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World Outreach Podcast
World Outreach Podcast
EP 53 What Happens When You Give God a Year? A conversation with Tanya
What happens when you give God a year of your life? For Tanya, an Australian pharmacology graduate, it led to Southeast Asia and a heart-transforming journey among unreached people groups.
Tanya candidly shares her unexpected path to cross-cultural ministry, including the crucial five-year waiting period that built her character, matured her faith, and equipped her with essential ministry skills. Through a powerful encounter with Luke 10:2, God revealed her unique calling: "You will be, and then you will multiply" - first serving as a worker, then multiplying workers for the harvest field.
The timing was divine. Arriving just before COVID closed international borders, Tanya began with language learning but soon found herself distributing food parcels to communities devastated by the pandemic. These acts of practical care opened doors for prayer, which led to miraculous healings and deep discipleship relationships. She emphasizes the power of consistency - weekly visits, shared cups of tea, and genuine listening - in building the trust that forms the foundation of effective ministry.
Throughout our conversation, Tanya challenges common misconceptions about cross-cultural ministry. She warns against seeing people as projects rather than God's beloved children, rushing the discipleship process, or thinking we can quickly "fix" problems in a new culture without understanding the context. The most beautiful fruit of her ministry? Watching local believers become empowered to independently reach their own communities - people she could never access herself.
Whether you're considering overseas missions or supporting those who go, Tanya offers practical first steps: speak your calling aloud, connect with like-minded individuals, explore through short-term trips, invest in training, and position your heart to say, "God, I'm available." Her story reminds us that kingdom impact often begins with simple obedience.
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you're listening to the world outreach podcast dynamic conversations designed to empower our community as we engage unreached people groups everywhere. Today I'm speaking with tanya, who has been serving in southeast asia for a number of years now, and she's going to share her journey about what it's like to move into a people group, what it's like to engage with them and what lessons she's learned over the years of ministering and discipling an unreached people group. So, tanya, thanks for joining us today and welcome to the podcast. Thank you for having me. So let's start off with you just kind of sharing a little bit about your background, your family, kind of your journey into where you are currently.
Speaker 2:My name is Tanya, I'm Australian, but I'm currently living and serving in Southeast Asia. I grew up in a Christian family, christian household, you know, learned about God, learned about Jesus very early on in life and was quite active, serving in church, serving in youth, and we had a lot of guest speakers that would come share about missions, share about ministry overseas, and so I had an awareness of missions from quite a young age. I was always aware that, you know, there's a bigger picture of missions beyond just, you know, our own church and their own, my own community, um, but I didn't necessarily feel a burden to uh, serve as a missionary or to, you know, to really focus on missions, until quite later in life. I went to university, I did a pharmacology degree, so I always thought, you know, I would have a career down that path. And, kind of out of nowhere, god challenged me to give him a year and there was a bit of wrestling back and forth. I didn't know what that meant and I wasn't sure why, but eventually I said okay, god, if I give you a year, then you have to fill my year because I've got nothing to do for a whole year. He kind of connected all those dots.
Speaker 2:During that year I did an internship at my church, I did Bible college, but I also went on several missions trips, short-term missions trips to fairly unreached people groups, you know, up in the mountains, in a very remote area, and that for me was kind of the first time where it really sunk in that there are tribes of people that are unreached. You know they could live their whole entire life never getting the chance to hear about Jesus unless someone intentionally goes to tell them. And I think for me that was the first time that that particular burden for unreached people groups really began to weigh heavy on my heart. However, I still didn't know what part God wanted me to play in that area. So I was very much aware of unreached people groups, aware of the need for people to go and reach them, but at that point God hadn't yet said go and go to the field. I just just yeah, had that burden and I probably had that burden for about five years. It was quite a while and I was ready to go. You know, if God called me, yes, you know, I want to do something about it. I want to. You know, I want to serve, I want to help, but there was just no clarity. He kind of God was kind of silent on that subject.
