Too often missionaries that live in a foreign country try to Amercianize new church starts in the local areas in which they are working. Time and time again this approach falls flat on its face. Statistics show that for church plants to succeed, they must be led and maintained by people that are native, not by short-term mission teams from the US or US-based pastors. It's arrogant for us to believe that God has placed a stamp of approval on "our way" of worship and that that way can be a cookie-cutter approach to how all other churches in the world should look.
I'm reading a great book called "Bruchko" and Bruce Olsen is a missionary to the Motilone Indians in South America. Bruce has managed to be accepted by the tribe and has been living with them for 3 years, but has yet to find a way to get them to understand the gospel. After much frustration he finally cries out to the Lord..." But I still could not see how to do it [let them see and experience the love of God]. I knew too much about Motilone beliefs. Noting I could say about Jesus Christ would make sense to them. It would be 'the white man's way.' It would never be the Motilone way. What if some committed their lives to Jesus? Would they end up like the Orinoco Indians, bringing divisions among the Motilones, destroying their social structures [which happened to the Orinocos because the white man forced their method of Christianity upon them]."
He goes on..."But they needed Jesus. How could I introduce them to Him for who He really was, independent of my own personality and culture? Jesus would have to do it for me. There was no other way. Nothing I could say would have the right message, the right force. But Jesus could speak through me, and He could show me the right time to speak.
I bowed my head. The sun was hot on the back of my neck. 'Oh Jesus, these people need You. Show Yourself to them. Take ME out of the way and speak to them in their own language, so they can see You for who You are.
O Jesus, become a Motilone."
WOW. I read that and I haven't gotten over it yet..."Jesus, become a Motilone." As a frequent go-er of short term mission trips, I often labor over how to plead with God for His mercy over the Ukrainian people. They are a hard people. They may have the same skin color, but their outlooks and attitudes are so very different than ours. We share the gospel year-after-year and yet it's as though there is no real life-changing conversions taking place. The local churches that exist are indigenous but struggling to survive. We try all of these outreaches and events and see professions of faith, but where is the change of heart and life that we know that should follow such a profound experience with personal and real God?!!
In exactly one month from today, our mission team will be leaving for Ukraine. We have 2 eye glass clinics scheduled along with a VBS-style outreach for the kids and a large evangelistic service scheduled for the popular town square area...all of these events are useless and fruitless without the power of the Holy Spirit working and moving in the hearts of the hearers! My one request is this as we go and minister...I ask you to intercede for them and ask, "Oh Jesus, become a Ukrainian."
Ukraine is on the threshold of a great spiritual awakening but the doors will be closing very soon as Russia reorganizes herself and will ultimately try to win back Ukraine as Russian territory. The time is short. The need for a Savior is more pressing than ever before...we need Him NOW!!! Oh Jesus become a Ukrainian!
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