A 19-year old believer who became a Christian several years ago as a teenager during a BTJ sermon about missions is now serving in the Middle East as an English teacher for Chinese missionaries.
“It feels unreal,” Kirk (not his real name) said after landing in the Middle East earlier this week.
The young man’s name and the nation that he is currently serving in cannot be mentioned for security reasons, but earlier this year, about 60 BTJ missionaries serving in the Middle East came together and asked BTJ to provide an English teacher that could help teach English to them, their children, and the people that they serve. They didn’t need a professional English teacher, they just needed a natural born English speaker who was willing to leave everything and come and serve together.
“I put in my three week notice and I am ready,” Kirk said a few weeks ago when I met with him before flying to the Middle East. “My boss wasn’t happy that I was leaving.”
When BTJ asked Kirk to come and serve, not much information could be given to him. Because of the nature of the situation, Kirk couldn’t be told where he would live, who he would be serving with, or how long he would be needed. Kirk was also told that he would not be paid a salary. He would only be provided transportation to the Middle East, a bed to sleep in and food to eat.
Armed with only that information, Kirk left his job, his car, and his life behind to go and serve the Chinese missionaries who are preaching the Gospel in a dangerous Muslim nation.
When he arrived, a team of Chinese came to the airport to receive him and for the first time, introduced him to the people he would be teaching.
“We have a lot of local Muslims that we are working with that want to learn English,” one of the Chinese leaders explained. “They have asked us for help, but none of us speak English very well.” The Chinese missionaries had only studied Arabic as a second language and were not equipped to teach a language they did not know.
“In addition to that,” the Chinese leader continued, “our children are attending local school, but do not have any English classes. The schools are too poor. Could you also teach our children English?”
Kirk confirmed that he is ready to serve in anyway he could.
When Kirk inquired where he would be living, he was hit by a huge surprise.
“One of our business partners has been looking for a place to live,” the Chinese leader shared. “He found a brand new apartment that was fully furnished and immediately signed the papers and paid for the rent for the next year, but last week he was told that his company needs him back in China. He returned back to China two days ago and left the keys for his apartment to you. He wants to donate the apartment to you for the next year.”
God provided!
How many people have the heart that Kirk has? Not many, which is why the Chinese were so incredibly grateful when he arrived with a heart to serve.
May God’s favour rest upon ‘Kirk’ and may he be empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve with a heart like Jesus. we pray protection over him as he serves the body of Christ and pray that the Lord will embolden more young people to walk fully into a life of service and mission. Thankyou Lord for your faithfulness to those who step out in faith to serve and may God use their service for His glory and for the fulfilment of the great commission.