Speaker 2:But during those years I started working full-time at my church. I learned a lot, you know, grew very much as a person, grew spiritually, grew in character, grew in maturity, and that whole time praying and seeking God, you know, god, what part do you want me to play in building your kingdom, in this bigger picture of missions? And towards the end, you know, I felt okay, just in case God does call me, I'd better get prepared, and I started to look at different missions organisations to connect with and through that I found out about World Outreach and very much liked that their vision was focused on unreached people groups because that aligned with the burden that I had by unreached people groups. And I knew Pastor Bruce Hills, the former international director. He would often come to speak to our church. He gave me a lot of information. I did the nations course. That's a really great course, learning about, learning about, yeah, the bigger picture of missions and preparing you for cross-cultural ministry. I I also got connected, volunteering a day a week for our previous field directors and doing some admin online for them, and so I was still exploring, still searching, not quite sure is God calling me to the field or not, but during that time I had a lot of people. I had a lot of conversations with missionaries and like-minded people who were focused on unreached people groups. But I also had a lot of people praying with me or praying for me and received several prophetic words during that time.
Speaker 2:But, in particular, one that really impacted me was just I was just praying again, asking God that question God, what part do you want me to play? And he showed me that verse that comes in Luke 10, verse 2, when, when it says the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. And I've read that verse many, many times, but this time when I read it, he highlighted to me that my burden is, yes, for the harvest, but the main part of my burden is that the workers are few, that too few people playing their part in building God's kingdom. And I am a firm believer that everyone is called to play a part in building God's kingdom, and I am a firm believer that everyone is called to play a part in building God's kingdom. That part will look different for everyone.
Speaker 2:We've been given different skills, different abilities, we are graced for different things, but we all have a part to play, and so kind of out of that verse, god gave me two words, the kind of two different seasons, and he said you will be and then you will multiply. You will have a season of being being a worker out in the harvest field, but then a season of multiplying, multiplying workers to go out into the harvest field. And that, I think, is kind of where my real passion lies in. You know, empowering, mobilizing, investing to others, training, you know more and more workers into the harvest field, and so you know, but you can't really multiply what you haven't been, and so I think that was a green light for me to start being a worker.
Speaker 1:Harvest field, yeah, okay, that's a lot there, that, um, you just shared and and it's exciting to hear and I can see on the call and hear in your voice the emotion behind it and how God is still a passionate call for you. Let's step back just a little bit and that journey of kind of clarity of this call and this passion and the five to seven years or so of just God working behind the scenes, what do you think was important during that season to help get you ready to maybe be good soil to receive that word?
Speaker 2:At the time I think it was quite frustrating because I wanted to go quickly and I just wanted to do something, but in hindsight I very much appreciate God's wisdom in slowing down that process. I think he worked a lot on me personally during that time, you know, in building my character, building even things like leadership skills, working with team, discipling others. I was still working at my church, you know, during those five years. So I think a lot of, yeah, a lot of those practical skills of you know, yeah, running team stewarding. You know stewarding well, shepherding people. You know caring for your team, discipling others. I learned a lot of, yeah, those transferable skills that are relevant on the field as well.
Speaker 2:But I think, just having some life experience and then also allowing him to work on my character as well, I think when I first received, you know, this burden for unraged people groups, I was 20.
Speaker 2:I was quite young. I hadn't had a lot of life experience either and I think by the time I moved to the field I was 26 and which is still quite young. But I had a bit more awareness of life experience, I had a bit more maturity and I think, you know, had he called me and sent me straight away at 20, I think I would have arrived on the field very unprepared, very maybe insecure in myself, not quite knowing even of who he is. I think those five years taught me a lot about who God is to me, not just who he is in general, but you know my own relationship with God and that was a huge thing, because when you're on the field you really have to rely on God and I think you know having that closer connection to him really really helped when I did arrive on the field. Just again, you've got that solid foundation. Yeah, that was very, very helpful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean you've been on the field now for a number of years. You're working with a variety of different people. Where in your experience have you seen people kind of shortcut or maybe fail to prepare well, that has kind of let them down while they're on the field.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've seen it both work well and people who have come and maybe not quite being prepared. I think I'll preface that by saying I don't think you can ever be fully prepared. Oh, absolutely, there is a lot of missions, as much as you think, you know, as you try and plan, there is something about living on the field that feels like you know, just jumping in the deep end and very much having to rely on the Holy Spirit and where he's going.
Speaker 2:So even though, you can never fully prepare. I do think you know an awareness of the culture that you're going to having cross-cultural experience. You know whether that is a short-term trip or even engaging with other cultures in your home country. You know having that kind of you know there are multicultural communities everywhere around the world now. So having some of that previous exposure and that awareness that maybe perhaps there's not just one way of doing everything, in my one, for my context, my one Western Australian way of doing things, so that awareness, I think is very important.
