South Asia | Seeds and Soil
As we entered our last country for our Asia leg of the journey, we were extremely overwhelmed by the fast-paced nature of the country. All at once it hit us: the loud noises of the transport and people. Overall it was a sensory overload. Yet something that this team has really grown to value is prayer. Prayer when things are going well and prayer when things are not going so well, praying for the unreached and asking the Lord to send more workers to harvest the land. Even to pray for the reached that have become lukewarm or discouraged for the Holy Spirit to fill them a fresh.
So amidst the chaos, we stopped to thank the Lord and bow our heads as we submitted our time here to the Lord. God did amazing things through this team and within this team in this country. We experienced the infamous local spicy food… slowly but surely adjusting our spice tolerance. We walked through a night market, praying and absorbing our surroundings. We experienced large numbers of homeless people and in that number there were many disabled and sickly. This challenged many of us…
Everywhere we went we felt lead to more prayer, as light-bearers here for a short time, the most powerful thing we can do is pray.
In the book Red Moon Rising there’s a quote that describes the state of being in constant prayer.
“This is what is means to pray continually: to see with the eyes of Jesus and to hear with his ears every waking moment.”
As a team we felt strongly to seek having this perspective on prayer without ceasing. Inspired by the book Red Moon Rising we embarked on our first 24-hour prayer, pleading with God to awaken His church to the needs of the unreached people groups worldwide. As we prayed, we felt the weight of responsibility to intercede for those who have never heard the Gospel.
We prayed for the millions of people in this country who have never heard the name of Jesus, for the countless communities living in darkness, and for the brave missionaries and local believers risking everything to share the light of Christ.
Izak said “I loved how our team had the opportunity to step into prayer and how God moved personally in my life and gave me a hunger for prayer. I got to experience first-hand how prayer can make a difference… really make a difference. One evening my mom called me and shared how the Lord was moving back home and then I got to share with her how I have been intentionally praying for that exact breakthrough she was describing. We serve such a powerful God that wants to move in our lives.”
In the breathtaking mountains of the north, we marvelled at the sheer beauty of God’s creation, feeling a deep connection to the Divine Artist who painted such masterpieces.
Simoné said “I really enjoyed the scenery of the Northern part of the country. The Lord really spoke to me through nature and gave me many revelations. We had a privilege to go hike in search of a waterfall and enjoyed exploring our way in icy waters to get a beautiful view of the water falling from the highest point of the mountain. Its so beautiful how God is so intentional with all the details in nature and how we can stand in awe of his creativity in creation.”
Barend said “Riding motorcycles in the Himalayas was a wonderful experience. We saw snow-capped mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, grass and trees. Seeing the spectacular nature while enjoying the adrenaline rush of closely gliding pass trucks and hugging corners with high drops was a memorable experience. It was an adventure.”
We walked through local villages and did prayer walks as the spirit led. One team from the prayer walk had a conversation a local man who invited their small prayer team in for a cup of tea, after a beautiful apologetic conversation they were able to share the gospel and he came to faith right there and then after hearing about Jesus and how he died to save us from our sin.
Coming from a faith where everything is based on how you can make yourself a good person to store up “good karma”. In this conversation we were also able to share about the father heart of God and His desire for relationship and for the first time this man prayed to the Lord with us. We witnessed the power of prayer and God’s love transform a life right before our eyes.
As we continued our journey, we saw the beauty of this country through new eyes. We saw the majestic mountains, the vibrant cities, and the resilient people through the lens of God’s love and redemption. We saw the intricate web of relationships, the complex tapestry of cultures, and the deep longing in every heart for connection and meaning.
Through prayer, we experienced the country not simply as adventurers but as seeing God’s love and redemption in every person, every mountain, and every moment. Our journey wasn’t just about us; it was about joining God’s mission to reach the lost and the least.
Sending Love,
Eastbound