I don’t really know how to express my thankfulness for this next person. All of the experiences of the past several weeks wouldn’t have happened without having a local by my side that was willing to go with me wherever. Joy has been that person for me. She’s currently in school getting her Master’s, but while school is very important to her, ministry is what drives her. She has been on somewhat of a break the last couple of weeks, so she sent me a text message that said, “I’m willing to go wherever, whenever, just let me know.”
Now it’s one thing for me, a foreigner, to come into a town and not be afraid to just go out and talk to people, but it’s something totally different when it’s your home town. I think it’s almost harder at times to share the Gospel and live a life for Jesus in your home town because people know you. They know your past, your family, your faults, and now they’re supposed to listen to you? As much as I can tell, this hasn’t really hindered Joy as each day I have a new adventure for her and I push her willingness to follow. In a town where I am one of few Americans, it’s easy for me to gather an audience, but without people like Joy, I would never be able to communicate with them. One of these days I just need to learn the language.
Aside from just being with me or other volunteers like Jodi, Joy is not shy in taking the lead with ministry as well. There are times where we talk about a purpose for a visit or gathering, and I won’t say a word. She will just take the lead and let me know how it went as I just stand (or sit most of the times) in silence. It’s fun for me to work with people like Joy because they can see that they don’t need people like me to do ministry. They can do it wherever, whenever.
It has been a lot of fun to have Joy by my side and I can’t wait to see the ministry that continues for her even when I leave in a couple of weeks…
