A few weeks ago I wrote a post for Desiring God expressing my gratitude that God has helped me to see that disability ministry is not in competition with other good things God is doing in the church.
But more recently I’ve been seeing evidences that God uses disability to encourage cross-cultural missions:
- On Sunday we prayed for a family who are following God’s call for them to use their interpretation gifts for deaf people in Asia. They have served our deaf members at Bethlehem for several years.
- During Bethlehem’s missions emphasis Sundays, I saw the picture of a young woman who previously served as a sign language interpreter at Bethlehem who now serves in that capacity in South America.
- Several friends from Bethlehem were part of a Joni & Friends short-term missions trip to Africa earlier this year.
- The Elisha Foundation is exploring how to serve in Eastern Europe. Justin (TEF’s executive director) and Tamara Reimer spent a couple weeks in the Ukraine this summer. And their most recent update indicates other countries might be open to them!
My first reaction when encountering disability in my own family was to get really focused on me. But when God lifts our eyes to see Jesus, he helps us see other things as well – like the needs of our brothers and sisters with disabilities in other parts of the world. I find God’s ability to do that simply amazing!
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV)
The Works of God 
Leave a Reply