Journey to South Asia, Journal Entry 2

One of our CMF staff members left for a trip to South Asia recently with a group exploring the country and our ministries there and considering possibilities. This is a closed country where, because of political, social, and religious reasons, traditional missionary activity is not allowed, but where God is working in incredible ways. This is the second entry in his journal.

Flamboyant reds, yellows, and blues dotted the room in every direction. Resplendent saris, South Asia’s elegant clothing, draped over the women's shoulders and reached down to their knees, displaying that this was a very special day. The men stood tall in their finest as well and conducted themselves as if at a banquet of honor. This was a high occasion.l.

Each of the 150 families in this room were from the local Buddhist village and had gathered at the church. They had been handpicked by their village leader to receive a care package.

I waited as my words were translated by my friend, The Evangelist, an American missionary in love with Sri Lanka. My words were then further translated into yet another language by The Gentle Giant, a local superhero church planter with a football player’s physique and extreme versions of both kindness and humility.

As they spoke, I wondered about the everyday joys and pains of these local villagers who filled the room. Did they wonder why Christians in America cared enough about them to send them rice, cooking oil, and cleaning supplies in the midst of this famine? How strange did it sound to them for us to say that Christians who don’t know them could care about them? What did it make them feel about Jesus? Curiosity, respect? Confusion because it didn’t match their expectation? When they went home, how many of the children asked their parents, what is the difference between Jesus and Santa Claus again? Which one is the myth because at least one of them seems like it might be real.

Having just finished my hardly expert explanation of the benefits of soap and how personal hygiene keeps infections and sickness at bay, I sat down.

The Love of Jesus Made Manifest

A thin, ruddy man then took the mic and spoke to the group in his dialect, a language I cannot comprehend.

Yet I could understand one word that he was saying from time to time. It was the name of the local church planter.

I leaned over to The Gentle Giant. Why does he keep saying the church planter's name, I asked?

"This is the village leader. Though this village is mostly Buddhist, with a handful of Christians and Hindus as well, he keeps telling them how good the church has been to the community. He keeps saying the church leader has been such a friend to the community and a blessing as well. So he is encouraging them that if they ever need anything, the church that is, or the church planter, that the community will be standing ready to support them and help them. As they have been such good friends to the community in this time in need, the community will be ready to help them too."

I struggled to choke back my emotions. This is where it happens. I am witnessing the love of Jesus made manifest.

I'm privileged to get to see this high occasion, this glorious moment of encouragement for our local ministers, as well as for the community. Though I will admit that I did not see the difficulties faced in getting here: I didn't see the opposition and the threats that the local church planter had faced at times. I wasn't there over the years as our team and their ministry partners trained the village leaders how to develop their community systems, developing animal banks, and supporting them in educating their children. Nor would I be there in the future as things normalized after the famine, to help with the development work that they would continue to do and have always prioritized among these people.

No, I was just there for the Crescendo of the Orchestra.

In Two More Years

Two years later, I will once again be privileged to pull back that curtain and see what God has developed in the last two years. The development work undertaken in the community, what has it led to? Has the ruddy village leader listened to the story of Jesus? Has he accepted an invitation to one of the discipleship groups? Or sung with the believers in church?

Has that child learned the difference between Santa and Jesus, and had the chance to believe the truth?

Every time I go, I am introduced to a new community in which our teams or their partners are seeing this movement of God being built out. 'More than we could ever ask for or imagine' is what God promises He can do. It's what I watch unfold when we visit.