High in the Himalayan Mountains lives a man named Raj*. Many would call him an ordinary Nepali man.
After Raj came to faith, he was discipled and trained by one of our YWAM South Asian church planters. He was also given a Bible. In time he grew as an obedient follower of Jesus.
Everywhere he went, he shared his testimony freely. He had been discipled well and told Jesus’ story to anyone who would listen.
What to do with new believers?
Not surprisingly, in time Raj made many disciples of Jesus. He found he had no choice but to start a church in his own house. It was a good place for them to learn to obey the commands of Jesus.
Thankfully, Raj had been trained in that as well. He knew how to start a simple church. In fact, as his family moved about the region, everywhere he went he began a church.
Over time, he learned more and more about disciple-making and church planting. YWAM-FM offered “just-in-time” training, allowing him to learn what he needed when he needed it. Everything that learned, he applied.
The family faces upheaval
Two years after Raj came to the Lord, he needed to move his family to a different location. Making this move would be a disruption. They had little choice. Raj needed employment. Hopefully, it would work out for good.
The town the Lord took them to had a reputation. It was not a good one. In the past, the community had shown great resistance to the good news of Jesus.
Transplanted to hard ground
This location presented Raj with a true challenge. Others had come with the gospel in the past, hoping to lead many to Jesus. They hit barrier after barrier. They had little success. It was genuinely hard ground. How could this ground be “worked”?
Many of the local people were resistant. They had actively opposed those who came to them earnestly hoping to tell people of Jesus’ love for them.
Besides that, Raj was about to learn he had another group of people to convince. They would not be happy with his presence either.
Opposition from other Christians?
There is a small but powerful group of leaders from local traditional churches. They had a history of resistance to new people and new teachings. Those who attempted to minister in their territory were not usually accepted. Many who tried went away without seeing any fruit for the Kingdom. What would Raj be able to do?
God’s simple solution
Remarkably, Raj had an acceptable reason for being in that place. He needed work. He was settling his small family there and making it home. His intention was to work, raise his daughter, and provide for his family. People could easily understand. There seemed to be no reason for them to look at him suspiciously. He was an ordinary guy.
Yet, Raj was by nature an evangelist. The Good News was bound to spread. Sure enough, in time he got to know the people around him. He talked with neighbors. He talked with people at work. Over time his conversations naturally shifted to stories of the Lord Jesus.
A trainer comes to visit
By now Raj had been in his new location for six months. At that point, he invited his old friend and mentor to come and meet up with his family.
When the trainer arrived, he was very pleasantly surprised. Raj, he learned, already had pulled together a group of new believers! They were meeting faithfully, worshiping Jesus, and learning from the Word of God.
Fruit in the new location
It has been two years since Raj and his family moved to this city. Today there are more than sixty believers. These do not all meet in one place. Instead, they meet in five different locations. Fellowships are small enough that all can actively participate.
God had even more for Raj to do.
More leaders urgently needed
Raj realized that he must disciple and train new workers for the expansion of the Kingdom. He now has four new people trained and discipled. They are stepping out in leadership and pioneering new work.
Many of the leaders have been able to get Bibles to aid their ministry. Some of these are printed Bibles. For those who cannot read, he furnishes audio Bibles. Soon, every believer has Scriptures in either book or audio form!
What can we learn from Raj?
Raj is an ordinary man. He does not have an advanced education. He is not famous. He kind of just blends in with the crowd. Raj is like most of us. But Raj, being ordinary, knows that his Lord Jesus is extraordinary. Because of that, he can do great things for Him.
Do you have this same simple faith? It is not a matter of self-confidence. It is a matter of confidence in a powerful God. Ask the Lord to increase your faith in God’s ability to work through you.
Find out more about starting a Disciple-Making Movement and multiplying disciples in our upcoming online course.
*not his real name
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