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Monday, January 21, 2013

Cross-cultural Missionaries Need For a Person of Peace

Okay. It was 5 months ago I left my home in Tennessee and came to live in Eldoret, Kenya. Since we have been here, I have seen God do so many wonderful things in our life. I came here to work at an orphanage with almost 20 children as a house parent. I have been able minister in slums to some of the poorest people in the world. I also have been able to preach and minister to over 15 different churches. This coming April I have been asked to speak at a conference that will have over 100 Pastors. I mean, I am blown away at the breakthroughs and opportunities that God has given me. I wish I could take credit for it.....

But the reason for all of these opportunities has nothing to do with me. It's all because the Lord put a "Person of Peace" in my life.

You see when Jesus sent his disciples out to teach, heal the sick, and drive out demons he told them upon entering the town to find a "Person of Peace" (see Luke 10). When I came here, I met a man named Peter who has been a "Person of Peace" for me. It's amazing the wisdom that is in Jesus instructions here to find a man of peace. It has so many benefits. I would not be able to "tie my shoes" over here, if it was not for Peter. Let me brag about him for a bit. Peter is the pastor at a local church here in town. Peter is also a Church Planter. Peter is also the director for Tobiah Children's Home, where I work at. He is also a fellow house parent with my wife and me. This man does it all.

It feels like Peter knows everybody. I mentioned earlier all the opportunities that I have had to go minister at Churches, (not to mention I currently have 4 Pastors that are wanting us to come minister there), I have not asked to preach one time since I have been here. Also, Peter translates for me every time I preach. The only time I minister is when Peter sets it up. Once again it feels like Peter knows over a million preachers. Now, I ask myself a question. If it were not for Peter, How long would it take me to build the contacts and relations with these pastors in order to have the opportunity to go minister to all these churches? It would take forever. You see, God brings "People of Peace" into our lives to enhance our opportunities to do the work of God in these communities. We need to rely on the people God brings in our lives.

Also, we are ministering to a slum close to where we live here in Sukunaanga. How were we able to accomplish that? Because Peter just so happens to know the village elder of the entire slum. Peter has so many contacts that it's unreal.

Finally, I mentioned that I will be speaking at a conference in April to over 100 pastors in the area. How much work did I have to do to set that up? Absolutely none. Peter already knows all the pastors and has put the entire conference together. Once again, I did not ask or volunteer to speak at this. I just did what he asked me to do. You see, often times if we just take the risk and walk through the doors that God opens for us, we will find ourselves doing things that we never imagined.

I'm not a preacher. I don't do work in slums. The only reason I'm over here is to be a house parent at an orphanage, which is our passion and we love doing it. But through the Grace of God and Peter, we are able to do so much stuff in our free time, when were not working at the orphanage.

I write all this to say, if you are a missionary in a foriegn country, it's easy to feel lost. Don't start from scratch! Look for a "person of peace". A man who God is already working through. I promise you, even if you are new to the country, God has been there for a long time. When we came here to Eldoret. We did NOT do anything new. God was already working here. We just simply accepted the invitations that Peter "our Person of Peace" has given us. We are so blessed to have Peter in our lives. So find this person in your life.

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