A Fool for Christ- Jacqui's Faith Journey- Part 4
Hi friends! Today we start part 4 of Jacqui’s faith journey. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. We pick up her story as she begins the process of going to a different country on mission. I love how God had already begun equipping her for her times in Russia. From leading others in the new believers ministry to learning to mix sound for production at church, all of it likely came to good use during these conferences in Russia. Enjoy!
When I was in SoCal, there was an amazing, amazing woman of God, Debbie Bryson, who decided that she wanted to do women’s conferences in Russia. Some women at Calvary Chapel also wanted to be a part of what she was doing, even though what she proposed was not easy. She said that we were going to do conferences in the dead of winter. We were going to do this at the hardest time of year, the darkest time of year, and the time when the days were the shortest. We were not going in the summer when it would have been easier. I don’t know what it was, but I thought, “Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!”
It was in the 2000s and we had a women’s group going to Russia. We had to do everything between set up, to sound, to worship music, to leading teams, and running the actual conference. We would go to Moscow, rent out a big center, and the women would come. Part of the fundraising we did throughout the year was used to send travel and conference ticket money to women that were farther away. Places like the Ukraine, Omsk, Siberia, and other outlaying places that could sometimes require a 12-13 hour train ride to get there.
We wanted to support these women as they ministered to other women. We were there to come alongside them and to encourage them. Pastor’s wives, who were so young themselves, would come. Some would bring a grandma, a sister, or someone else. We had many receive the Lord at those conferences.
It was powerful to be in a country that was sort of spiritually very dark, but within the churches it was so different. The churches were alive. The believers were alive. They would come to church on a Sunday at 8 or 9:00 in the morning and wouldn’t leave till 9:00 at night. There was a joy of being together, an openness, and a new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit was providing so much wisdom for all these people.
When these conferences would end, we would minimize it down to a one-day event and send teams out in groups of two with a translator. Some headed to Saint Petersburg, others smaller towns like Kaluga, and other areas in between. Russia is full of home churches, so we would go and meet these women in their home. Many were small, little homes, but there would still be 30 girls that would come. We would bring whatever was at the conference, whether it was music, communion, teaching, or ministry to these places. We wanted women to be ministered to and encouraged.
I recall once we were headed to Saint Petersburg. It was a hard journey. We had to travel overnight on a Russian train. What we did not realize was that when we bought a bunk it was not private. My girlfriends and I were in this bunk, when two men walked in. They were drinking vodka, eating sausage, and then stripped down naked so they could sleep. We were laying there very still thinking, “Wow, this is really different.” Thankfully, the journey was safe.
When we arrived at the church, we thought we were bringing all this help, wisdom, and books. The pastor’s wife was young, only 21. In that area there was a lot of post abortive pain, single motherhood, and poverty. When I met the pastor’s wife, we talked about how we were there to help. I told her, “I know you’re ministering to a lot of women and they’re going through a lot.” Then I presented her with my gift of books. She looked at me so sweetly, took my hand, and said kindly,” Thank you so much. I hope I have time to read these. I have to tell you that the Holy Spirit has been giving me everything I need to be able to share and uplift these women, but I thank you for your gifts.”
It was an eye opener to me. It was a reminder that God was taking care of His church all over the world. He was everywhere that people were seeking Him and wanting to grow. Although we could support through prayer, and sometimes even financially, every resource we had paled in comparison to His focused attention on a ministry or on a person. We can focus on the reference material and the academics, but when we look at the book of Acts we see that despite the newness of the message, which was not even in written form as we know it, they were going out completely empowered by the Holy Spirit.
That experience was a reminder that we need to continue to collaborate so deeply and singularly first and foremost with the Holy Spirit. He will direct us to the passage we need, the book we need, the right resource, and maybe bring order to a chaotic summary. So that was beautiful. It opened my eyes to being in the now and the present with the Spirit. I learned not to get caught in the trap of checking the boxes of the next thing that we do. It allows me to stay childlike and in the best possible way foolish. To continue to be that one telling God, “I need you. I don’t have it figured out.”
In all the crazy experiences there we could see the Lord was with us. It would become even more evident one day in a Russian train station when darkness would fall.
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