Speaker 2:I think it does bring a lot of humility before you come to the field, knowing and being open to having your own mindset change I'm, you know, knowing that you're not going to be right about everything. So the cultural awareness, having a really good awareness of the religion, majority religion that you'll be working among, partly so that, yes, you can be contextual and you can not offend people and you know you can integrate well into the culture, but also so you are prepared in what approach and how best to minister and to come alongside the people of that culture, knowing what is their need, not what do I think they need or what do I want to give them, but what is their need, what are their felt needs and what are they seeking that the kingdom of God has to offer. And so those things, I feel like, are important for preparation. Also, budgeting, you know, raising ministry support and setting a realistic budget. You know fundraising is hard. You know many of us on the field, we all have to do that and I think sometimes you know we don't want to raise a large amount and we go. I'll make do with this smaller amount If you don't have margin, if you don't have that space, then it can become very difficult living on the field and I've seen that pressure on couples and families here on the field who haven't necessarily taken the time to prepare well in, you know, creating a realistic budget with margin but also then raising you know that that support.
Speaker 2:So I'd say that's a huge added stress. You know that can cause a lot of problems. At the same time, prayer support as well as much as financial support, is important. But having that prayer, that prayer support of knowing there's people praying for you daily. I have a prayer calendar. I have people assigned to every day each month and so there's usually two or three couples or families that are praying for me every day of the month and I pray for them that day. They pray for me and I know that I have that. You know.
Speaker 2:Basically I've got about 90 people praying for me every that's fantastic every month spread out throughout the month, and I think so much of what has happened here I really attribute to that having that prayer covering, but also just to have all these people that believe in the vision and the calling that God has for the people group here and very much partnering and working together in that way, and I think that is a really important thing to prepare before you move to the field.
Speaker 1:It's really, really good. You also mentioned, you know, this idea of you begin journeying with World Outreach with You've Joined. How has being part of an organization like ours helped prepare you for that journey?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I found it so, so helpful. I mean, I have a home church and they have been supportive and they have been helpful. But they know how to reach people. In Australia, world Outreach knows how to reach people around the world and with that there are different skills, there are different awarenesses or different things that World Outreach has helped me become aware of and prepare for, including, like I mentioned before, the Nations course preparing you for cross-cultural ministry. Also, you know, through World Outreach they've helped me. So you know the support raising training.
Speaker 2:So there was a book called the God Ask, you know, recommended to me. I read that very much, used that as a model for my support raising. There's a Didasco course. So Didasco is an online resource website where they do lots of many short courses related to missions. Being able to access a whole lot of trainings and information through Didasco has been great. There was recently another one. They released a new course on deliverance and prayer and found that super helpful.
Speaker 2:But World Average has also been really great at networking, providing me with connections with like-minded people, people who are also involved maybe not in exactly the same ministry that I'm doing, but in similar strategies or similar types of ministry, or even connecting me with other people working in the same country that I am in, even though they're in a different context.
Speaker 2:They have different insights about the culture, so learning from one another and really this collective wisdom that is there.
Speaker 2:I have benefited so much from just being able to talk to different people and learn from them, hear their ideas. World Outreach has provided me with field leadership, you know, and that's been important for accountability, for helping. You know, set achievable goals and action steps and, you know, coaching me through the ministry vision that God has given me, but also member care. You know, having people ensure that I'm not just thriving in ministry but also thriving in life, that's been as well. So I'd say that, you know, for me World Outreach provides, you know that very much that support around you that you know you don't feel like you're doing this alone. It doesn't feel like, yes, I'm, you know, in this context, not necessarily with a whole lot of World Outreach people where I am locally. There is another, another World Outreach family here, but I'm not from a big World Outreach team where I am, but I feel connected to this global World Outreach family and I feel like, again, there is that covering as being part of a larger organization.
Speaker 1:Yeah, awesome, thanks for that. That's a great, really pleased to hear just kind of that experience that you've had with the organization and for that great commercial. So thanks everybody for listening to that free commercial. But one more quick plug hey, we do have a lot of resources on our website. Do check that out. But we also have another program called MAP, mentor Assist Prepare.
