Reflections on our first year of missionary service

By Rusty and Rose*

Our first year has been a very challenging, exhausting, and humbling time of learning for us, as it is for most new missionaries. However, throughout this year, God has consistently shown us His presence and His purpose for us here.

As teachers, He gives this joy in small ways every day through our students, as we get to know them, watch them learn and grow, and help them navigate life and faith. A powerful example of when His presence was particularly evident this year though, was in a precarious situation which had the possibility of closing down our school.

Before announcing this potential reality to the students, there was a meeting held with student leadership. I stepped into the room. unsure of what their reactions might be, but these amazing young people blew me away with their confidence that God was going to come through and save our school. But also their faith that even if He didn’t, God is faithful and would walk alongside us and provide for our community so it could be sustained in alternative ways.

A couple of weeks and several conversations later, a family in our community organized an all-night prayer party held at the school so students could come worship and pray together over the situation.

In the words of our director, “After this prayer party, it was like God closed the mouth of the lion,” like God did for Daniel.

This movement of God revealed to us many things, including the power of communal prayer, the amazing faith of students that adults tend to underestimate, the value this small and diverse community of faith holds in all of our hearts, and how thankful we are to be a part of what God is doing in and through it. •

*Rusty and Rose serve as teachers at an international school in a restrictive country. Names changed for security.