At the moment, living in Ukraine is like living in a neighborhood where there is always something on fire. Naturally, when there is a fire, firemen are wanted. Not only wanted, they are liked by people, since they help solve immediate problems. And we as Christians need to be firemen; this is what Jesus did. But he didn’t do it always…
I asked Jess if there were Christians in his part of China. He said, “No religion.” His home was near the place where they found the Terra Cotta Warriors. I told him about our ministry, that we were Christians who found our hope in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins, and that, with faith in Him, we had the promise of heaven. I gave him a bracelet and asked if I could take his picture. He said yes, posed with a smile, and said, “Today, I am Christian.” He wasn’t, of course, based on our short exchange, but he seemed very interested and I prayed as we parted that a seed was planted.
Saleh stood with visible emotion and shared, “I always believed I was doing youth ministry the right way. But through this training, I realized I had much to improve.”
He knew God had a calling on his life. He later testified, “It was like the Holy Spirit tied a rope around my waist and pulled me forward.”
Years ago, Ploy came to me at camp (attending as a student), having decided life was not worth living anymore, as depressed as I’ve ever seen a person, looking for a way out…
Walking into the room felt like stepping into a family reunion I didn’t know I needed. Yet the moment our eyes met across the room, it was pure joy. Hug after hug, laughter after laughter, stories picking up exactly where they had left off. Honestly, it made me think: this must be what heaven will feel like.
Listening to Francis’ Chan’s book, “Letters to the Church,” he casually mentioned how a group of his friends got together and read the entire Bible in three days. My ears perked up; that sounded cool! But that little seed planted in my heart sprouted a lot faster than I was anticipating.
It’s midnight, and the retreat center is quiet. Most of its inhabitants are sleeping peacefully when a taxi pulls in and four Ecuadorians come bounding out—smiles wide, laughter ringing out, and palpable excitement echoing off the brick walls of the compound. Everyone is awake now, but no one minds. The first participants of the School of Youth Ministry Trainers (SYMT) have arrived, and their joy is contagious!
“Ok, God. This must be some kind of cruel joke, right? You are not actually asking me to do this are you?” With tears in my eyes I argued with God as I stood looking at these two bedraggled widows standing in front of their make-shift homes on the side of a ravine. “Seriously? There is nothing else I can pray for? This is what they want?”
It’s not every day you hear about someone going from handing out water bottles at a 5K to trekking across the U.S., spearheading outdoor discipleship moments. But that’s exactly what happened. This story is a testimony to what God can do when someone says “YES” — again and again.