Speaker 1:If you just email getinvolvedatworldoutreachcom, we can set you up with a mentor who can help you process these things and these decisions about how to prepare for the field, what God's calling might look like, and so we'd love to help you out with that, and that's totally free. So just reach out if that's an area of interest to you. I want to kind of transition a little bit of our conversation towards so you had a long, a long but short season of preparation. There's spiritual formation taking place, there's maturation taking place, but then my recollection of your experience is that once you kind of had this vision, this scriptures, it was actually a relatively short period of time to get on the field. What did it look like for you to begin that process of deciding, determining, and then begin engaging the people group that you're currently working?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So it was quite a relatively fast process, I think, in that God gave me a time period to commit for, but also a date to move to my country. Before and it was very much in hindsight, relevant to the season in which I moved was basically a month before COVID happened and the pandemic, and God basically told me to get there before that date, not knowing that there would be a pandemic. But he gave me a very clear date. It turned out to be two days after the country shut all flights in and out of the country, so there really was a deadline. But so I had this kind of urgency or a sense of, yeah, I needed to go and to move, and so that all happened.
Speaker 2:And when I first got here I didn't have much of a ministry plan or a strategy. I didn't know the culture. I thought, okay, language, focus on language, the first thing I need to do anything, I need language, and so for me, I thought my first year would mainly just be focused on language. I didn't think I would do much ministry in that sense, but I thought, okay, get the language. So I arrived here a month before COVID happened, started learning the language and that has been, I would say one of the most important things that I would say ministering to another people group, is learn the language, but not just the national language, learn the heart language. I might share about that later on, but so I focus on language.
Speaker 2:But through that god began to open up doors during covid for us to reach out into some of the neighboring communities. You know, people were out of work, people don't hear, don't hear, don't have savings, you know, and so it was. It was quite a desperate time for a lot of people here. So we started giving out food parcels, rice oil, you know basic things, basic needs, basic needs, and you know, to the poor, the elderly, the widows. You know we went out and as we went out we would pray for people.
Speaker 2:And you know, people here, a lot of people are sick, not necessarily from COVID, but just you know bad knees, you know bad you from COVID, but just you know bad knees, you know bad. You know heart, you know lungs, all all sorts of problems, stroke, um, and so as we began to pray for people, we saw a number of miracles. We saw a number of people get healed or Jesus, you know, really encountered Jesus and with that brought a curiosity, you know they wanted to know more. How come our prayers worked, how come, you know there was an, you know, finding hope and finding, you know, people who believed in something slightly different than they did, but that there was power there and you know that was very much a door opener for us to go back into some of those communities and start discipling them. It was also a great time of just building connections, building relationships, you know, and at the start, yes, you know we are bringing food and so you think, oh, do they just welcome us because they want?
Speaker 1:the food or what is it.
Speaker 2:And that's you know, and that's there's wisdom in discerning. You know what is the motive here, what is their motive, what is my motive, you know? But there is still a number of families and a number of households that I still visit today. I don't bring food anymore, I've not. You know that stopped when the pandemic. You know that stopped after a few months.
Speaker 2:But the relationship that was built during that time was so strong that we still have those connections and I think you know it was really important just to invest time into people, spending time with people. It doesn't always have to be preaching with people, it doesn't always have to be preaching at them, it doesn't always have to be sharing the Bible story or praying. Sitting there drinking tea, listening to their stories, listening to them open up about their lives. That's actually such a huge gift that we can give people. Here is our time and that has really been the foundation of a lot of relationships that then turn into discipleship relationships. But that friendship early on, that trust that was built, came from consistently visiting. So not just once a month, it was weekly, you know consistently visiting them, but spending time with them.
Speaker 1:Aligns very much to what we read in like Matthew 9 and 10 and Luke 10, about going out and seeking people of peace, you know, feeding the poor being a blessing to people, praying for the sick, casting out demons and those things.
Speaker 1:Those are kind of the natural part of learning to engage with people, engage with communities, and what I think is interesting about what you're saying is that there's an intentionality to the engagement with people. So I'd like you to speak a little bit more about that. What was important about being intentional about it? But then, before you get to that one, you talked about our motives, and they might have motives for getting free food at the beginning. You might have motives, and I think this is an area that we look at as missionaries and the missions community. We often have a tendency to move people towards targets instead of seeing them as God's children who he wants to redeem and bring back into relationship to him. Speak to me a little bit about motives and how God has either refined your motives or helped you keep them pure so that people are people that God loves and not just targets.
Speaker 2:And I think, yeah, I very much agree with what you were saying is that sometimes, and myself included, there are times when we get so focused on the end goal.
