I hate planting seeds. I want to see plants with foliage, flowers, or fruit. Waiting for something to grow is time consuming and boaring. But Paul reminds us that someone has got to plant and someone has to water (see 1 Cor. 3.1-8) and in the end it is God that gives the increase (or really makes things happen!)
Last week a short sentence by one of our coworkers set off a series of events that allowed for some serious seed planting. The sentence was this one, "There was a terrible bus accident early this morning and a Canadian family was killed. Only their baby was saved. I think that we have an opportunity here."
Fellow missionary, Jan Santos, alerted our mission family, who had gathered in Avaré, SP for our annual family conference, to a tragedy and an opportunity. Earlier that morning Jan's father-in-law, Reg Santos, had suffered a stroke and had been taken to the clinic in town. Jan's husband, Dave (Reg's son) had accompanied his dad and in relating Reg's condition to Jan via phone, had mentioned the crash and the ministry opportunity.
As Jan sat down after giving her quick report her words continued to ring in my ears, "...I think that we have an opportunity here." I noticed my friend Terry Broyals who sat near me in our business meeting, beginning to fidget. I thought to myself, "If he gets up I'm going too." But, he didn't get up. He fiddle with his briefcase, whispered something to his wife Wendy, and sat there.
I tried to concentrate on the meeting but Terry's fidgeting kept distracting me. After what seemed like a half an hour (really only two or three minutes) Terry got up and went to the back of the room. I whispered to Dawn, "I think that I'm going to the clinic." "OK dear I'll be praying for you." was her quick reply. As Terry and I were leaving the hotel we met Shawn Alexander in the lobby and he quickly volunteered to come with us.
I felt tense and had a lot of question as we drove to the hospital. What would we encounter? What would we see? What were we supposed to be doing? How could we make a difference?
The aftermath of an accident is usually a gruesome and confusing time. I have heard horror stories of the sights and sounds and have always been one to look away from rather than toward any accident I´ve passed on the road. I was afraid. I had to simply whisper a prayer, "Father, I don't know what to do and I don't know what I'll discover, I don't even know why I'm going, but I pray for your help and direction. Use me this morning."
As we arrived at the hospital we were greeted by one of the hotel staff who had gone early that morning with Reg, Dave, and Reg's wife Ilene Santos. We quickly discovered that there had be a lot of misinformation. The family was from Britain not Canada. None of them had died, praise the Lord. There had, however, been two fatalities, the bus driver, and one elderly passenger (who had actually offered her seat earlier in the trip to one of the Ryan girls).
We were, however, needed to help with some translation work between the family and some of the hospital staff. And during our several hour hospital stay we were able to share spiritual matters with a number of people involved in the accident. I talked with Jose, the representative from the bus company. I prayed with the bus driver's relative who had come to claim the body. Shawn shared the Gospel with: the Ryan's, and Terry spoke with the Hotel representative, Silvio, and a couple of other people.
What did it all mean? We saw no results. It was seed planting. Was it boaring? No way! Pray for those ministered to and especially the salvation of the Ryan family: Casio, Nora, Megan, Patricia, and little Christian.
Last week a short sentence by one of our coworkers set off a series of events that allowed for some serious seed planting. The sentence was this one, "There was a terrible bus accident early this morning and a Canadian family was killed. Only their baby was saved. I think that we have an opportunity here."
Fellow missionary, Jan Santos, alerted our mission family, who had gathered in Avaré, SP for our annual family conference, to a tragedy and an opportunity. Earlier that morning Jan's father-in-law, Reg Santos, had suffered a stroke and had been taken to the clinic in town. Jan's husband, Dave (Reg's son) had accompanied his dad and in relating Reg's condition to Jan via phone, had mentioned the crash and the ministry opportunity.
As Jan sat down after giving her quick report her words continued to ring in my ears, "...I think that we have an opportunity here." I noticed my friend Terry Broyals who sat near me in our business meeting, beginning to fidget. I thought to myself, "If he gets up I'm going too." But, he didn't get up. He fiddle with his briefcase, whispered something to his wife Wendy, and sat there.
I tried to concentrate on the meeting but Terry's fidgeting kept distracting me. After what seemed like a half an hour (really only two or three minutes) Terry got up and went to the back of the room. I whispered to Dawn, "I think that I'm going to the clinic." "OK dear I'll be praying for you." was her quick reply. As Terry and I were leaving the hotel we met Shawn Alexander in the lobby and he quickly volunteered to come with us.
I felt tense and had a lot of question as we drove to the hospital. What would we encounter? What would we see? What were we supposed to be doing? How could we make a difference?
The aftermath of an accident is usually a gruesome and confusing time. I have heard horror stories of the sights and sounds and have always been one to look away from rather than toward any accident I´ve passed on the road. I was afraid. I had to simply whisper a prayer, "Father, I don't know what to do and I don't know what I'll discover, I don't even know why I'm going, but I pray for your help and direction. Use me this morning."
As we arrived at the hospital we were greeted by one of the hotel staff who had gone early that morning with Reg, Dave, and Reg's wife Ilene Santos. We quickly discovered that there had be a lot of misinformation. The family was from Britain not Canada. None of them had died, praise the Lord. There had, however, been two fatalities, the bus driver, and one elderly passenger (who had actually offered her seat earlier in the trip to one of the Ryan girls).
We were, however, needed to help with some translation work between the family and some of the hospital staff. And during our several hour hospital stay we were able to share spiritual matters with a number of people involved in the accident. I talked with Jose, the representative from the bus company. I prayed with the bus driver's relative who had come to claim the body. Shawn shared the Gospel with: the Ryan's, and Terry spoke with the Hotel representative, Silvio, and a couple of other people.
What did it all mean? We saw no results. It was seed planting. Was it boaring? No way! Pray for those ministered to and especially the salvation of the Ryan family: Casio, Nora, Megan, Patricia, and little Christian.
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