By Michele De Garmo, Board of Directors IWM
I always come home from a missions trip with two thoughts: What can be said? It leaves me speechless. And yet, there’s so much to say, and I must share the stories. So here’s my feeble attempt at telling some stories about these amazing ministries and their leaders.
Somchai and Mali: (Names Changed to Protect the Ministry) It was wonderful to see this ministry up close. Somchai is a hardworking, very intelligent man whose ideas about teaching discipleship and growing the Kingdom have had a powerful effect on the men he has brought into church leadership. The Good News is spreading, and communities are changing because of his vision. Their country is under a restrictive regime, and the oppression that comes with that is real. Somchai’s ministry combines vocational training and Bible teaching. He has favor with the government because of the vocational instruction, and this is helping to grow his ministry.
One thing I did notice was that the women are still suffering from oppression. We didn’t get to know Mali or see her very much because of her role in the kitchen and hosting us. She is kind and gracious, with a smile always on her face. She did not attend the two-day women’s conference we held, and this made me sad. We went for her. To support her and minister to her was our primary desire, but we didn’t have the chance. The other women were widows of martyrs, wives of pastors, and young women from their communities. These women are pressing into the Lord for their hope and daily sustenance, but I could tell they struggled to find the joy of the Lord.
One young woman cried in our small group as she explained that she feels called to be a leader in her church but is not allowed to assume a leadership role because she is a woman. She is the only educated woman in her tribe. She has gone to Bible school. I encouraged her that we serve a creative God who can open doors that might look different than we expect so He can use us where we are. We prayed for her to find creative ways to reach the women in her community, share the Word and prayer, and begin leading through friendships and relationship-building. We also prayed that God would use her mightily among the women in her tribe. Her heart is willing and ready, and God will honor that!
Petros and Hannah in Cambodia: “Hug Cambodia.” The name is perfect for this couple. Joy through hardship. Love through tragedy. Servant hearts who just want Jesus to be glorified.
This couple serves refugees—people who have lost it all because of border bombings or the killing fields of the 1970s. Their families have been killed, their homes destroyed, and their bodies maimed. And yet, joy. Pastors were so happy at the gift of a 50-kilogram bag of rice to feed their villages! Women were so joyful that Jesus loves them and is their Provider. Children sang and danced in the midst of all the hardship.
Seeing the humility and pain on Petros’ face as he told us about his experience in the killing fields as a young child was something I’ll never forget. His sister risked it all and carried him safely through the fields for days to find shelter, rescuing his life for God to use it for such a time as this. Such gratitude and honor for his older sister for saving his life. Such dedication and love for his community and family.
And Hannah! Such an entrepreneur and advocate for the women in their care. She has started a sewing center for them—a place to learn skills that can bring income into an otherwise unprofitable situation. Her heart for them is huge. She shares Christ’s love with the youngest to the oldest women in the community and teaches them that they have value and worth. She is a shining example of being the hands and feet of Jesus to some of the most vulnerable people.
These two ministries, though vastly different in their approaches to bringing people into the Kingdom of God because of their countries’ dictates, are both superpowers in spreading the Good News of Jesus and teaching the next generation of leaders how to be productive and successful, both for the Kingdom and in their communities. They are showing love to the vulnerable, raising up leaders, and being humble examples of Jesus’ love for all God’s children as they meet the needs of their communities and families every day.
What a blessing it was to witness these two ministries in action and to meet these tireless, humble leaders and their families.
