Keep Dreaming | Join the Movement | Edition 34

When I arrived in Spain, I was excited: I am finally here! It had been a long process of raising support and going through the process to get my visa. To be honest, I am still excited: I am here! 

It is not that the excitement wore off. No, I remain grateful for the ways God provided for me. He cared for me through the support-raising process and by providing a good job, surrounding me with incredibly supportive people, and protecting me while I traveled amidst the years of the pandemic.

Once I arrived in the field, I started to see ways that God’s timing is incredible. He had given me words beforehand that I saw come to fruition early on in my assignment. I knew that the patience and the hard work of the support-raising process were worth it.

Within my first couple weeks of arriving in Spain, the Holy Spirit began to stir this question: What will I dream for next? I had been dreaming of arriving for so long, and now that it had come true, praise God! 

But now, I need to look forward again, without forgetting God’s faithfulness to me in the past several months, but what do I press on towards? What am I hoping for?

Just as the Holy Spirit prompted this question, He has also begun to answer it. While partnering with a church a month into my assignment, the youth pastor prayed over me during a service. The Holy Spirit spoke through him and the children’s director, who translated the message into English.

Without them knowing it, the Lord gave me an answer to my questions. He gave me a glimpse into how he will use me in this 2-year assignment and beyond as I continue to follow the Lord (in whatever country that may be)!

I expect to learn more of what the Lord has for me the longer I am in the field. I will continue to be grateful for God’s faithfulness. I want to continue looking forward and to see where God will bring me and use me.

Mistaken Identity by Kristina Keen - Missionary Associate to Northern Ireland

Living with the title "Missionary" can come with unspoken expectations from supporters, colleagues, and even yourself. I came to Northern Ireland with the heart and intent to work hard for the Kingdom of God and support my pastor here in whatever way I could. Upon arrival I picked up a full schedule and got to work, taking from past ministry experiences and learning some things for the very first time. By February 2020 I was starting to get into a comfortable groove where I finally felt like I was serving in a way that met my own standards. The next month we went into our first COVID-19 lockdown and the days and my work shifted drastically. I was no longer able to do all of the things that I had been doing, first, for health and safety reasons and then secondly, because nothing could look or work the same as it did before we went into lockdown. For the first few weeks that I was stuck in my apartment alone I focused on making sure that we could get our Sunday services up online. We wanted service available for our church family and anyone who might have been searching for hope in a time where things were feeling a little hopeless. As the dust settled, I realized that I had been putting too much of my identity into my external deeds.

I had replaced my identity in the Lord with the work I was doing and when I was no longer able to do as much work, my self worth began to crumble. The first lockdown lasted months and instead of focusing on the work I was no longer able to do I took the time to hone in on what I was able to do and do it well. But more importantly I faced myself and realigned my identity in the Lord. He loved us first, before we said, “yes” to following Him, before we ever did anything for Him. Psalm 18:19 says, “He led me to a place of safety; He rescued me because He delights in me.” It can be easy as people who are paid to do ministry to find value and worth in what we do for God but we must remember who we are in God.

A Pandemic of Opportunity

2020 was a year to remember. Many say it was a horrible year - a year of restrictions. In Romania, we felt the same at first. When the pandemic first reached Romania, we were not sure how it would affect our Business as a Ministry, The American Cafe. We had to let go of national workers right after expanding. The church meeting in person was restricted or forbidden on occasion. Everything we were doing here in ministry was put on hold.

Initially we were busy making needed updates to the cafe. After a few months without gatherings or business, restrictions were lifted. We were excited to operate semi-normally again. Then another set of restrictions and closures came. This second time around felt different. We started to see how the pandemic was affecting our committed churchgoers and our regulars at the cafe. God showed us opportunities to reach the people and to be the church in caring for one another. We brought food to many of our churchgoers and helped an elderly lady who was living in the dark and barely got out of bed. The church came together to clean her small apartment. We gave her clothes and got her power back on so she could have heat during the winter. We saw one of the newer believers in our church step up to visit her daily and bring her meals.

The pandemic started with feelings of lost opportunities and restrictions. God opened our eyes to be the church and take care of needs right in front of us. He gave us the ability to minister to our church body and then go beyond to help those that weren’t apart the church. Sometimes it takes a new perspective to see that ministry is available everywhere and the church does not exist solely within the walls of the church we build for ourselves.