Rachel's Reflections

Sharing the Vision People living in a thick veil of spiritual darkness The Vision: to bring the light of God to them It is incredible how God has aligned numerous aspects of my life - my experiences, interests, and passions, so perfectly with the goals, details, and values of the ministry team I will be joining in northern Mozambique with Africa Inland Mission . I am blown away by how perfectly some of the details match, it's like God made me for this assignment or this assignment for me. "What are these?" you ask. Language and teammate connections to hint a couple. My desire is to personally share the specific details with as many of you as possible before publishing them in a newsletter or on social media. I am discovering that sharing with individuals allows for more interaction, a heart-to-heart connection, freedom to ask questions, and I can more naturally share the passion, vision, and burden God has laid on my heart.  Several individuals and couples have give...

Mom on mission : Every morning we would sit and listen as she read a passage from the Bible, answer the questions she asked us about it, and then after she prayed she would read from another book. It was almost always a story about a missionary reaching out to people with the Gospel. Stories like Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, Brother Andrew, Peace Child, and Bruchko. Those stories inspired and challenged me.  God used my mom to instill in me a love and a desire for missions, a dream that some day I would become a full-time missionary somewhere in the world. Now I am seeing that dream become a reality as I prepare to go as a full-time missionary to northern Mozambique with Africa Inland Mission. Thank you, Mom, for being faithful to teach me to love God and desire to be on mission for Him. Language Cafe : After asking her what her favorite Bible story was and being able to share how that story fit into God's great Redemption story she asked me what my favorite Bible story was...

Mozambique Africa Inland Mission (AIM) has appointed me as a full-time missionary to northern Mozambique! AIM was excited to learn about my Portuguese and asked me to pray about going to northern Mozambique where they are starting a new team. I am ecstatic about this opportunity to return to a familiar country, closer to my friends, and continue to use my hard-earned Portuguese. I was given three other options to pray about but it has been very clear that God is leading me to Mozambique. Fast Facts: January 2019 Departure Going with another young, single lady from the U.S. I will need to learn another local, tribal language as well as brush up on my Portuguese I will be living near the city of Pemba Distance from the capitol city Maputo in the south to Pemba in the north is the equivalent distance from Cadillac, Michigan to Miami, Florida 10 Identified Unreached People Groups live in northern Mozambique Flying Colors I was nervous.  The AIM ...

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...