The Surpassing Beauty of Christ

How do I put into words the journey on which the Lord has so graciously been leading me? Have you ever seen something or felt something so beautiful that words escaped you and you wish you could just impart the knowing of it to those you love? When I’ve gazed at the Smoky Mountains or stood under the night stars or listened to the sound of snow falling I’ve had those moments. I’ve had a similar experience in my time here and ask for patience as I grapple for words to communicate it to you now.

During my team’s first week or so of on-site ministry, we all encountered challenges. Some faced acute attacks while others simply struggled to fight distractions and be fully present. We faced sickness, as half our team contracted malaria and none of us felt 100% healthy, and one team member even had to leave us for a few days to go to a hospital. We have battled sin in our own lives, feelings of inadequacy when sharing the gospel, and have felt irritated and tired. Through all of these things the Lord has shown Himself faithful. He brought healing. He is delivering. He has provided people to come alongside us. At my weakest moments, when I felt most discouraged, He brought a phone call, a text, or a word of encouragement from a team member.

We have seen Him work in so many ways. During one of our door-to-door evangelism times, two of our girls led a sick man to Christ. A few days later they returned to check on him, prayed for him, and watched him take his last breath. They ushered him into eternity with Jesus!

We have shared the gospel at many schools and with individuals outside of huts. So many have prayed to receive Christ. It is not ours to know how many of those were genuine but the Lord knows. And He is the worthy one we are proclaiming.

We are growing in our own walks with the Lord. We have been so challenged, encouraged, humbled, and inspired by the missionaries here. Their heart for God and for the lost is powerful. The missionaries have taken time to have discipleship sessions with us and have prayed with us and for us. Their service to us has amazed us. Here we were coming to serve on mission and they have catered to our every need and done so with cheerful attitudes. They know Scripture so well and inspire me to learn the word more.

The last week in that village was particularly growing for me. Several challenges seemed to come to a head all at once and I found myself crying out to God for His help. I have felt a dependency on Him here like I never have before. And it is such a sweet place to be. I love leaning on Jesus. He is so strong! On the next to last morning in this town, I woke early, sat outside under a straw pavilion, and looked at the mist-covered mountains. I read His word and it was alive. He filled me with joy in His presence. The last few days of ministry were especially good. I had a love for the children we encountered. I felt my heart knit to that place and pray that one day I’ll be able to return. I loved even the simplicity of the lifestyle there.

Early Friday morning we loaded the van to return to the capital for a few days of “retreat” before we start ministry at our next location. It was hard to say goodbye to the friends we made there. I am so grateful that we got to be there though.

The Lord has been teaching me a lot here. I’ve been reading His word more and praying more than I did back home. I’m seeing how good and beautiful Jesus is and want my life to be spent loving Him with all I am. It’s my prayer that when I return to the States that passion will be “burned on my heart like a seal, that in the famine of His presence, in the flood of persecution, in the comfort of the culture, it’s the real” (John Thurlow, “Fully in Love”). I’ve been reading verses about the joy in Him and also about suffering. It’s my heart to be so satisfied in Him and His joy that my life displays how good He is.

He is our savior, bearing our sins in His body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). He is the “lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world” (1 Peter 19-20). God willed that through Him we would be saved. “And by that will we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Because of Him, we have “an inheritance that can never perish spoil or fade” (1 Peter 1:4).