This week there have been three very impactful events in my life.
- Meeting with a local pastor
- Leading the weekly training I do with three future overseas workers
- A conversation with a local man in our community.
None of these events were unusual in the fact that they took place. It is the content and the context surrounding these events which impacted me.
Pastor Meeting
Meeting with pastors is supposed to be a major part of my work in Kenya. Since Covid has hit these meetings have slowed down to a trickle. This week however, I was able to meet with Moses. Moses wanted encouragement. Nothing else. He is pastoring a church of about 50 people, and he is feeling the strain. His heart is for both leading and caring for his church while also keeping his heart on fire for missions.
Moses wanted encouragement. He needed to know others care and to connect. So, we had lunch and talked for about an hour. Before Moses left, we agreed to meet more regularly and see how we can involve other pastors who may be struggling.
Weekly Training
Every Wednesday afternoon I meet with an engaged couple and a single guy who are preparing to move to another country. They will be living and working among an unreached Muslim people group. We talk about missions, evangelism, discipleship, culture shock, syncretism, ancestor worship, and a host of other topics.
This week we discussed the prodigal son from Luke 15. A parable I have heard many times. Yet, this time with these brothers and sister, it really smacked me about the cost of sin. Sin is costly. It offers us much, but delivers nothing outside of guilt, brokenness with God, and pain.
Community Conversation
This week I have had the opportunity to speak a few times with a man from our community. There are some struggles going on in our local community and this man has opened up to me about them. It was a real opportunity for me to learn from him. He was excited about the desire I had to learn from him and not offer all the solutions. Yes, I want to help, but I don’t have the answers and want to walk with him as he and others figure out the solution.
This was huge for me. As I learned and listened to him, I also gained his trust. My desire is to share truth of Christ with him. He has heard it many times before, but I believe slowly as we continue walking together, I can share about Christ and he will be open.
Lessons Learned
These events have impacted me because they are routine events. Meetings, leading a training, and community conversations take place (pre-Covid) routinely. These are what I do.
Why did these three make an impact on me? Just one of these are important to me. All three in a week being so fruitful has been exciting.
Lessons I learned this week:
- People are hungry for community and knowing someone cares.
- People are struggling with sin and separated from God and need to return to him. Yet, they must confess, repent, and turn to Jesus to heal them.
- People want to be heard and know I am listening to them before they will trust me. Trust is vital to relationships.
These are three lessons to remember and apply. I must focus on being with people, pointing them to Jesus and building trust by walking with them in their daily struggles. That is how disciples are made, which is what my life must be focused on.
This week, how can you build community and trust with others to share Jesus and make disciples?