"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life."
Matthew 19:29
Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting someone that I had heard about for years. Paula (I am withholding her last name because of where she minsters) is a missionary who has lived in Russia for many years. I heard about Paula through the Prices, Jeff Oakes and Russian friend, Maga. Everyone who told me about Paula said what an incredible person that she was and how powerfully the Holy Spirit was using her to reach out to people for Jesus. Maga is not a Christian and yet and is amazed at Paula's faith and courage. Maga does not give out praise easily. So, when he was telling me about Paula, I knew that I had to meet her.
Paula has lived in a war zone in the former Soviet Union for many years. When she first went to Russia, it was as a college student. She knew that God was calling her to missions, but felt like she would live in Africa. After being in Russia for her studies, she knew that God was calling her to stay and minister there (Acts 16 - Macedonian Call).
She had visited a war zone on a short term outreach and felt the Holy Spirit tell her that she would be ministering there and that her confirmation would be when her mother told her that it was alright. Now, what kind of a mother would tell her single, 25 year old daughter that it would be alright to move to a Muslim area of the former Soviet Union in the middle of a war?
Well, I got to meet the type of mother who would. Paula, her mother, Jo, their friend, Connie, and another Russian friend were traveling through the states and called the Church to see if we had a place for them to stay. Jeff was out of town and asked me to meet them and help them get settled in.
Benjamin and I took them out to dinner (Kristen was out of town and Sterling was staying with a friend). After dinner, we took them to a cell group so that they could share their testimonies. Connie shared how she was called to serve the team in Russia and had been there for almost three years. Amazing stuff! The Russian lady told of how she came to serve the Lord and how He had faithfully taken care of her family during difficult times. Remarkable stuff! Jo, Paula's mom, shared about how she had lived with Paula in Russia for six years and I was blown away. What a way to spend a retirement! Then Paula shared how the confirmation came to move to the war zone.
Paula's mom had visited Paula with a team of five men from their home Church in England. They were ministering in a refugee camp in the war zone. On the last day, Jo was leaving to go back to England and said, "Paula, I know that the Lord is calling you to minister in this place. I release and bless you to do the work of the Lord."
What a thing for a mother to do. Again, Paula was 25, single, and a woman. She would be living in a war zone caught between Muslim extremists and Russian soldiers. She was willing to lay down her life so that others could know about the love of Jesus. Here was her mother willing to not only release her daughter to the will of God, but to bless her in what Jesus had called her to do.
My hearts prayer is that Kristen and I will be parents who are able to do that, regardless of the cost. To release our sons to the will of God and to bless them in it. I do not know all that the Lord is calling our boys to do, but I know that in these days, the cost could be high.
I thank God for the Paula's and Connie's who are out there at the "ends of the earth." I also praise Him for the Jo's who will bless their children in the calling. I was privileged to meet these women of God.
Servant of a Passionate God
Lewis Burke
Romans 8:31
