There’s a point when you get used to missions not looking how you expect them to and a day not going how you originally planned.
Sometimes ministry is normal. Sometimes it’s praying for people, teaching Sunday school, sharing our stories. Other times you can’t talk about Jesus directly and have to rely on Him shining through you loving people however you can. You have to trust that He’s speaking to their hearts, even when you don’t know how to speak their language.
Ministry can look like teaching English, playing games, baking a cake or painting nails. It can be walking around a city and smiling at people, praying for them silently or sitting on a bus for hours, trying to strike up a conversation with whoever sits next to you. It can be having an open mic night where people sing what’s on their heart and everyone dances like a fool.
This month we have set activities every evening that we invite people to come to. Tuesday is game night, Wednesday and Friday is conversational English, Thursday is open mic night and Saturday is worship practice for Sunday (although it tends to be called “Holy Spirit night” involving praying for Mongolia and speaking over the city).
During the day our schedules are pretty flexible. From 11-4 we go out and have freedom to follow wherever the Spirit leads us. Today I decided it was time to write a blog. So I went over to UB coffee shop with a couple others and started typing. Then Bill (at least that’s what he goes by, he’s super Mongolian though) walked up to my table. We’d bumped into each other at a “Breakthrough” conference I’d attended this weekend. He saw my broken chain tattoos and it opened up an opportunity to share part of my story. We became fast friends although I didn’t know that we’d ever actually see each other again.
So today when I saw him, I was pleasantly surprised. He introduced me to some friends of his that are missionaries from Arizona. They’re here for a month, like us, at the end of a mission’s program with Antioch church. Now I might be going out with them later in the week for some hospice ministry. Which is random and unexpected and cool.
I love when this happens. I love it when I sit down to do something normal and God decides to orchestrate the day to be so much more of what He wanted to happen. It’s way more fun to go with the flow of whatever He’s doing.
So I’d like to encourage you today to get out of whatever box your day may usually look like. Pray for God to make it whatever He wants it to be. Try to throw expectations out the window, or try expecting God to do something big (although it probably won’t be what you’re thinking). Try talking to whoever you sit next to on the bus or pray over your neighborhood while going for a walk. Give your trusting muscles a stretch in some way or other. It might throw you off at first but it’s kinda fun after a while.
Either way, know that you are loved and prayed for today.
Have a great one~
Katie
