To the Ends of the Earth Together
For so the Lord has commanded us saying, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
– Acts 13:47 (ESV)
Is God’s command above only for those who serve in the mission field or are all of us called to spread salvation locally and globally?
Here in Portland, it feels as though the world has come to us and I confess I always felt a little trepidation when trying to connect with people from other cultures. The differences that separate us can create barriers that seem impossible, at times, to overcome.
It’s easy to see how GPBC supports our Global Partners—encouraging, serving, praying, and financially supporting them; but have you thought about how the Global Partners support us? I had the opportunity to serve alongside several of our Global Partners both abroad and here at home. Those experiences empower me to reach out to our neighbors and build relationships with them.
My first short-term mission trip was to Spain to serve at the Friendship House. Our Global Partners, Dan and Eva, showed me the importance of presence and building trust to grow connections to other cultures. I served in Spain alongside Dan and Eva three times. I witnessed how the time they invested to overcome barriers now allows them to freely share the gospel and their faith in Jesus with the families in their community.
The good work I saw in Spain inspired me and other GPBC friends to start a Homework Club for neighborhood families during COVID, when school were shut down. Many of those neighborhood families are Muslim. We began visiting families weekly to bring them small gifts. I loved this time of building connections! Later, once we established a relationship, we invited the families to participate in Homework Club at our church. I firmly believe that the invitation was only accepted because we took the time to build trust and respect in their community.
Still, I was hesitant to share the gospel with our Muslim neighbors. Most of that hesitancy came from a place of fear. Fear of offending the people I wanted to reach, fear that if I said or did the wrong thing then they would close their hearts to Jesus even more. I often prayed for these families and asked God for wisdom. During this time, another of our Global Partners invited me to participate in a workshop on how to reach our Muslim neighbors. I enthusiastically accepted! This was a direct answer to my prayers. The workshop taught me how to connect to Muslims and how to build bridges between Christians and Muslims. Our Global Partners used their experiences and faith to equip and encourage me, so I felt empowered to share my faith!
Since then, God used that training to open conversations with our Muslim neighbors about prayer, who Jesus is, the Bible, and my faith. I am so thankful God brought these families into my life. They are my friends, and I love them dearly. We laugh together, cry together, and celebrate life together! I continue to pray for the day they will open their hearts to Jesus!
None of this would have happened without the partnership between our church and our Global Partners. We are on mission together, encouraging and equipping one another to bring salvation to the ends of the earth!
Please join us at our Global Partner Emphasis on April 14 and 21 as we celebrate how God is moving through the partnership between our faith community and our Global Partners. I pray you too will be inspired by the amazing individuals we call Global Partners!