The First Step
As students in the School of Islamic Studies, we have hearts to reach the unreached. It requires steps of radical faith in order to successfully reach those who live in the “hardest and darkest” parts of the world. A part of this school is learning to trust God fully and to go where he leads without hesitation. One week of the school, we were commissioned to go out on what we call a faith outreach, just as the disciples did in Luke 9.
“And he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” (Luke 9:2-6)
Like the disciples, we were sent out in teams with no money, food, or a place to stay. We were instructed to proclaim the Kingdom of God wherever He led us, and to trust the Lord for every provision.
My team headed to Bay Area, with a word of the Lord that we would do three things: love big, have fun, and follow our passions. When God speaks He is always faithful to fulfill. Our journey through faith outreach was filled with just these things.
Loving Extravagantly
On day one, the Lord called us to minister to one of our team member’s family. We were able to reach out to them in a season of hardship. Before this time we knew that we were called to love extravagantly everyone who we met. This specific call of The Lord was fulfilled during this time. We were able to love and champion them in ways that spoke to them in big ways. I even got to teach one of them a worship song on the piano and show her what joy is found in worshiping the Lord. We were able to love them extravagantly.
Later in the week, we were doing evangelism, and we encountered people from all different religions. We talked to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and everything in between. In conversation, we could have argued or felt responsible for proving our beliefs to be true. However, The Lord spoke to us very specifically that love had to be our only motivation. Because we chose to love, we were able to continue ministering through the opposition. At the end of the day, we finally found someone who was hungry for the gospel. We had a fruitful conversation that would not have happened if the Lord did not remind us to love extravagantly and endlessly.
As we ministered, our team walked in incredible unity, and it is because we loved each other well. I realized that loving big should not just mean loving the lost, but loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Having Fun
One day during our outreach, the opportunity to go to Six Flags for free was presented to us! With a word of the Lord to have fun, we knew the He was behind it. The day was filled with joy as we rode roller coasters and evangelized to those in the lines with us.
We got to show others that ministry does not have to be boring and routine. We serve a Lord who cares about our smallest desires and loves to see His children laughing and having fun. Doing life with Jesus is a wild ride! (no pun intended).
God did not only provide our basic necessities, he gave us things to enjoy! One of my favorite moments was getting to eat authentic Syrian food together. God could have just let us eat sandwiches, but I guess He wanted us to taste of His goodness. Literally.
Following Our Passions
We followed our passions during that week wholeheartedly. We are passionate about Houses of Prayer, so we went to one. God used that place to provide for all of our needs!
I am passionate about relational ministry (and coffee dates), so I got coffee with a girl that I had met. We talked for an hour about the gospel, what I believed and what she believed. We are passionate about mercy ministries, and so we served at a homeless shelter. I am passionate about helping women in human trafficking and prostitution, so we did ministry in the red light district. We are passionate about worship, and so we worshiped on the UC Berkeley campus. We even ran into a piano on the concourse!
The Lord constantly provided ways for us to glorify Him in spreading his Kingdom while pursuing our passions.
God loves to use the passions that are already in our hearts.
This Week Changed Me
Throughout this week, I gained new confidence in the faithfulness of God. He showed us that every word that he speaks will come into fruition. As I seek Him and his kingdom here on earth, doors will open and provision will come.
He showed me that when we fix our eyes on him, it is possible to walk in perfect unity with other believers and to love each other well. I found that people will not always agree with me, and they might reject the gospel, but that is okay. That does not change its power and it does not change who Jesus is. Jesus showed me that ministry is not boring and burnout is not inevitable! This week was fun, restful, and refreshing.
Going into faith outreach, I was quite nervous, but if I had known then what I know now, I would have been far from fearful. I was scared of the uncertainty: where I would stay and how I would eat. We might have been more comfortable if we had brought money with us “just in case” God did not show up. However, I have realized that when we take a leap of faith and surrender our “plan B”, God always comes through. Now as I continue my walk with The Lord and look towards to long term ministry in unreached nations, I feel certain that when He calls me to do something, He will also equip me. Where God guides, he provides, and I can literally trust Him with my life!
You too can walk in radical faith!
I want to invite you to join us in a Discipleship Training School where you will learn more about what it means to walk boldly and to trust the Lord with your life. If you have done a DTS, join us for the School of Supernatural Frontier Missions and embark on a faith outreach week where you will get to experience the Lord’s faithfulness first hand!