From a Team Expansion Pathways Intern serving refugees
This update was written a few weeks after the intern sent out Part 1 of Ignatius’ story.
Two days ago, 3 guys of Muslim faith rid of their previous life, accepted Jesus and were baptized. God has just broken through here and I can only imagine how things go from this point on.
This whole summer has been about love. That is a big part of the Christian life. We do not think of our new friends as individuals boxed in a category like “refugee,’ but as friends – fellow children of God.
We met them where they were and simply loved. That’s how Jesus did it and the results have far exceeded my expectations.
Ignatius*, the young man I spoke of a couple of weeks ago, noticed the love that I’m speaking of and simply observed. He noticed our intentionality, how we acted, and who and what we talked about.
We do not think of our new friends as individuals boxed in a category like “refugee,” but as friends – fellow children of God.
Last week we noticed our prayers were beginning to be answered. As we continued to sit and talk with Ignatius, he told us of a dream that he had the night prior of a man that led him to place where there was happiness and community.
He went on to say that he feels something changing in his chest. He didn’t know what that was, but he knew it was good. God was on the move.
We continued to discuss with Ignatius who Jesus was, what he did, and the fact that he was indeed pursuing him much like he does with you and me.
Every day, our friend processed more and more and we challenged him to express his experiences with his close friends.
Ready to Change
Long story short, our last night in the area, we got a text message saying, we “really want to change.”
We arrived shortly after to discuss what exactly “change” meant.
Ignatius was there with his two friends. One of those friends had participated earlier in a Discovery Bible Study, but rejected anything we would say. At one point, he even crossed out the concept of Jesus being the Son of God on the sheet of paper listing Scriptures about Jesus.
However, as we begin to talk I realized that God had moved a mountain. I was witnessing a miracle. Jesus had transformed his heart and he was ready to accept Jesus.
Jesus had changed all three of their hearts.
Worth It
God has changed their hearts.
I look back on this internship and know this has been one of the hardest chapters of my life. There’s been heat, fatigue, and conflict. So much is at stake in this business and I can feel the weight. Yet, all the tribulation and work was worth it. Jesus is worth it.
And this is what Ignatius and his friends came to realize.
God has literally changed three hearts in front of my eyes. There’s reason for great celebration, but the job is not complete.
Let us pray that this is only just the beginning.
*Name changed
