This past month our focus as a Live Dead community was Spirit Empowerment.

Not confidence in our own ability.
Not control over every detail.
But a deep dependence on the Holy Spirit to work in ways we cannot.

Jesus told His disciples to wait for power from on high before they went out. They were already called, already trained, already commissioned — yet they were not sent until the Spirit came. The mission has always been Spirit-led before it is humanly carried out.

When Obedience Meets Empowerment

Here is a story shared this past month from one of our Live Dead teams:

On my walk back to our Somali-filled apartment complex I began to pray desperately: “Lord, You alone need to open up the doors to Somali hearts and homes, because they are mostly closed.” Somalis are known for rarely leaving their homes, and locals warn you against the offense you will cause if you knock on their door to greet them. They can be harsh people and tend to live very isolated from others, even in their own communities.

How then can we befriend them and share this good news we have? How will they ever hear of Jesus? As I walked, I could only end my prayer time in the spirit. 

Immediately after turning into my complex, my local friend appeared, and after greetings, she grabbed my hand and took me to visit her aunt’s house in the first building. My first time in a private Somali home!! Finally! We drank juice, greeted her relatives, and talked. Before leaving I prayed for healing in Jesus’ name over an elderly great aunt who hadn’t been eating or drinking. (I was told the next day that she was once again eating and drinking. Praise Jesus!) 

After leaving the first home, as I sat outside with my kids playing with the neighborhood children, the Lord opened up another door. I met another Somali woman sitting with her three children, who, in an unusual manner, opened up and began sharing about her life. Before I knew it she had invited me up to her apartment to show us where she lived, drink more juice together, and give me a gift! Out of the six months she’s lived in our complex, she told me I was her first friend. We had many faith talks and made plans to see each other often.

In one day, God powerfully opened up two homes to His gospel in our complex. With Somalis it can often feel as if you’re running into a wall, constantly reaching out to people who don’t want to be found or engaged. It’s tough. But this team is committed to continue reaching out and, as the Spirit opens up doors, committed to running through them. Because, isn’t it actually Jesus who stands at the door of their hearts knocking all along? “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Rev 3:20). How gracious of Him to allow us to be the ones physically knocking on Somali doors.

The Spirit Leads the Mission

Spirit empowerment means recognizing that transformation does not ultimately come from polished presentations, perfect translation, or controlled environments. It comes from the Spirit of God moving in human hearts.

For those serving among the unreached, this truth is both humbling and freeing. It reminds us that we are not responsible for changing people — only for being faithful to speak, to pray, and to trust that the Spirit is at work even when we cannot see it.

Many of us carry quiet doubts in moments of ministry: Was that clear? Did that make sense? Did anything actually happen? Spirit empowerment invites us to release those questions into God’s hands. He is able to reach people beyond our words, beyond our cultural understanding, and even beyond visible circumstances.

This past month invited us to ask where we may be relying on our own strength instead of depending on the Spirit’s leading and power. It challenged us to listen more closely to His promptings, to pray with greater expectation, and to believe that no one is beyond His reach.

As we move into this new month, our focus shifts to the next core value: Learning — because those who are led by the Spirit are also continually shaped, stretched, and taught as they follow where He leads.

Looking Ahead

As we move into this new month, we turn our focus to the next core value: Learning.

Because being empowered by the Spirit does not mean we stop growing. In fact, the Spirit often leads us into seasons of stretching, humility, and continual learning — about God, about people, and about the cultures we are called to serve.