SPOTLIGHT ON MISSIONS: AJ • Reaching the 10/40 Window

Editor’s Note: This missionary’s name and ministry location are not being shared for security reasons.

Wow! I can’t believe it has already been two months since I returned to my training location. Thank you for your prayers back in January as you prayed for safe travels. It was an eventful travel day for sure! After three flight cancellations and several delayed flights, I finally arrived with another classmate at 11p.m.

It was a great transition reconnecting with local friends, friends on campus and getting back into the routines. I have come to really love the city where I am living. It is so different from where I grew up, but has felt more and more like home as time passes. I especially love visiting the beach and reveling in God’s creation as I do homework.

Time passes so quickly. As I am excited to come home and see family and friends, I have absolutely loved my time here and often tear up at the fact that we only have two months or so left. Please pray for me as I try to make the most of the time God has given me here.

Quiero Agradecerte Dios in Spanish means “I want to thank you, God!” It is a song we sang at church recently and resonates so much with how I am feeling right now. God has given me so many incredible new experiences this semester and so many new friends!

I have learned how to make tortillas and sweet pumpkin (dulce de calabaza) with local friends. Flour tortillas were on the top of my bucket list and my language helper (who is a cook) graciously taught me how to make them. They are so simple and easy!

This semester we got to choose a local Spanish church to get involved in. I asked several of you to pray about this decision and thank you for doing so. It has been such a joy to get to know the people at my church. It has been so uplifting to worship in Spanish, try my best to understand a Spanish sermon (our pastor speaks really fast) and get involved with the young adults and the women’s ministry. We are always encouraged to push into our unbelieving friends here, which is great practice for the next context when there may or may not be believers, or a church, within reach. I cannot help but give thanks to the Lord for the brothers and sisters in Christ I have met while here. Just yesterday, I was at a jóvenes (youth) meeting with some friends from church and I couldn’t help but tear up during the prayer as I realized that I will one day be worshipping around the throne of God with these brothers and sisters.

A few weeks ago, I got to go on a road trip with my roommate and her local friend to a city about two hours from us. They were running a half marathon, and I went to be their cheerleader. It was so exciting to get to know another city and hear the interesting history behind it. At one point, the population of this city was over 80% Chinese. Nowadays, there are not that many Chinese, but they did leave behind some amazing Chinese food, which we did get to experience! I recently had the privilege of attending a youth rally with my local church friends. We had a devotional, then did some community service projects, ate lunch together and closed with an amazing time of singing and preaching. On the way back, we stopped at the beach for some coffee and pizza!

I will leave you with some encouragement from the book of Acts. We have been slowly making our way through this book in class this semester. In chapter 5, the apostles are arrested and brought before the council (again) for preaching the resurrection. After they were threatened and beaten, their response, similar to that of chapter 4, was pure boldness given by the Holy Spirit. “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus” (Acts 5:41-42 ESV). Not only did they continue preaching Christ despite the council’s threats, they rejoiced for their suffering. They were rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Christ. That is my prayer for myself, my friends, my family and my fellow students here — that we would all not lose sight of the worthiness of Christ. May you be filled with the boldness of the Holy Spirit to proclaim His Word!

Join with me in praying that I will be able to discern teammates, a location and a people group to serve among long-term and for God to lead me to a family to stay with during our homestay week in April. Also join me in praising God for the new experiences He has been giving me with local friends and for my church family here. (arkslp@protonmail.com)