I kept finding myself saying, "my ministry will never ever be the same again".
I was asked to preach at a church in Kingabwa, and was not prepared for the drive to the church that Sunday morning. The roads were just ditches, dirt and dust.
I saw hundreds of children sitting in dirty water with little or no clothes, and those children that were able to, asked for food.
The moment I dared to make eye contact, the fixed gaze told a thousand stories and my heart ached. I saw immense poverty and hunger, and when we approached the church of approx 700 congregation, I felt physically sick. Everything that I had learnt about church during my student pastorate and ministerial studies did not make sense at that moment. I remember asking myself "how do I pastor a church in the UK when I have just seen this?" I'm not sure I will ever know the answer, but for certain I knew I would never be able to do local ministry in the same way again.
My time overseas has greatly encouraged me to:
- Know my world
- Place world mission alongside local mission
- Not just preach about injustice but attempt to find out what's behind it
- Practise hospitality - the Congolese taught me much about food
- Pray, pray and pray
Jane, Minister and former volunteer to DR Congo
Experiencing Christianity in another culture can revitalise your ministry and you can learn so much that can be of value in your work in the UK church. Don't just experience world mission from a distance: see it first-hand.
Use your sabbatical or go on one of our ministry teams. You will be both used and challenged.