An Unexpected Mission
An interesting email arrived in the Silent Blessings inbox. Cecilia from Nigeria had a question and chose to ask Silent Blessings. The email was written in ALL CAPS and in moderately broken English. From what I could piece together, Cecilia wanted to know if baptism made someone “born again.” She also asked if we could send her a Bible or study materials because they don’t have much in her village.
Her local church was discussing whether being baptized in the pastor’s pool “counted” as a “real baptism.” The question arose because Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, so perhaps they should also use the river neighboring the area. Except the river was very unsanitary and might just give you Cholera. She asked for our opinion on the matter.
I felt like this was an opportunity God dropped in my lap to share what He has taught me with a fellow believer. So prayerfully, I began to explain my thoughts. Being baptized is a public declaration of your faith, and where you get dunked isn’t as important. Some of us get baptized in swimming pools, mega-churches, lakes, or if you’re my husband, a horse trough. Yes, a horse trough.
Cecilia went on to say that she doesn’t have a computer for herself to read the Bible online, and she can’t afford to buy a Bible for herself. I paused. How often do we take for granted access to the Word of God? I personally have 4 or 5 Bibles just sitting on the shelf right now at home. Cecilia is God’s child just as much as I am. Why do I get access to His Word and she doesn’t?
Cecilia was going to get a Bible, one way or another. So I Googled “Free Bibles International” and came up with a few results. On Cecilia’s behalf, I contacted an organization that sends Bibles overseas, gave them her address, and a Bible was on its way. It was one of the best feelings in the world.
Soon, Cecilia sent another email. Apparently, in my previous email, I offered to speak with her pastor to get more Bibles to their village. I didn’t really remember doing this, but there it was in my inbox, and Cecilia was really glad that I wanted to speak with her pastor. Oh boy. I may have overstepped, but I could do my best to follow through. Back to Google.
After a series of emails and phone calls, I eventually found a nonprofit who would send 10 Bibles to Cecilia’s village. 10! That’s not enough for everyone in her church, but it’s 10 more than they had before. Praise God!
After the bibles were sent, we received this email from her pastor:
“Brother, we received your bibles and they were given to poor Christian you sent them and many lives have been touched for Christ! We have sent accounts of how people will walk for miles to get in line when Bibles are being distributed. Many have no means of transportation, yet they make it a priority to have the Word of God no matter what the cost. This great faith in the Lord has been inspirational to everyone involved in the ministry, and the simple act of receiving a Bible has touched the lives of so many more for Jesus Christ.”
This is a perfect example of how amazing and unpredictably resourceful our God is. He is limited only by our obedience, and even then, He’ll make other connections as needed to minister to His children.
How did Cecilia get this usually hidden email address? I don’t think she’s Deaf. I’ll never know how someone from a remote village in Nigeria got the email address of a Deaf ministry in Indiana.
I’m amazed that Cecilia had the courage to reach out to a total stranger to ask about Biblical truth. She wanted to know God more and understand His ways. God says “Seek and you will find.” To Cecilia, He said, “Seek Biblical truth and you will find a believer in Indiana who will do her best.”
Isn’t it fantastic how God works? This wasn’t in my job description and wasn’t within the scope of our normal ministry, but who could say “no” to what was clearly a side mission from God? I’m honored that He trusted me to answer Cecilia’s questions. I wouldn’t have chosen myself for this assignment, but the Holy Spirit gave me the answers and His Word spoke more than I did.
This year, make it your priority to watch for “side” missions God has for you in your everyday life. He gives us plenty of opportunities to serve Him and spread His Word, but we have to be on the lookout for them and willing to adjust our plans. Maybe helping someone with groceries will be the answer to their prayer and they will trust Him more because you accepted the mission. Maybe you can bring His peace to a person who is obviously going through a hard time. Recently, someone flirted with me at a Kohl’s and I declined the offer for a date. Since he was new to the area, I invited him to church to make new friends. God will often interrupt your schedule, but His timing is superior. Make your first priority the Kingdom of God and following His lead – let Him take you on an unexpected adventure!