[column width=”1/6″ title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]

[/column]

[column width=”2/3″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]

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.

I’m so grateful for the expat community we have in this country. It poses a challenge though when you try to focus your time with local friends, but long for moments with English speaking, Jesus believing friends too. We have to be careful not to invest too much time with other foreigners, but stay the course and keep the focus.  Either way, it’s a gift to have people “like me” here in the same area of the world.

Several ladies went on a retreat together to the Hyatt hotel here in our city. What a blast!

We pulled out our western clothes and felt, for 24 hours, like we were back in America.

I complimented a fellow worker on her cute outfit. She quick shot back with this “Oh yes…I never wear my western clothes here. Only the local dress. The local people that I spend time with think its only appropriate for foreigners to wear the local dress. You probably like my outfit because you’ve just never see me in western clothes.”

I immediately regretted my decision to compliment. Sometimes I do wear western clothes here. Modest of course, but western.

I felt so defeated in that moment. She must be so much better at this than I. I still long for cute clothes, for Target, Old Navy, jeans and frankly sometimes I just want to wear a tank top around my house for the fun of it. Has she acclimated so well to this whole thing that she doesn’t need to slip on a pair of jeans some days?

I came here not knowing if I was enough for this job. Words from other workers and drawing comparisons most often diminish someone.

Do you know how I know I am enough?

Because Jesus has literally brought local women to my door, into my home, and to my kitchen table with almost no effort on my part. He has drawn them to me and me to them. It is His work in people…. and in me.  That means He believes in me and trusts me to lead them forward.

By His grace I am enough.

This job IS for me, even in my jeans.

[/column]