A Faith so Evident

Written by Josie - Serving in Northern Ireland

Time has flown by. I sit here writing this post with pure astonishment as I genuinely can’t believe I leave so soon. I won’t lie and say this summer has been all easy; emotions are up and down, and that doesn’t change just because you’re in a different country.

But even with my lows, I am giddy with joy at all the Lord has accomplished. He has shown me that I can, in fact, do hard things. He has given me encouragement through the faith of others, specifically the youth I’ve met. Their joy for the Lord is so evident, it gives me goosebumps. One instance in particular that has stuck with me was a commissioning service for a ministry called Exodus. Exodus is a UK ministry that exists to see young people follow Jesus and make disciples. One of the ways they do this is through mission trips. I knew of one Exodus team from Limavady, a town near Derry, because one of my missionaries, Christian, was helping lead a group to Poland this summer. Other than this team and a few staff from Exodus, I didn’t know much about the ministry. After attending a few meetings for Exodus, I was immediately encouraged by the work they do. They are reaching teens who have had little exposure to Jesus and plugging them into a group that could answer questions and help grow their faith. Now, this commissioning service housed all of the teams from Exodus that would be going on trips this summer, and was designed to get the teens and leaders ready to be sent out. Think like a big worship service! It was such a fun environment and way bigger than I initially thought. I was sitting in the back with my other missionary, Elisabeth, and her two kids, just chatting, when she said something that rocked me. This service, for a lot of the teens in the room, was the first time being with peers of the same faith. Ever. They didn’t come from a youth group because those don’t really exist here. Most wouldn’t come from a family with parents who have a strong faith, and some are probably the only ones in their families who have a faith. I sat back in my chair and started to tear up. The Lord was working so clearly in that room.

Every arm in the air and hand on the heart was a sight to see. I wish you could have been there. With that, I ask for your prayers. Pray for these teens reaching out in faith and taking the leap into missions. Pray for safety and for the Lord to meet them where they’re at. Pray that each teen knows how special they are and that the Lord made them to know Him and have a relationship with Him. That they are never alone in their faith, and to persevere and run the race marked out for them (Hebrews 12:1-2). Cheers!