When I was a teenager, God called me to be a missionary. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19-20) This was the verses that God gave me that day and the verses that I lived my ministry by. I served for eight years with Global Partners in Central Europe, serving Muslims. One day, as I was walking into the refugee camp, I was praying: “God, please let them hear you through me; don’t let the fact that I am a woman take this opportunity to hear the Gospel.” It was not my first time sharing my faith with Muslims, but it was my first time in a room full of men wanting to hear about Jesus.
My husband was with me; he introduced himself to the 15 men in the room and then introduced me. We sat down on a big carpet and started to make small talk. These men were from all over the world, but somehow, they all just wanted to hear about Jesus. “Shall we start?” my husband asked. The leader replied: “Please, Hamed, you can begin.” My husband looked at me and said: “Actually, I’m just here to translate. My wife will be the one leading the study.” I felt a knot in my stomach as the men started to look at each other with doubt, but I immediately felt the Holy Spirit in the room. As we began reading the Bible, the men got much more comfortable, and they started asking questions and sharing their thoughts. They were intrigued about how a woman could know “so much” about the Bible and how my husband “allowed” me to take the lead. My husband explained to them that for Jesus, women are as valuable as men and that He had given us the authority to speak His word. The conversation went great, and we invited them to Church on Sunday.
It just happened that I was preaching that Sunday at Church. As we were getting ready to start the service, the 15 men from the Bible study walked in. They greeted us and told us how happy they were to be there. After finishing my sermon, I made the call. I asked everyone in the room if they would like to accept Jesus as their savior. To my surprise, all 15 men raised their hands. Our Pastor prayed over them, and we celebrated together. God was at work, He always is. I could have let my fear of being a woman and not being accepted in their culture stop me from sharing with them. Culturally, I could not have been in that room with them without my husband, but having his support made all the difference. Sharing with them the value that God sees in women made all the difference. Being obedient to my call and pursuit of ministry made all the difference.
Liz is an immigrant from Mexico. She moved to the US as a teenager, and it was here that she became a believer. She has been a missionary for over eight years, sharing her story, faith, and life experience with other immigrants. She has a heart for the unreached and the immigrant and refugee communities.
Encouraging the Next Generation
