A
hushed moan. A blanket of darkness quells the cry.
SILENCE…
A
BILLION souls…screaming for truth.
A
billionmen, women and children living and dying without ever once hearing the
name of Jesus.
The
nations are shouting out in desperation, yearning for
PEACE
TRUTH
LOVE
HOPE
How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
A few
friends and I are answering this call as we pledge to leave all things common.
We dare to venture into the unknown and unfamiliar lands where the gospel is
less than known. We have tasted and seen the need, now we put our hand to the
plow in achieving the Great Commission. Equipped with the love of Christ and the
promises of God, we endeavor to trek the majestic Himalayas of Nepal and journey
the ancient holy city of Varanasi.
The
love of Christ compels us to GO and boldly proclaim the good news to those who
have yet to hear.
The
TASK lay before us to love courageously all we encounter with a
Christ-likeness. We go to feed the hungry, to heal the sick, to care for the distressed, to set the captive free, to bind up the broken hearted.
Missions is my calling. Both hands gripping my cross, the pleasures of the world behind me. The fullnessofJOYbefore me. I follow my Savior all the way.
We have the resources to fulfill the Great Commission.
We have the the people to fulfill the Great Commission.
What is holding us back?
FEAR
May the Lord grant us faith that cultivates courage and courage that is
propelled forward by fearlessness. There are still a billion people who have yet to hear the name of Jesus. I challenge you to find your calling in being a part of global
evangelization specifically among these unreached.
Jesus
says, to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). We have been given much and thus, we are
responsible to help those in need.1 John 3:17-18 says, “…If anyone has the
world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him,
how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or
talk but in deed and in truth.”
My account of a day in India-summer 2013.
I wake up with an urge to pray for a spirit of fearlessness. Lord, make me FEARLESS give me COURAGE Mark me with your BOLDNESS make me FEARLESS. All day long I pray this, as India is a fearful place...My roommate and I are traveling around this
vast country…and India is a man's world. We really have to
trust the Lord for everything. We do not know the language or culture. It is
fearful to step out and share the gospel and pray for the sick. I am afraid of
the overwhelming heat. I am afraid of going to the place of Hindu worship. I
feel so much darkness, I can hardly handle it BUT in the midst of this darkness, the Lord fills me with the most awesome fearlessness and
power.
So I pray,Lord,
make me fearless, and give me courage. Mark me with your boldness and make me
fearless.All day long I
pray this and that night my friend and I actually end up sleeping on the streets
of India! (Not on purpose)
As I lay on the dirty blue bench I cry to the Lord in desperation, “God, You
are my Father! How could you let this happen to me?! My earthly father would not
approve! In fact, he would do anything to get me off the streets of India to a
safe place.”
I feel the Lord, speak to my heart, “Holly, didn’t you pray for
fearlessness? Didn’t you pray for boldness and courage? Yes, I am your Father,
and I love you more than your earthly father and this is exactly where I want
you.”
I look up from the bench I am laying on and see a bird land in its nest. I actually
think it would be nice to be that bird, safe and at home! I remember Jesus
telling those who want to follow him, “Birds of the air have nests, but the
Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.”
I feel the Lord asking, “Holly, are
you willing to follow me? I want you to be fearless of the darkest night. I
want you to see all these people who sleep on the streets. Do you to see all
these young mothers and children who I love and died for? You are responsible. The
Church is responsible.”
There are 2.2 billion children in the world and 1 billion of them live
in poverty.UNICEF estimates that
22,000 children under the age of 5 die every day from starvation or preventable
diseases. This is equivalent to1 child dying every 4 secondsand14 children dying every minute.
The Lord calls us
to a radical faith. Are you willing to follow Him?
David Platt says it well, “For the sake of more than a
billion people today who have yet to even hear the gospel, I want to risk it
all. For the sake of twenty-six thousand children who will die today of
starvation or a preventable disease, I want to risk it all. For the sake of my
life, my family, and the people who surround me, I want to risk it all.”
Help me help them...this fall 2014 I am planning to move to Nepal. I will also be very involved in missions in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
The Lord given me vision to see the church unite to fulfill the Great Commission. A few friends and I are starting a ministry called Illuminate Nations.
We are unswervingly devoted to express a living and
tangible response to Jesus’ greatest commandments, “Love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your
strength,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Illuminate Nations desires to
be a catalyst for the body of Christ to unite as one, and so use our gifts and
talents to put this LOVE into action. We eagerly endeavor to participate in bringing
the Kingdom of Heaven to earth in every aspect, especially among the poor, the
destitute, the lost and the broken-hearted.
Currently we are sponsoring local pastors, church-plants, women coming out of sex-trafficing and children homes.
We are sponsoring children homes in Nepal and helping start one in Bangladesh and Varanasi, India.
I step off the low class
train, encountering a world like never before, a place of utter darkness, woe and doom. Shiva, the Hindu god of death reigns over this city. The stench of filth penetrates the air; poverty and sickness
make for an austere welcome. Small street children glare with wide eyes. There is an acute darkness that looms in the air. The very
ground I walk on seems to be cursed. I enter the gates of hell. Varanasi, India
I tremble as I touch the small dirty hand stretched before me, dark and beautiful. "Grace, God's grace over you, Beloved!" My heart burns for this nation. I feel the Father's mighty hand of love place in my heart a holy ambition to shine with the light and love of Christ among these people.
I am at the frontline of battle, armed for war. Both hands soaked with the scarlet blood of Calvary. An invisible host of warring angles are marching all around proclaiming, "Glory, ♫glory ♪to God in the highest!" I step forward, my feet shod with the shoes of the gospel of peace. Not I, but Christ in me speaks with the double-edged, fiery Sword of the Spirit coming out of my mouth, calling the Kingdom of Heaven to invade the gates of hell. All at once, the breath of heaven floods this darkest darkness... shalom ... peace ...I have never experienced such peace, such power of the Holy Spirit as I feel at this moment in the darkest place I've ever been.
L.I.G.H.T. L.O.V.E. L.I.F.E. "Jesus Christ brings life to the dead." -my account of Varanasi, India Summer 2013
Operation World says this place, "represents the most
intense concentration of unevangelized people and groups in the WORLD, and
thereby is THE GREATESTMISSIONCHALLENGE."
Our Mission-This fall 2014 I endeavor to take this holy
ambition and put it into action as I move to Nepal. I will also be working in India and Bangladesh. The
TASK lay before me, to
love courageously all we encounter with a
Christ-likeness. I go to feed the hungry, to heal the sick, to care for
the distressed, to set the captive free, to bind up the broken-hearted.
Partner for the Kingdom Sake-I am seeking a
team of people who will be willing to faithfully cover me
with PRAYER as I endeavor to shine for Christ among the darkness. I
invite you to partner with me as I "Go"; whether it be through
prayer or financial support.
