back to my days on the debate team in high school and college voice courses. After a bit of nostalgia, my mouth spread to a grin.
“Okay… drop your notebooks and stand up.”
Puzzled, they raised to their feet.
My grin widened,”Repeat after me… HALT! WHO GOES THERE!”
They mimicked quietly. I gestured for more volume.
After five times, they were loud enough to shake the tent. They roared with laughter as we spent the rest of the afternoon doing tongue twisters and speech exercises.
At the end of the month, I received two letters, five face to face thank yous, and many other messages saying I changed their lives with confidence.
They didn’t know it, but God built up both of our confidence; through working with Him.
