Evangelism. It’s definitely not the reason I came on the Race the first time, and I was hoping to avoid it squad leading.
I know that as a follower of Jesus we are told to go into all the nations and preach the gospel. I know that in going to so many different countries it is an expecation that I would preach the Jesus everywhere I go. But, evangelism freaks me out more than I would like to admit.
My heart and passion is discipleship. It’s why I love the Race and wanted to squad lead. I love the ability to walk alongside people and help them better understand Jesus and how amazing he is. I love watching people fall helplessly in love with their creator.
When I was told that every afternoon for my first 10 days in Malawi I would be doing door-to-door evangelism, my heart dropped. I am happy to step back and allow other people to take the lead. But, as a squad leader, that doesn’t work so well. I am supposed to be leading my squad into hard things, not running from things that are hard for me.
So, everyday at 1:30 I load up into the pickup truck with team Undivided and off we go to a neighborhood or village surrounding Mzuzu. We split up into small groups with a translator and walk from house to house, sharing encouragement and leading people to Jesus. It’s never a process that I love, but I love to see each person step out and begin to grow in evangelism.
I’ve grown more in evangelism in the past 2.5 months squad leading than I ever did on all 11 months of my race. Each person on B squad has been pushed to share Jesus boldly since their race began. I have had a front row seat to the growth and challenges that have taken place during that process. And, this squad inspires me to grow in my skills of evangelism.
We have had many amazing stories in just a few short days of sharing the gospel. One afternoon we had 7 people come to Jesus for the first time. This is a place with a rich harvest. We see the harvest take place because we are open and willing to share Jesus, even with shaking hands and unsure words. We have seen healing take place and lives encouraged because we have listened to the spirit and talked to people.
I still don’t love evangelism. I would rather do just about any other ministry, but I’ve seen how as my comfort level with it has grown I’ve been more open to the opportunities placed in front of me. What opportunities do you have to share the gospel today?
I’m still fundraising for my time squad leading, if you would like to support my time with B squad click on the donate button. All donations are tax-deductible, it’s the perfect way to support the spreading of the gospel this holiday season.