Speaker 2:You know we want everyone to encounter Jesus and, obviously, to you know, receive him as their Lord and Savior, to you know, grow as a disciple, and so we want and we want to see you know, house churches form and we want to see you know grow as a disciple, and so we want and we want to see you know house churches form and we want to see you know discipleship, a discipleship making movement. But you know the people, they're not projects, and I think you know just being able to look at someone through God's eyes and say, in this moment, how does God see this person is different to how maybe I will see them. You know, sometimes I see where they need to grow and I say, okay, they need to hear about this, they need to learn this, they need to accept God in this way, they need to, and I've got a bunch of almost steps that I think this person should take, but it's removing myself from that of going God. How do you see this person in this moment?
Speaker 1:And you know just being able to love on them Again not rushing them through this process and just going.
Speaker 2:You know, in this moment they just need a friend, they just need someone to pour out their life to, they just need someone to listen, you know, or someone to pray. And so I think, realizing that, you know, it's very much discipling someone is not top down, it's not me discipling them, but it's walking alongside them and going on that journey. And so if my pure motives are only just to share the good news with them, convert them and then move, it's like that's not really the goal. I'm missing part of that picture of what God's kingdom looks like. It's doing life together, growing together, loving one another, and I think there's so much sometimes that we miss if we just focus on the end goal, the result or the outcome that we want.
Speaker 2:But, as you know, all these things building trust, you know, and again, not just focusing on, we do here, where we are, we look for people of peace, you know, we, that's very much a model, biblical model that we follow. But that person of peace, yes, is a key person, but it's not just about them either. It is about their family and their neighbors and that whole community. And so not just yeah, yeah, not just focusing on the one individual, but taking that in context of who they are, where they are, um, and holistically wanting to help them. You know, and that's why we're not just through obviously we share the gospel but through practical ways of helping. You know, through food parcels, through school supplies. We do where we are, we do free medical clinics. We'll often go into areas that don't have access to great medical or dental care. We have a team of volunteer doctors and dentists and we go in and we, you know, have, you know a free clinic day.
Speaker 2:But then we also have a counselling room, which is basically a prayer room that people who, after they've had their teeth pulled and you know, got some free medicine, they come in and we listen to them and we say you know, is there anything that you would like prayer for? What are you going through? We hear their story and then we offer to pray and, if appropriate, we share with them. That's a great tool for then being able to go back and follow up that community. But we also just want to bless again. Bless them, be in the hands and feet of Jesus. And so, yeah, that idea of when you said about motives knowing that they want something from us but we also want something from them but working out what is that thing and does that align with what God actually wants for their life.
Speaker 1:Balance that out with intentionality. You talked about routinely going back and visiting each week or setting up these clinics now on a routine basis so people can follow through. So the intentionality of that and healthy engagement. How does that lead to effective good ministry engagement?
Speaker 2:I think discipleship doesn't happen by accident. People aren't accidentally necessarily going to believe and follow Jesus. People have dreams and visions. People here meet Jesus. They see the man in white with a shiny face that visits them, so they encounter him, but they don't always necessarily know who that is, who that represents or then what he's asking them to do. And so people can encounter Jesus but still have so many questions. And so there is an intentionality about when we're discipling people of again meeting their need meeting them right where they're at and walking that journey together and going.
Speaker 2:What direction are we going? Are we going towards Jesus, towards God? Are we walking in a different direction? And you know we live in a world here there is a lot of darkness, there's a lot of occult spiritual practices, there is a lot going against, against pulling people away from God, and so, unless you're very intentionally drawing people to God in the other direction, very much the dark side will probably win because there is such a strong force going the opposite direction. So it does take intentionality, it takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of wisdom in knowing, okay, what to say, who to connect with, who to invest in and, yeah, so I would say it does take intentionality and consistency, consistency and follow-up in visiting, in being consistent not just with words, but with actions.
Speaker 2:You know how you live your life.
Speaker 2:They are watching, everyone here is watching, and so you modeling your life and modeling your faith intentionally, obviously, yes, individually. We want to always be growing in our walk with God, but realising everyone else around you is watching that and being aware of that, and so intentionally showing people your faith and showing people what does it look like to live with God. What does it look like to have this hope or this peace or you know all these other you, you know fruits of the holy spirit? Is that evident in my life? Can people see that in me and so intentionally living that out? So that's, you know, where we have to be intentional. But it's not just for show, you know, you're just the only motive. It's not just for when we said it is again, it's not just so people get to this end goal, it's equally. I want to grow as a disciple. I want to grow in my walk with God. I want to become more like Christ, at the same time reflecting that to others and hoping that others will also, through that, become more like Christ as well.
