Rachel's Reflections

Last night concluded almost two weeks of helping at Child Evangelism Fellowship 's  Christian Youth in Action training (CEF's CYIA training) . I used to go all the time but have been out of state/country the last few years. It was a bit strange being back again (in a different/new location for me) and not know very many students, but it was great to see some familiar faces and be able to help out as possible. I only have space to mention a few of the people I interacted with but there are many others I wish I could share about. Aubrey Three years ago (my last time at CYIA) Aubrey was a student in my study group; this year she was student staff and my roommate. It was a privilege to see her again, spend time with her, and notice the change/growth God has done in her life these last three years. Ruth Three years ago I helped coordinate the summer ministry for the Northwest Chapter of CEF of Michigan. That summer Ruth was one of the teen teachers I worked with. She i...

My phone was buzzing...  I answered the video call and my heart leaped for joy  as I saw  two girls dear to my heart smiling and waving and saying hi and how much they love and miss me. It was Elizabeth and Refilwe from South Africa. I have not seen them since I shared those Precious Last Moments with them last November in South Africa (see post from November 18, 2017). But thanks to a friend in South Africa who was allowing these girls to use her phone to call me I could answer and tell them how much I love and miss them too. I had poured my heart and energy into Elizabeth and Refilwe every Thursday afternoon. I had watched God change them from being uncertain of their salvation to knowing they were saved and have a personal relationship with the Creator. I watched their love for God grow, especially in desiring to read His Word. God gave me a special gift in being able to talk to them briefly this week. They are doing well, they continue to attend ministry every ...

Glocal There is a  glocalization  happening in our world that is shaking things up. This "shuffling of peoples is exposing Muslims to Christianity" by bringing Muslims into contact with Christian communities and bringing Christians into contact with Muslim communities. God has placed almost all Christians into one of those two positions.  I attended the Legacy conference in Dearborn to learn more about reaching Muslims with the Gospel in preparation for going to Mozambique in January. The concept of Glocal ("reflecting or characterized by both local and global considerations," Oxford Dictionaries) was brought up and it affects all of us. Engage Christians who come in contact with Muslims (or people of other religious backgrounds) can look for ways to engage with them such as: Showing Hospitality (especially involving food) Fellowshiping Helping them learn English Caring for their needs Visiting them in their homes Bringing them to church Prayin...