It’s been a couple of weeks since I wrote on my blog due to my trip to Kigali, Rwanda, Africa. I have no words to describe the experience other than God showed up throughout the trip. He did amazing things in Kigali as many people gave their lives to Christ for the first time. And He also did amazing things in my heart. When you go as a missionary to another place, you go to empty yourself out unto the people. What you don’t expect is to be immediately filled up with God again—right away, right there, on the spot. I was not expecting that.
I also wasn’t even expecting to be called a “missionary” as my “mission” was to only teach at the pastors’ leadership conference and then to the women’s conference and I also shared my testimony several times. But when one of my relatives said on Facebook, “Tim’s wife is in Africa as a missionary,” I realized maybe that’s what I am… a missionary. And I kiddingly said to God, “Lord, are you trying to sneak up on me that I’m now a missionary?” Then I also realized that you don’t need to go across the world in order to be a missionary. You can share the Gospel with your neighbor or your friend at work or your relatives. Sharing the Gospel with others is what makes you a missionary. You’re going on a mission and that mission is to share the Gospel with others who may never hear the good news if it wasn’t for you.
I also experienced first-hand the Scriptures in the Bible that promises us that if we leave everything behind for the sake of the Gospel (meaning you leave your husband, your wife, your home, your brothers and sisters), God will multiply it and you shall have many brothers and sisters. During the women’s conference, I told the women that I had left my home in the US and my husband for 11 days just to tell them that God loves them, that they are valuable and important—that they matter to God. They couldn’t believe that someone would take time out of their lives to share that with them and to share the Gospel with those who have never heard it. I told them I thanked God for giving me so many new sisters in Christ. You see, we may not be related by human blood but we are related by the blood of Jesus—that’s how we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Here is a great Scripture that reminds us of this truth:
Matthew 12:46-50 (NLT) The True Family of Jesus
46 As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 47 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”
48 Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
The women who attended the conference where all Christians already but something they told me later, really touched me. They said, “We can never repay you for what you’ve done, but your reward is in heaven.” There is a Scripture in Matthew 6:1 (NLT) that says, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” So I want to be careful to not do this myself… I only want to share this with you to encourage you to go on a mission trip or support others who are willing to go in the future. As a supporter, you are behind the scenes helping others, and I want you to know that this promise applies to you—your reward will be in heaven.
I left Africa knowing I had completed my mission there but I didn’t know I was also going to leave filled with the love of God, ready to pour it out again unto others. So today I encourage you to share your faith with others. It’s the least we can do to repay Jesus for giving us the gift of eternal life by dying on the cross for our sins. Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel. Don’t be afraid to share Jesus with others. Everyone NEEDS Jesus!