Learning What it Means to Live the Gospel

So there Marty and I were yesterday, in Belfast, just drinking tea and talking with a lady from New England called Elizabeth. Waiting for Stanley to come. Stanley, along with a man called Willie, run a ministry for Somalian refugees, (teaching them English). Eventually Stanley turns up, with two Somalian women. We're still just chatting, drinking our tea, very laid back, comfortable. Conversation turns to me and Elizabeth (who is one of the English teachers) asks if I have any experience teaching English. Thinking of Japan, I say "yes". Elizabeth then asks if I'm certified to teach English. No! (But I do have experience, that counts for something, right?) Elizabeth then says - in true New England style - "Well you have to be certified to to teach English!". Well... this just got awkward! Stanley quickly jumped in with the plan that I can just "assist" - conversation. Brilliant! (Mind you, this ministry is running on a shoe string budget and very few volunteers). 

A few minutes later I hear Elizabeth holler from a back room, "Jes! Your first student is here!" Wait, what? I have a student? That means I'm teaching? 

Sure enough, my first day and I already have a student! One-on-one, beginner, ABC's and very basic conversation. 

Afterwards talking to Luke, a volunteer that teaches beginner classes, he found out I was going to be there every Thursday - he got excited. Apparently there's another guy that comes on Tuesday (the English classes are Tuesday and Thursday), but they were in need of someone for Thursday. So, I'll be doing basic English in a one-on-one setting, (sometimes there might be 2)! The girl I'm going to be teaching is very quiet, reserved-shy. She's 24, and has 4 children. Talking to Willie afterwards she had to flee the country, but her children are still there. When Marty and I asked how that worked/why that was - Willie went on to explain very probably what had happened. It's no wonder that girl is quiet and reserved! 

Willie then went on to talk about the Muslim refugee's. So many of them are from such rural areas that they have never had the chance to hear the gospel. There are people who have simply denied Christ and there are people who have never even heard of Him. Those are the people that it's still our responsibility to "go" as Jesus commanded  and take the Good News to. That can be done just through teaching an English class - being relational, talking about Jesus. Not through preaching, just comfortable conversation as your being a friend to someone in a foreign land. 

I keep thinking about what Willie said, he's so passionate about showing the love of Christ to Muslim refugees! The timing on this, well, really and truly, God's timing is just amazing! I've been doing a Bible study on Monday nights with the church. This week we studied the Prodigal Sons, in Luke 15. There were 2 different types of people Jesus told this parable to; the sinners & tax collectors and the Pharisee's - the younger brothers and the older brothers. Tim Keller, in his sermon "The Two Prodigal Sons" makes a rather brilliant observation "The way you know that you are communicating and living the same gospel message as Jesus is that 'younger brothers' are more attracted to you than 'elder brothers'". You see, Jesus was always surrounded by the "younger brothers". If the church is made up of mostly "older brothers" we need to be able to accept the embrace the Father gives us when He pleads for us to join Him in the feast. To be free to run in from the field and welcome the younger brother home! To love and welcome the hard-to-love's. To know the Fathers love for us is such a way that we are free to love the "younger brother's". I'll confess I don't have a natural heart to see Muslims reached. I am the older brother. Praise God though, I'm still a work in progress! 

All this to say, I am very excited about getting to be a part of this ministry in Belfast, about getting to be part of something bigger than myself, and seeing what God is going to do in this next year.