Challenging and rewarding

We have now been in Hong Kong for about 3 months and will leave for a short trip home tomorrow. A good opportunity to look back at all things that have been going on.

At times it has been really challenging. Days it feels like nobody wants to hear the truth. Days you sit at home and wonder if you make any lasting impact at all. Days when you're sure somebody will contact you again, but it doesn't happen. Days when it feels like you are all alone in this. Days you study the bible for hours, wondering if you missed something. Days you study the bible for hours and not understanding why all this truth is revealed to you... These days have been very common.

Then there are the days God is revealing more and we are slow to listen, slow to learn. One of the most important things God revealed to us was to... preach the gospel! For a christian this probably sounds like the most obvious thing, especially for someone who moved all the way to Hong Kong to... preach the gospel. The truth is that the word of God is so sharp, so real, it takes courage to handle it. Gradually over a period of weeks, maybe months, we were taking the sharp edges off the gospel. All the way down to: ''God just want to show you he is real, have a nice day!''

''For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.''

- Heb. 4:12

It was very challenging when we saw what was happening. It took a few weeks to actually change this. But as soon as we started to use the truth again a big change started. Suddenly we found people who were genuinely interested, who wanted to write down bible verses, who felt convicted of sin, who were hungry for every word being spoken, who left their friends to listen and then went back to testify to those same friends. The truth only makes a difference when it is applied and shared.

''Take (…) the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.''

- Eph. 6:17

Last week a woman repented and got baptized in our house. Just because a friend of us shared the truth to her while she was getting a facial treatment. It can be that simple. This one woman, a former sinner who repented and was made holy by the power of God, made our whole journey worth it. I hope you can see this.

''(...) I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.''

- Luke 15:10

And although many times it feels like we could have done so much more. We fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebr. 12:2), and rejoice over every thing that he has accomplished through us and all the things that will be accomplished in the future.