So friends, I wanted to offer a post-Race, summary of sorts, window into my heart, kind of thing. After much processing I have developed two 3-part recaps that communicate some of the biggest lessons I gleaned from my race.
Part 1:
highlights a few people I encountered that taught me lasting lessons and allowed me to glean the heart of ministry.
Part 2:
highlights a few new discoveries I made about myself and the world.
Part 1 – A Vietnamese man, A South African Couple, & A selfless traveler:
- The Vietnamese Man – Binh
Binh was my team’s host in Vietnam during month 3. He was a leader in a H’mong mountain village just north of Sapa. While it is a goal for us to have translators, for many reasons this month we did not. Binh spoke about 4 words of English (hi, yes, no, go). We spoke exactly 1 word of H’mong (thank you) – pronounced (Ka-moon). Aside from this, our communication was purely non-verbal. Even so, I am confident Binh is a kind, humble, and good man.
He led us through the hills of his village for hours instructing us to pray. We prayed for the land, for the people, and variously we would enter homes and pray specifically for healing over someone. Some days he would lead us in manual labor by modeling and inviting us to join in. When we would fail he would patiently model it again until we understood and could assist correctly. I was able to spend some of my afternoons teaching him guitar chords and how to play worships songs he knew. Late at night, in the dark, you would hear him outside practicing and singing with immutable joy.
Vietnam is a closed country, meaning it is illegal to evangelize and extremely dangerous to practice Christianity. It is also illegal to congregate in large groups – an attempt to essentially outlaw church services. The police had been by a couple times questioning and threatening Binh. Still, he remained steadfast. He held bible studies in his home each week and led his community up the mountain to a tucked away church each Sunday. Each person carried their own chair for the service, some coming from miles.
Further, his family housed and fed 6 strangers, whom they could not even communicate with, joyfully and diligently. Though I will likely never see them again, Binh and his family taught me about service, about patience, about selflessness, and about devotion in the face of persecution.
- The South African Couple – Pastors Frikkie and Leone
My soul is in awe of these two humans. Our meeting them was rather unintentional, but in just two days they impacted me with greater weight that anyone I have ever encountered. Undoubtedly, this is because they are walking vessels of Jesus. Their stories are incredible, but in quick summary they were both drug addicts whose lives were rocked by love. They began a church in a community where drug addiction is rampant. Within a few months of being there, the church had been broken into 80+ times. Everything had been stolen, everything. Nearby addicts had taken anything they could, from candles to windows to carpeting to ceiling tiles. It was utterly ransacked.
While rebuilding with increased security was an option, Pastors Frikkie and Leone felt a different prodding. They knew that the church is not a building, nor is it the people in the building. The church is inclusive. Their ‘church’ was on the streets. Their church needed them to meet them where they were, just like Jesus does with us. So with that for a vision, they took to the streets.
They spend their days walking the creek on the edge of town — the creek where trash is thrown, where rodents thrive, and where addicts use. They sit in the mess with the people who need to hear that they are loved. They sit beside the ones who were kicked out their houses, the ones who are unwanted by friends and family, the ones who live on the street with nowhere to go, the ones who stole everything from them and left their property destroyed. They sit by those persons and say “I know what you did, but I love you anyway. I know you are worth more than this. I know you want more than this. Let me help you heal your body and lead you to the man who can heal your soul.”
Their words are even more beautiful in action. Pastor Frikkie and Leone offer a weekly meal where any and all are welcome to come and eat. Then they are welcome to worship and hear about a path to freedom. Further, they open their home to anyone who wants to come for help. They love the person through withdrawal and give them all the resources for success. During our time there, 2 recently recovered addicts were living there and ministering alongside them, one about to start school.
I was even more amazed when a few of us went on a run with Pastor Frikkie. Nearly everyone we passed said hello to him with joy and hope upon seeing him. Yes, the store owners and the police officers, but it was the homeless and the addicts and the prostitutes that brought me chills. They smiled as he passed and he responded with gentle mentions of their names. He is a man who is known in their town as one who loves, one who loves all.
I could honestly speak for hours, even weeks, about this couple. But for the sake of respectable brevity I will say this. In those 2 days I experienced more love, truth, humility, and empowerment than ever before. They walked out their faith in a way I’ve only ever heard about. They were the best teachers I have ever encountered, but they spoke few words. They lived love.
- The Selfless Traveler – Douglas
As you may know, after the official race ended a couple of friends and I continued, hoping to live out what we had learned with less structure and guidance. This led to a level of dependence and trust on the Lord that I had never been willing to risk. We had hitch-hiked in a few places, but during this extension we wanted to use this form of travel to exercise dependence and meet new people. Hitch hiking generally consists of extensive waiting, numerous short rides, and a plethora of shaming looks. The particular day I speak of had been no different and by this point it was late afternoon and we had not advanced very far. We had acquired housing about 500 kilometers west of where we were and if we didn’t get a ride soon we would be hitching through the night, not something any of us desired nor presumed to be safe.
We prayed one more time, desperate, but hopeful, and, as if on cue, a man pulled over to the side of the road. He asked where we were headed and we told him Pretoria, the city 480 kilometers away. We expected him to offer to take us 30 or so kilometers towards our goal, but to our utter disbelief he stated that he was going there as well and would take us the entire way! Again, to make a delightful story significantly briefer, we spent hours getting to know Douglas. He even stopped twice along the way, once to buy us all ice cream and again to buy us drinks. He not only took us to the city we needed, but offered to take us directly to where we were meeting our next connection. We offered to compensate him for his incredible kindness, but he would only receive our thanks, prayer, and a bottle of wine we had for occasions as these. Douglas was almost surprised by our appreciation. He felt he was simply helping those he could how he could. He lives aware and ready to serve.
……………………………………………….
Each one of these people spend their lives being love to the world. I was just blessed to be one of the people they reached.
When I left last year I thought that ministry was something you do. I thought it was an organization you partner with, a purpose-filled day job, or an after work commitment. But ministry is a lifestyle.
It’s being love and life to everyone you encounter. It’s being intentional in every moment. It’s realizing that the importance of the tasks in your day pale in comparison to the importance of the humans around you. It’s making a point to learn names and stories. It’s hearing what’s not being spoken. It’s seeing and addressing needs. AND (and this is incredibly important) it is humbly realizing your own needs and accepting sacrifice and love from others. It’s receiving while giving and giving while receiving.
