For Suzanne*, the English language has been the gateway to share Jesus’s love with people all over the world. “Just about everywhere you go, people want to learn English. It is the path for them to improve their lives. Some want to learn English so they can attend a college or university in the West. For others it is essential for their professional career. But more than that, the ability to speak English creates opportunities for just about anybody to find work in the restaurant, hotel or tourism industry.”

The ability to use English to reach people from another culture was a Godsend for Suzanne, “I knew that God had called me to become a missionary, but I arrived on the field struggling to speak the language. I was really bad at it. I wanted so much to minister to people in that country, but I could barely hold a conversation. I was so discouraged. I wondered if I had made a mistake by coming to field.

“I met with Jim, who was Reach Beyond’s pastor to missionaries, and his wife Trish. I told them privately how I was thinking of leaving the field. I wondered if there was someplace else I could go to do ministry to non-Christians using English. They encouraged me to pray about it, and they began praying for me too.”

About six weeks later, Suzanne had a “chance” conversation with another missionary. He had just finished talking with listeners of a new radio program designed to help them learn English. The listeners loved everything about the program. One listener said that the only thing it needed was an opportunity for them to practice speaking English.

Suzanne knew immediately that this was what God wanted her to do. God had answered their prayers. Suzanne enlisted others to help and they began a group where English learners could practice speaking with missionaries and expats from around the world. “We talked about all sorts of topics at these weekly meetings. We were always looking for ways to point them to spiritual truths. We asked them questions that would open the door for spiritual conversations. We were meeting in an international church, so it was easy and natural to talk about Jesus.”

While the group met to practice English, it also met a much deeper need. “Many cultures place a high value on relationships. There is a certain bond and friendship that happens when you meet with people regularly. Of course, it helps that we demonstrate God’s love and grace when they make mistakes. The learners always want to know more about us, and that gives us opportunities to share what we believe.”

The end result was that many English learners began a spiritual journey that led them to follow Jesus. “It was really exciting to see what God was doing. We saw many of the learners begin to attend the international church. We watched God begin to transform their lives.

“We realized this outreach was something that could be used almost anywhere in the world.” Suzanne would move halfway around the globe to begin English conversation groups and train leaders in a completely different culture.

In 2017, Suzanne’s life took an unexpected direction. “I was asked to write out my dream job description. By that time, God had laid it on my heart to reach people in the Middle East.”

God led Suzanne towards one country where traditional missionary and evangelism methods are virtually impossible. “I took a class on social media. One of the assignments was to pick an app or a platform, play with it and figure out how to use that to engage the people you want to reach. So, I did. And before I knew it, I had a ministry with people from a country I wanted to reach—the very same people that my co-workers had spent years praying for and trying to find some way to reach them.”

God then connected Suzanne with a Christian couple who had fled from religious persecution in that same country. They gave Suzanne and other volunteers valuable advice on how to engage with people from that culture. The result became a collaborative ministry partnership now called The Ephraim Project.

Suzanne says, “We are able to talk about all sorts of topics on social media. But public conversations about Christianity are not safe for people living in that country. So, we look for ways we can build relationships with people and for opportunities to have private one-on-one conversations.”

Building relationships and gaining trust in that context is a long journey where time is not measured in days or weeks, rather months and years. In time, Suzanne looks for ways to point people to the Scriptures and eventually invite them to regularly study God’s Word with her.

One example is Joseph*, who Suzanne has been engaging on social media publicly and privately for over three years. “This year he began reading the Word with me. He was so very excited when he read the Bible for the first time. We have had lots of great conversations. In the midst of one of these, I told Joseph that God is pursuing him, and Joseph responded, ‘No, I am running to Him.’” Suzanne says, “This is what we are hoping and praying for!”

As Suzanne reflects on her ministry today, she says, “I never imagined that God would use me to share the Gospel with people in the Middle East. And that I’d be able to lead people like Joseph towards Jesus. God truly works in amazing ways.”

*names changed for security