I wonder!

This is what I was made for- there is more purpose in life than just living, than being happy, than just merely loving G*d.... Loving G*d means loving people and helping them to know truth. This is what I was made for. 

As I sat and listened to the commands from an army base and the hums of chanting from the monastery echoing across the valley and mountains of Ladock, it sounded like a million voices. I wondered what the sound of a million believers prayers could do to the ruins and barren desert I stared at. I wondered about the hundred of faces I had seen and met that day that had never heard of the Father before. I wondered at my part in it all and I prayed for the Father to reveal himself to them. My spirit roared in intercession asking the Father to $ave them and for every stronghold of the enemy to be broken.

This trek I was on wasn’t what I thought.  It was high altitude (12,000 ft.), but flatter ground than I usually hike to the local villages near my own home. I was prepared for the intensity of 17,000 ft. or more that I had assumed we would be trekking. I found the desert mountains we found ourselves in to be easier than my normal routes to the village.  The desert winds and dust blew heavy in our faces, and it was very much the picture of the Middle Ea$t I had often seen in my mind. The knowledge of Paki$tan being so close made the reality of the terrain understandable as well as the reality of the restrictedness of the area we were trekking in. It wasn’t physically as hard as I thought, but the barrenness in the land was heavy and noticeably felt.

During our trek, incredible stories poured out of persecution and hardship to those who believe in the Father, but the testament of believer’s faith was what I heard and took away from their tales of suffering and hardship. The awesomeness and faithfulness of Dad prevailed in every story. 

Here are just a few:

*To protect their identity their names have been changed*

1. “Life's” story – Life mom met a man named S who was living in the area and a follower of JC. His mom brought her son who was being raised as a monk to S and said I want my son to be like you. She admired his character and he knew it was only the love of Dad in Him that the mother saw.  The mom said, “Keep him with you and make him like you.”  Life was 19 at the time and a dedicated monk. He was involved in what maybe we would consider a Buddi$t gang in America, beating people up and fighting people who didn’t agree with his ways and theology. Life began spending time with S and learning the truth.  After 3 days of following S village to village and seeing his work and hearing the Truth, Life told S that he wanted to do what S did for the rest of his life. He became a follower. In his journey to learn to be more like the Father he lead others to Dad as well.  As the community found out, he was persecuted, beaten and flogged for his faith. He eventually had to flee from his own city and state to protect his life.  Sounds like Paul, right? Life is now helping to run a coffee shop that reaches out to Buddhi$t monks and other non-believers. He is helping to start the first Chri$ti*n Monastery in the world that is designed to reach Buddhi$ts and teach the word of G*d to those searching for peace and truth in a cultural context they can understand.  Life said he is the first person in his people group to come to know the Father. He shared of the responsibility he feels to keep going to this area and share.  He is the only one so far to find the Father.  So while he can’t stay in his home city year round due to safety concerns, he travels there as often as possible to share the truth!

2. “Mr. Joy’s” story- Mr. Joy was only 4 years old when he was put in a monastery to be raised as a Buddi$t monk. He never knew love or family or peace- He said he knew they existed but never knew them. He was involved in gangs and was constantly searching for life and meaning and love. He reflected always feeling empty and alone. Joy met Life (from above) when he was 16. Life told Joy about Je$us, the Son of God that came to forgive his sin and love him. He said he would ask himself, “Who is this G*d- a God that loves? Joy found Je$us when 19 and never turned back. He said something just made him say yes to sitting under the teachings and discipleship of his friend.  Over time he learned the real truth and hope and peace and love that is founded only in the Father God.  His sister is now also $aved and loving Je$us.  His real mom and dad died, but Joy and his sister long for their other family members to come to know this living God.  I trekked with Joy throughout the mountains and villages of Leh and Ladock and heard the amazing stories and miracles that are coming out of his work there and his love for Dad.  I watched him interact with villagers and saw the deep, deep love of the Father in his eyes.  It was hard to miss and clearly each villager also saw this great love in His spirit. Joy has a way with people and is highly anointed.  Joy now treks all over India and Ladock to share the love of Dad.  Joy spoke of the loneliness and struggle of being one of two believers in the area he works. He and his friends shared the encouragement that comes when believers and teams from party houses in American come to share the truth with them. They shared the renewing hope and encouragement that come from mutual believers. Joy said, “Teams are like wood being added to the fire, they build us up and allow us to burn brighter and shine for the Father. It’s a dark place we work in. We feel the heaviness of the spiritual realm and the lostness of this area, but we know there is still much work to be done.”  Joy said, “This is what I was made for!”

3. Pst Imi’s story- Pst Imi was living in Kashmir for over 7 years before anyone started coming to the party house he started. Sixteen years later only 4 Ladocki families and a few Nepali families attend his party.  His town is 99.9% Buddhi$t, few a few Mu$lims remaining.  He said their lives are in constant persecution and threat.  Most people if they are believers are afraid to come to the party.  He shared the horrors their family faces living in this restricted area.  One day 300 people came with gasoline to burn house down their house. The persecutors were outside making threats while Imi and his family prayed inside for a miracle. One man from the 300 stepped outside the group and said, “I don't see what this man has done wrong. If you can't tell me, than leave.  You have not right to burn them.”  One by one the persecutors left and Imi and his family were left unharmed. 

Later a woman they were working with told authorities Imi and his family were trying to pay her to c*nvert. She made false sexual accusations against Imi. Imi and his family were under constant pressure and threats. In a miraculous way that only Dad can do, a man in South Africa had a dream and in the dream was an email address. Dad told the S. African man to go to Ladock and pray for the man whose email he had been given in the dream. The S. African man woke and emailed Pst Imi. He traveled all the way to India to pray specific words the Father gave him for Imi and his family. All allegations fell null and void.  This is the amazing Dad we serve.  Imi shared about obedience on Sunday at the party. He said, “When we obey the word of the L*rd, it brings the presence of G*d in our life and to those around us.”  He shared about wanting to leave this land and place that is so desolate. But he also shared of the absolute necessity that he stay. G*d hasn’t released him to leave. There is still work to be done.

Dad is so, so good! Who is He calling you to go to, to share with, to encourage?  I think sometimes we forget to be still and listen and follow what he is asking us to do. Sometimes I wonder if His will is for more miracles, but our busy lives and little faith keep us from carrying out His greater plans. Sometimes I think we take for granted things like a community of believers around us, or the impact of prayers and trips and encouragement to others in restricted areas. I think sometimes we forget the lostness of the world around us and need to see it to believe it. 

We don’t have our face on a bulletin board with police and rebels and gangs chasing us down.  We don’t have our neighbors’ fingers and limbs being cut off and left in the street as a reminder if we talk about Truth what will happen to us as next.  We don’t have our heads shaved to publically mock us for believing truth.  We don’t have someone standing outside our house threatening to burn it down.  But I wonder if we did, if we would recognize the utter need to be bold and share with those around us despite the fact. I wonder what it takes to see every tongue come to know the Father. I wonder what a thousand believer’s voices would sound like echoing over the mountains of Ladock. I wonder and I pray.  Like “Life”, I say, “I was made for this”. I was made for more and I ask the Father to show me how- how to share the Truth, how to believe for more.  The work isn’t finished yet, we can’t leave.