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Have you heard the expression “Boots on the Ground?” Well our Live Dead Missionaries are the boots on the Silk Road. Here we’d like to take a moment and allow one of them to share a snapshot of their life with you. Some names and details have been changed, but this is a true story from this colorful, vibrant, and sometimes surprising region.

One of the privileges I enjoy while living on this soil is taking the adventures the Holy Spirit offers.  I walk out my door, head in the direction I’ve felt Him leading me earlier in prayer, then follow as He leads me directly to a person He is “highlighting”.

Earlier at our weekly gathering I had specifically felt a compassionate yet painful pressing on my heart to “go and find them”.  I carried that thought with me as I crossed the water to the other side of the city to prayer walk with a friend.

This seaside park had benches for gazing and tables for drinking tea and coffee.  We passed a woman in her late 60’s sitting on a bench alone.  Ten steps later I turned to my friend to say, “I think I’m supposed to talk to that woman back there.  She seems to be’ highlighted’.”

As I sat next to her I talked about the weather and found that her smiles were shy but open. She had some teeth missing and that made understanding more difficult.  My one prayer became,

God give me a word for this woman!  Give me a glimpse into her life that will open her to the gospel!

The word, “family” came to mind along with the emotion of sadness.

I turned to her and asked, “Are you sad?”

“Yes,” she answered, eyes gazing at her hands.

“Is it because of your family?” I asked tentatively.  Oh please God …

“Yes.”

She lifted her bent head, looked out over the water and the people passing us in groups of students and families.  “They live in Germany and will not come here now.  They were going to visit, but things here are not good.  They aren’t coming because of the situation.”

The Father’s Heart

With gentleness I told her what had led me to talk to her.  That God, out of all these people, pointed her out to me.  That He put into my heart her sadness was because of her family.  I concluded, “God wants you to know He sees you.  You are not alone.”  Then a pause.

“I follow Jesus,” I said … one toe dip into the gospel.

She smiled and said He is good.  We talked a little about prayer.  Before I left she said this: “I was at home alone.  I cook but who eats it?  I clean but who sees it?  I decided to walk down to the sea alone and rest.”  Then she turned and looked me full in the face for the first time, “And I met you.”

Her smile may have had a few teeth missing, but its worth was greater than pearls and rubies.  What a treasure she is to the Father!

And what a privilege it is to partner with the Holy Spirit to go and find these treasures.  Thank you for making it possible, through prayer and finances, for us to continue to sow the truth where it has not been sown.

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