As I reflect on the recent Arise, the first thought that came to mind was, “God truly guided us.” During the first three days of Arise evangelism training, which I participated in with a sincere heart, God poured out His heart through various evangelists. In particular, when an elderly evangelist named Micky lectured, there was a profound repercussion for me; he shared how much of a precious privilege it is to be called God’s evangelist. Regardless of his age, I could still feel his pure love for God. The three days flew by quickly, and we made our way to the hosting church.
From the very beginning, the members of the hosting church welcomed us warmly. Despite their busy lives and challenging circumstances, their thoughtful care was one of the key reasons why we were able to be united so soon.
During our street evangelism, the Holy Spirit led us to encounter people we were meant to meet. After facing many rejections, we encountered individuals who were going through the ‘severe winter’ of their lives. The challenges they were facing were far greater than anything I had experienced. One person who stands out in my memory is a lady in a financially difficult situation after separating from her husband. She listened attentively to what we had to say and even prayed with us. Meeting people like her made me constantly wonder, “Would I have been able to hear these stories if I hadn’t gone outside the church to find them?”
As we went door to door, we encountered many rejections and saw that people didn’t have high expectations of the church. This led me to realise that just as important as sharing Jesus is living a life that reflects Jesus. This isn’t something far away, but about how I live each day. Although we faced many rejections, every conversation we had with those who did listen became incredibly precious. I prayed not simply for conversations to take place, but that the Holy Spirit would continue to work through every dialogue and response and use them as the foundation for His work.
After the first week, we spent the remaining two days revisiting the homes we had previously visited. At first, I wondered if they would open the door again and was nervous about what I should say if they did. I prayed for wisdom from the Holy Spirit as I approached each door. Thankfully, I was able to continue conversations with the words that came to mind in those moments. When I also heard that other teams had meaningful conversations, which some even led to prayers, I praised the Lord for being present among us.
The ten days seemed to pass by so quickly. Reflecting on them, I strongly felt God guiding us, particularly in how the Holy Spirit united us with the hosting church. The hosting church had struggled since COVID-19, yet they supported and joined us for Arise. I pray that God will continue to uphold the members of City Hill Church and Pastor Ambrose. I am also deeply grateful to God for allowing Arise to experience once again the immense joy of sharing the Gospel and the heart for souls.
