(From a former mission partner to Central Asia)
“A few short weeks after I first moved to Central Asia, I had an opportunity to attend a cultural festival. I didn’t know anybody, I didn’t speak any languages common here, and I found myself traveling across vast stretches of wilderness a thousand kilometers from anybody I knew, with no idea where we were going, and there wasn’t even really a road we were driving on. And I couldn’t talk to anybody …
And after we returned to the big city from our trip, some of the people I traveled with were speaking with our pastor, and they were telling Him, ‘This volunteer is really something. He has a great servant heart for the Lord, and we can tell he really loves Jesus.’
And I asked him (through our pastor who was translating), ‘How could you know these things about me if we never talked at all during the trip?’ And they said, ‘You were always ready to serve. When we visited somebody at their house, you had your sleeve rolled down and were helping with the heavy, hot pot of tea. You were always ready to go on time. You were always willing to chip in and help with the luggage … even though we considered you to be a tourist and were just along for the ride, on our treat. And all of these things spoke to us about God’s light in your life.’
And that really set the stage, I think, for how I perceive ministry. I realized that even when I feel like I’m totally out of control and have no way of communicating with people, God can still be working through me in my life. And He can still be working through all of you, as well, even when you’re unaware of it, through things you don’t even notice.”