Speaker 1:Good yeah, the incarnational aspect of ministry and just being with people is so, so important. What do you think or what have you observed as maybe some common mistakes or challenges that people face when they're working to engage?
Speaker 2:Similar to what I said before, if lacking an awareness about the people group, about their needs, about the community, I think coming in thinking you can fix things, you know, I think you know sometimes as outsiders we see immediately what's wrong and think, oh, I can fix that and all these are all the things that need to change. But it's very much needing to take a step back from yourself and go. Okay, more than in my own wisdom and what I see, the holy spirit knows. He knows the true needs, he knows the true things that need to change and in his timing he will work in people's lives and he will move them and shape them. But being able to sit back and say, okay, not everything, everything might not get fixed straight away, they might take one step in the right direction then they might take another step.
Speaker 2:They might not necessarily run straight away and finish um and so having patience and being able to persevere and sometimes people take backward steps, that's very common, that's you know. Just again, not so okay, it's going the wrong way and giving up, but persevering, coming alongside again. Okay, you know, a few steps back, okay but, which way are we facing, still facing this way.
Speaker 2:Let's keep walking again. And so you know that that, yeah, having that patience, having that perseverance, I think, having the right expectations and also, you know, knowing what God's calling is for you personally. You know he's not necessarily asking you to replicate what everyone else is doing, what someone else is doing. You know you have different gifts and skills that he has invested into you and so leaning into what God has equipped you for and what God is calling you to do personally is very key in being able to engage, because there are people that I can engage that other people in my team here can't. You know, and both for good and bad reasons. There are some people, you know I am not a local, so that has limitations. There are some people that I can't reach, but the locals, they also have barriers in terms of in some places there is a hierarchy and they as an ordinary, maybe lower class person, can't reach that person, but me, maybe as a foreigner or as an educated person, I can. I can open that door and so, realising that you know to engage people, we don't all have to engage the same people, actually, in fact, the reason why we need more and more workers is because we all have different people that we can engage. And so, knowing your limitations but also knowing your opportunities, what that opens up for you you know, being in your gender, your age, that both limits but also opens up opportunities of who can I engage, who can I reach.
Speaker 2:And so asking God, you know God, who have you put before me in this season? This is a question that I often ask God. I can get so focused in who I'm already discipling and the stuff we're already doing, but every now and then going okay, god, is there anyone else that I'm missing? Is there anyone else that you've put into my sphere of influence or people around me that I should be focusing on? That I'm not. And so asking God to show us, you know, who can we engage, who has he intentionally put in front of us, knowing that I'm the right person for and being able to recognize oh, I'm not the right person for this other person. Who else can I find instead?
Speaker 1:Those are great and I think you know the idea of being a learner, being an observer, staying in your lane and your strengths that God has given you and being who you're supposed to be a little bit reminded of. You know David trying to put on Saul's armor it wasn't never going to fit for him and so understanding where you're at in this, and then the mobilization or engaging with other people and team members so that each person is running their lane in their strengths and we can complement each other's strengths and weaknesses for the advancement of the gospel, would you just quickly give us a highlight or a testimony or something that's really making you excited in this season?
Speaker 2:I mean there's a lot. God is very busy, very active. We've seen some amazing miracles, you know. We've seen, I've seen, you know, a blind lady who got healed, people who couldn't walk, god moving in their legs. We've seen, you know, many deliverances as well. But one thing that I love more than anything is just seeing local people here empowered for them to live out, you know, god's calling in their lives and so right now we have a whole bunch of interns from around the country but who are learning about ministry, learning about outreach and seeing them.
Speaker 2:Some of the stories that, if them sharing with neighbors with you know.
Speaker 2:Some of the stories, that of them sharing with neighbours with you know, a tailor with you know, people that had a family wedding, people who gather and just sharing that contagious desire to share the gospel with others and the fruit that's coming through that they are leading so many people to the Lord.
Speaker 2:I mean people that I could never reach, people that I could never engage, but seeing them being able to do that, not just the interns, but also I work with a local team, some local believers here that we've been investing into and discipling, and seeing them emboldened in their faith, going out to different areas, sharing and starting groups, and you know we're seeing this more and more of them becoming more independent in that sense of not dependent on us.
