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An Interserve Partner now serving on our Great Britain & Ireland team shares stories from a recent trip to their previous country of service:
A few months ago I visited the country in Southeast Asia where I used to work as a Partner. I came into the trip determined to learn new things about the local cultures where I had lived for ten years. But in the process, Father reminded me how He puts curiosity and openness in the hearts of those around me too. Having connected with a local folk instrumentalist whose father is a shaman, I was surprised when they told me that another family member is a Christian, and they have all read some of the Bible. They expressed interest in what it said, although their initial decision was not to give up their ancestors to follow Jesus. Nonetheless, I was encouraged by their openness and desire to talk about spiritual things as they shared their culture with me.
Through a chance re-encounter with a young woman whom I used to teach, Father reminded me that He continues to work in the lives of those I knew there.
Flower was my student during my final year in Southeast Asia. Before she was old enough to study at the Language Centre where I worked, she had been begging for years to be allowed to join classes early. When she was finally old enough to join, she made the most of the opportunity. Coming from a less privileged background than many of the other students, she came to class with a refreshing confidence and willingness to give everything her best shot. Normally in that culture making a mistake in front of others causes everyone to ‘lose face’ which is a social faux-pas, but Flower repeatedly volunteered, made courageous mistakes and proudly told her classmates, ‘We need to be willing to make mistakes in order to learn!’.
Flower also loved reading, and would spend hours in the school library poring over books in different languages. So when she received the highest marks in her final exam, I gave her a prize of a local-language copy of ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’, knowing her appetite for books, and the interest she had in spiritual things.
Almost a year later, I bumped into Flower again. She immediately said that she had been reading the book and thought it was a very important topic that everyone should think about – and asked if she could come to church with me that Sunday. Sadly she was unwell on the day so couldn’t come after all, but I was inspired once again by her appetite for life – for growth, knowledge of herself and the world around her, and for meaning.
I am encouraged that Father is working in her, and has put others in her life who can walk with her in future. Sometimes we can spend years thinking we are not making much of a difference in people’s lives, yet nevertheless our Father graciously gives us seeds to sow, wherever we are, and reminds us that He brings the rain.