Dialogue
It is always hard leaving at the end of a mission trip. I love serving others, and this trip was no exception. It has been a wonderful God-glorifying trip.
Last week with our SALT Ukraine partners was amazing. It was exciting to have face to face fellowship with partners I had previously only met on Zoom. It was edifying to reconnect with other partners I have served with before. God brought us together from different nations, different languages, and different abilities to serve His Kingdom!
“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
I shared my testimony three times. I love the story God wrote for me, and I love sharing it with anyone, especially those affected with mental illness or autism. God made me wonderfully for His plan! Church Testimony Concert Testimony
My trip began in Gdańsk, a northern city on the Baltic Sea. I served with Julia and her family, natives of Poland who served at Wings of Faith Camp in July 2019. Julia took me on a crash course of northern Polish history and the 1970s shipyard strikes that began the fall of the Soviet Empire. It was eye-opening to see the church’s involvement with the downfall of evil regimes.
On Sunday, I worshiped with her church and shared my testimony. When I got on stage, the enormous amount of people in the audience made my mind blank. I had never spoken in front of that many people before. I lost track of what I wanted to say, yet many people were impacted by words that God gave me. Sunday evening, Julia’s dad invited me to speak at his jazz worship concert in the basement of an old Catholic church. This testimony went much better. The priest asked when I would return. I had a lot of good “God conversations,” too. God used these events for His glory.
On Monday, I took the train to Warsaw. I arrived in Warsaw and hit the ground running! The Ukrainian partners were there. We had a small introduction at a park. The next few days were full of sessions to assist them with administrative needs for their ministry. We had one session on a biblical view of burnout.
On Wednesday, I hosted a meal for the partners. I gave my testimony and my mission. I had a card I had made for writing thank yous to those who support me, just wanting to give them a gift. But people wrote messages to me; I was so humbled by this gesture. Many partners would like to serve with me next summer. Please pray for this!!!
Thursday, all of our partners presented their testimonies, ministries, outreach strategies, and operation procedures. It was invigorating to be in person, not on Zoom, really fellowshiping and developing relationships with the partners. That evening, Dasha, who is one of Timofey's A4 employees, hosted a meal and presented her business and testimony. It was another time for relationship development with the partners but also fellow board member Kristin.
Friday evening, I had dinner with a Polish woman who works with autistic children. She was at a virtual conference during the pandemic where I was presenting along with Zoirana, director of Wings of Faith. She was interested in my ministry and SALT, even though she is not a believer.
Saturday for lunch, I met with Katya and her son, Sasha, whom I met several years ago at Wings of Faith camp. It was wonderful seeing them. Sasha is eight and getting very tall. Katya let me know about the power station in Rivne that was bombed. Homes were damaged but, by God's mercy, no one was killed. Still, many in Rivne have no power or water. That morning, the Ukrainian teammates drove back home to an uncertain situation. Please pray for God’s continued protection and provision.
This trip was fruitful and encouraging! Although it was a bit unorthodox, developing relationships with SALT partners is important to further the Kingdom’s business. Though an ocean apart, our connection through Christ knows no distance as we work together to bring the gospel to the marginalized people living with mental illness.