Speaker 2:We don't have to go necessarily with them. We don more independent in that sense of not dependent on us. We don't have to go necessarily with them, we don't have to be the ones that pray, we don't have to be the ones that share that they can go and they can share and they can pray and they're seeing result, they're seeing fruit, they're seeing, you know, people open up their lives and that, for me, is so precious. Seeing God's kingdom expressed in this context, in very much a local context, you know, and that for me is one of the most precious things. That that I see here happening is, you know, that it's not dependent on the outsiders.
Speaker 1:You're coming in and doing all the work, but there is a new generation, you know, through the interns, and there's also, you know, a local expression of god's kingdom, um, and that that has been really, really special and that's beautiful and that's uh comes back to what you felt God actually gave you as a word to go out to be a worker and then to be a multiplier, and you're seeing that already starting to take place, both in your own life and your own current ministry, but then also your influence into other arenas. So how cool is that to see God using those things and seeing that come to fruition in your life. Just as a closing thought, what would you say or advice would you give to somebody who wants to get more involved in reaching UPGs Unreached People Groups?
Speaker 2:I think it's an important question for all of us to ask. You know, how could I get more involved with what God is doing amongst Unreached People Groups, with what God is doing amongst unreached people groups? And you know, I think there's two main questions to consider. You know, could specifically talking about overseas missions, but you know, could I go? You know, could you know? Sometimes we don't know until we ask you know, could I go, or is there someone I could send? You know, maybe God isn't calling you to go, but how could I then support someone who is called to go as someone I could send? You know, that's not just the only two roles. Again, within that there's so many different parts of the play. But the advice I would give is very much start somewhere. You know, if you feel like God is maybe calling you to serve unreached people groups, whether that is going, or you know from your own country, you know, start somewhere.
Speaker 2:I think a lot of times we think of ideas or dreams and you know, and they stay in our heads but they don't actually become a reality, and so take small steps of faith. You know, maybe you feel god is calling you. You know, start speaking that out, tell someone, have that conversation till it's in your head. You know it's never going to become a reality till you start speaking that out. There's power in just sharing that dream or that vision or that calling with someone else. So, you know, find someone Maybe it's your family, maybe it's your mentor. Start sharing. This is what I feel God is sensing me. You know, I feel like God is laying a burden for the unreached people group on my heart, or you know, whatever it is. Start speaking that out. You know. Also, also, start connecting with like-minded people, people who are also. Maybe you have a heart for a particular country or a particular people group or a particular aspect of ministry. Find people who are doing that or who are also interested in that area, and connect with like-minded people.
Speaker 2:Explore. Maybe you can go on trips, maybe you can go and see what's happening. Take time to explore that area. Unreached people groups Maybe visit an unreached people group. You know, learn more. You know it could be as simple as doing just a bible study on the topic of missions or maybe a particular aspect, and just even in your own personal devotion time, explore more onto that topic. Um, but also or you could do a bit more of a formal training in terms of, you know, maybe the nation's course go on to dasco lots of resources there, um. Or you know, maybe the nation's course go on to Dasco lots of resources there. Or, you know, take time to expand. Maybe it is different mission strategies, taking time to expand your thinking or your perspective on different areas, but the biggest would be pray.
Speaker 2:You know, just keep seeking God about it. And it's not necessarily how prepared you are, you know how perfect you are, how prepared you are. It's very much about what position you're in. You know, is your heart open to God using you? You know, if you're open, it doesn't matter if you're necessarily feel like you're the perfect person for it. But if you are willing to say you know God, I'm going to make myself available for you to use me, he definitely will. And so I think you know, looking at what is the position of my heart and my life right now, you know, am I in a position where God can use me? Do I desire that? And if it is just to have that conversation with God, god, I'm available, I'm willing for you to use me, but then also being obedient to whatever it is that he asks you to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. That's great sound advice. Just get started, take a step, move forward. Kenya, thank you for your time today. Thank you for your willingness and obedience to follow Jesus into challenging and difficult places. You've really given us a lot to think about today in this conversation. We really appreciate your time and listener. If you'd like to learn more about World Outreach and what we do, you can check out our website. But also we would love to invite you to share about what we're doing, share about this podcast with others. Let's continue to make the need of unreached people groups known to others and let's continue to engage unreached people groups everywhere for the glory of God. So thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next time.