‘This group are going to give us the help we need at Home of Grace?’ It was a query of doubt rather than a question of disbelief, made by one of the workers from Home of Grace, a home where pregnant unwed mothers go for support. The mission team (MT2014) joined the local church near […]

‘This group are going to give us the help we need at Home of Grace?’

It was a query of doubt rather than a question of disbelief, made by one of the workers from Home of Grace, a home where pregnant unwed mothers go for support.

The mission team (MT2014) joined the local church near Home of Grace for worship on the first day of their mission adventure. We were made to feel very welcome, receiving a very special gift from the congregation before joining them in singing ‘Blessed be your name’ and ‘How great thou art’ in praise of our God. The Thai and English blended together as one around God’s throne – it was truly heart lifting.

After worship they served us with some delicious Thai soup and food, and as the worker saw the make-up of the MT2014 team close up, she obviously had doubts – we were a group of fifteen women and four men, ages ranging from fifteen to seventy-one.

Four days later, this same woman was in tears as she surveyed the transformation that had taken place at Home of Grace; over 150 metres of brick wall and metal filigree had been scraped, cleaned and painted; weeds had been pulled, bushes trimmed, a rusted swing had been re-roofed and painted, a lawnmower fixed, a door repaired and a light rewired so the girls could see in the bathroom; ten windows received new curtains, the front sign was given a makeover, the grimy path was pressure cleaned to reveal the coloured tiles underneath; new couches were purchased along with new cupboards, for the girls to secure their belongings safely, as well as a brushcutter to keep the grounds tidy; and an industrial sewing machine was bought so that the women who came to the home could be taught new skills, enabling them to support themselves and their child once he or she was born. All this done by a motley crew of nineteen!

Throughout Scripture, we read stories where people doubt or question whether things will happen or change. Sarai laughed when Abraham told her that an angel of the Lord had appeared and said that she would fall pregnant after years of being barren. Moses felt inadequate and questioned God’s choice when confronted with a call of God to go to Pharaoh to demand the release of his people. Nehemiah faced all sorts of attack as he rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and the people in just 52 days.  Goliath openly mocked young David who stood before him to battle, armed with just a slingshot and five smooth stones. Zechariah doubted the angel of the Lord when he was told his prayer had been answered and his wife Elizabeth would give birth to a son in her old age.

But what all these stories have in common is the truth which the angel spoke to Mary in Luke 1:37, ‘For nothing is impossible with God.’ The Spirit of God at work in his people, as diverse as they may seem to be, can do the unlikely and achieve the impossible.

So the question today is, ‘What unlikely or impossible thing, in the eyes of the world, is God choosing to do through you today?’ Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Lord God, your Spirit is all I need to do the impossible today. Fill me with that Spirit so that your name is praised and your kingdom may come this day. Amen.

If you, your school or your congregation, would like to know how you can connect to the mission of God through a LCA International Mission partnership, you are invited to phone Erin on (08) 8267 7300 or email erin.kerber@lca.org.au. For more information, go to www.lcamission.org.au/join-gods-mission/start-a-partnership/

Read more stories about congregational partnerships at www.lcamission.org.au/category/stories/local-partners/congregations/