Indonesia and Vietnam were some of my favorite countries this year, but for the protection of those we partnered with I will not be giving much information about ministry. Instead I want to share something the Lord taught me during my time in these countries.
It is quite possibly the hardest lesson I’ve learned on the race thus far.
If you had asked me six months ago why I came on the World Race I would have said “I was going to love and serve people like Jesus and share the Good News.” I even had it written on my cute little fundraising cards “tell people about Jesus”. But month one came around and I began to realize that the gift of evangelism is something that I need to grow in. I was going to leave that up to my squadmates that were willing and able. I told myself that loving with my actions was enough…who needs to use words? I’ve spent my whole life living out what I believe and not stopping to tell anyone why. I won’t go as far to say that I never have shared the Gospel, but I chose to do it when it was easier or convenient timing. How many people am I missing by doing that? What about the woman in the coffee shop, the charter repair guy, or members of my own family.
On our last night in Vietnam my team and I had dinner at our hosts home. After spending time sharing beliefs and good food, she went around the room asking us to talk about what the Lord was teaching us in that season and what we could take away from our experience there. My answer to her question actually started for me in Indonesia. I attended a last minute event to talk with students about my travels, my culture, and my life. I met a pretty incredible woman who didn’t have a relationship with the Lord and practiced another religion. We sat there chatting about life and love. I left feeling so excited and as soon as I got in the car to leave I felt like a pile of bricks was laying on my chest. I bursted into tears. I will never see this woman again.
Somewhere along the way my team started to say “see you in heaven”. It’s a saying that makes it easier to say our goodbyes each month knowing that we will one day see them again in heaven even if we don’t get to here on Earth. But just like so many other people we have met in these countries, we may not see them in Heaven one day.
Back to that last night in Vietnam, our host shared a story that sums up my lessons learned these past two months. She told us about a time when she spent a few weeks with a friend. Before letting her friend board the plane to leave she had to stop her to share the Gospel. She told her how important it was to her and that it was something she needed her to know before she left. But the mic drop moment was the friends response back: “If this is so important to you, why did you just now share it with me?”
EXACTLY. I asked myself the exact same question the night I walked away from that woman. Why don’t I share the Gospel every chance I get? If it’s a matter of life or death, if I love these people so much, why am I not sharing the Good News? I came on the World Race to love and serve people so that they can see Jesus, but what I’m taking away is so much more important: they also need to hearabout Jesus!
What I learned from Asia is this: share the Gospel like your life depends on it…because the persons life sitting across from you just might.
