Rachel's Reflections

Soak in the Gospel to Spread the Gospel   Why would thousands of people spend 6+ hours on a Friday night soaking in a pastor's talk about the Gospel? Because of a compassionate, burning desire to share that Gospel with the lost.  Secret Church #18, with David Platt, was hosted in Nashville, Tennessee. I was able to attend a simulcast of it at Grace Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan with a friend and the others who attended. It went late into  the night with powerful truths about the Gospel in relation to cults and counterfeit Gospels as well as special prayer times for Malaysia. A few points that stood out to me: Our goal is not to win an argument with contempt (or persuasion). Our goal is to care for a friend with compassion (and the power of Christ). The essence of sin : Man substitutes himself for God. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be.  The essence of salvation : God substitutes Himself for man. God sacri...

Shock and discomfort swept over me as I stepped inside.  Doubts ran through my mind: " What am I doing here ?" " I don't know anyone ." " I don't belong, I don't fit in ." Announcements were made in another language and translated into English for those of us who needed it. I felt overwhelmed and intimidated.  As I opened up and began talking with a few people I relaxed and was able to enjoy the evening.  Delicious Middle Eastern food was served in a lively, friendly atmosphere. Tonight was the grand opening of the West Michigan Friendship Center. A place for refugees and immigrants to find resources, make friends, enjoy community, and make the adjustment to living in a new culture alongside others doing the same. Later in the evening I mentioned to a new acquaintance my initial fear, discomfort, and overwhelming reaction upon entering the place. She responded that is how most all refugees and immigrants feel upon entering a new cult...

" Are you going to try the Arabic coffee ?" my Arab friend asked me Thursday night at the language cafe's monthly potluck where I volunteer. "Well, I don't usually drink coffee... but maybe I'll try a little bit for you," I responded. I started pouring and was shocked to see orange liquid in my cup. "Why is it orange?!" I asked her. "Oh, it's not orange, it's golden... This is because the coffee beans are not roasted long." Interesting, I thought as I sipped on the liquid, thankful it didn't have the bitter taste of other coffee. As we continued talking she explained that it is  polite to only fill a guest's cup half full so it can be refilled during their stay which shows attentiveness to their needs. After asking her what she had learned of Easter the previous weekend, she expressed interest in reading the Bible and I was able to show her the Arabic translations offered on the YouVersion Bible app for phones. I...

I have been accepted by Africa Inland Mission as a full-time missionary ! 😄 Emotions of excitement and anticipation swirl around my mind when I think about this and all the possibilities it contains. I thank God for leading me to this point and all the people who encouraged, walked with me, and helped make it possible.  Africa Inland Mission has presented four assignment/location options for me to pray through and decide on. Each of them has a particular focus on Unreached People Groups (UPG's are less than 2% Christian). They are all good options but one has especially piqued my interest. I will be hearing back from AIM this next week with more details about this particular opportunity. Will you pray with me about where God would have me serve as a full-time missionary? The Unreached Many Unreached Peoples are within reach, in cities and universities, around you and I. Several churches have outreaches to them, like the English Cafe I have been volunteering at her...

Connect Week: 16 Candidates assembled in the room that first morning not knowing what to expect. Was anyone prepared to receive a 60+ item checklist? Or to run around an office building taking crazy pictures? Or to hear a heart-wretching story of a mother watch her little girl cling desperately to her grandma before saying goodbye and boarding the airplane? Or to unlock a secret about time? (curious? see below) Connect week was an unforgettable experience. I connected with AIM staff and the other 15 candidates, made new friends as well as connected with old, family friends. The week was packed with information, each night I got back to my room and tried to process everything I had learned that day. Practical, useful, eye-opening, and more for missionary and non-missionary alike. Did Africa Inland Mission accept me as a full-time missionary? Find out in next weeks blog or subsribe to receive my bi-monthly e-newlsetter to get the insider scoop. (comment, message, or email me to sub...

The wait is finally over!  Tomorrow morning I leave for Peachtree, Georgia for a week where Africa Inland Mission has their headquarters. There I will find out the long awaited and anxiously anticipated answer: will they accept me as a full-time missionary ? Connect week , March 4-10, is a heavily loaded week of training. Who is AIM ? What do they do? How do they do it? What areas do they work in? What opportunities of service are there?  How do AIM missionaries raise support?  What does it look like to minister in the African context? AIM staff will strive to answer these questions as they connect with those of us invited for this special week. While waiting for Connect week to arrive I have been able to plug back into my local church, spend quality time with family and friends, and I have been working as a waitress at a restaurant near home. I thank God for allowing me this time to invest in the people I was away from during my internship with Word of Life Ple...

Elizabeth and Refilwe clung to me. Their long faces matched mine. The dreaded time to say goodbye had come.  Last week I told them I had one more week left with them. They were sad and asked if I was coming back next year. I told them no and explained that there are still people in the world who do not know that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and people groups that do not have a Bible in their own language. I told them I want to go to some of these people to tell them about Jesus. They understood but were still sad. They both came Thursday afternoon for the final day of ministry hungry for the Word of God, excited for the fun games, and happy to see me. They also came with something for me... They each gave me a note that expressed their thanks and love. Our time was drawing to a close. The lesson was over, the games were all packed up, everyone else started to leave. Elizabeth and Refilwe sat down next to me to say goodbye, their friends crowding around.  ...