Today is our last day at Haus Edelweiss. The staff call it a “flip day” because we all work together to flip the campus for the next class session, happening in about two weeks. It’s a very tangible reminder that ministry will continue after we leave. In prideful moments, it’s easy to think of ourselves as indispensable, but the team of short term workers is here for eleven days; the Lord has been at work here for centuries. As soon as we leave, the work continues, and a new crew of volunteers and graduate students will arrive to take our places.
It is a gift that He invites us into the work, even just for a moment.
As I reflect on my favorites moments of this trip, the most impactful were in conversations either with or about the dedicated ministry students that were here expanding their knowledge and honing their skills.
Professors shared stories of students serving in closed countries who go to terrifying lengths to advance the gospel. The words of John in Revelation 12 come to mind: “they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” These disciple-makers are so compelled by the love of Christ that they cannot help but share it, no matter the earthly consequence.
One day, I had the opportunity to visit the course on Servant Leadership taught by our very own Rick Justice, TCM professor and former E91 elder. During a break, several women invited me to sit outside with them in the sun. One of the women, who ministers in her home country of Albania, shared her testimony of coming to Christ out of Islam. Raised by atheist parents, her aunt introduced her to the Muslim faith around age twelve.
She was hungry for a faith of some sort.
Without sharing too much of her story, quite simply, the Lord won her over through the invitation of a Christian neighbor. And now she has dedicated her life to helping others know the transforming love that has captured her heart.
Another conversation that impacted me was with a young man who volunteers to lead the youth in his church in Slovakia. He shared with me that they have a church partner in Chicago, and that, with this church, they do mission trips both ways. American teams have helped them to run sports camps, and their church, who focuses heavily on discipleship, has gone to the States to provide discipleship training with the American congregation. This is what true partnership looks like: acknowledging that God has gifted His global church in different ways and that we can learn from one another to advance the Kingdom.
So while we might be physically tired, we are spiritually energized by the faith and commitment of the brothers and sisters with whom we spent the last week. We are ready to flip the Haus and return to our own homes—because the work continues…
It is a gift that He invites us into the work, even just for a moment.
As I reflect on my favorites moments of this trip, the most impactful were in conversations either with or about the dedicated ministry students that were here expanding their knowledge and honing their skills.
Professors shared stories of students serving in closed countries who go to terrifying lengths to advance the gospel. The words of John in Revelation 12 come to mind: “they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” These disciple-makers are so compelled by the love of Christ that they cannot help but share it, no matter the earthly consequence.
One day, I had the opportunity to visit the course on Servant Leadership taught by our very own Rick Justice, TCM professor and former E91 elder. During a break, several women invited me to sit outside with them in the sun. One of the women, who ministers in her home country of Albania, shared her testimony of coming to Christ out of Islam. Raised by atheist parents, her aunt introduced her to the Muslim faith around age twelve.
She was hungry for a faith of some sort.
Without sharing too much of her story, quite simply, the Lord won her over through the invitation of a Christian neighbor. And now she has dedicated her life to helping others know the transforming love that has captured her heart.
Another conversation that impacted me was with a young man who volunteers to lead the youth in his church in Slovakia. He shared with me that they have a church partner in Chicago, and that, with this church, they do mission trips both ways. American teams have helped them to run sports camps, and their church, who focuses heavily on discipleship, has gone to the States to provide discipleship training with the American congregation. This is what true partnership looks like: acknowledging that God has gifted His global church in different ways and that we can learn from one another to advance the Kingdom.
So while we might be physically tired, we are spiritually energized by the faith and commitment of the brothers and sisters with whom we spent the last week. We are ready to flip the Haus and return to our own homes—because the work continues…