Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see
him now, you believe and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”
– 1 Peter 1:8
Dear friends,
By the time you receive this I will have already arrived in Galati, Romania. As I write to you now, I am counting the days until I leave. I can't wait! I didn't realize until graduating from Gordon and packing up my things how much I have been homesick for Galati during this past year. It is difficult to be tied so closely with two places at once. But now that I've finished my time at Gordon I am more free to devote all my energy to the WMF community in Romania. Pray that the Lord will continue to guide me and make clear my role in this ministry among the poor.
You will not be hearing from me by mail in August due to the transition of the WMF home office from Wilmore, Kentucky to Omaha, Nebraska. Please keep the home office staff in your prayers as they move and continually seek the Lord's direction during this big transition.
As for me, please keep the following in your prayers as I transition into life in Galati.
~ Pray for strength and endurance amidst a new and challenging environment.
~ Pray for health and safety in an inner city context.
~ Pray for a new church family and friends.
~ Pray for my host family, the Ivans (Mom and eleven children) to be transformed by God's love for them even as I bear witness to His love.
~ Pray for the ministry of the WMF Drop-In Center to be fruitful in transforming the lives of street children.
Thank you so much for journeying with me. I will be in touch through email and will continue letters again in September or October.
Trusting in Him,
Rachel
Rachel Simons
O.P. 6 C.P. 256
Galati, 6200
ROMANIA
rachel.simons@wordmadeflesh.com
Drawing Close
Reading biographies and autobiographies of famous Christian missionaries has become a hobby of mine. Rather than turn to a John Grisham novel, I would rather pick up one of these real life adventures that depict the journeys of Hudson Taylor, Father Damien, Amy Carmichael, or Bruce Olson. Between the pages of these lives lay gems of inspiration and wisdom. One such word of wisdom comes from George Muller, a nineteenth century British man who established orphan homes to care for thousands of English children. On April 16, 1831 he writes,
I must offer a word of warning to believers. Often the work of the Lord itself may tempt us away from communion with Him. A full schedule of preaching, counseling, and travel can erode the strength of the mightiest servant of the Lord. Public prayer will never make up for closet communion.
Stepping into new responsibilities with new demands on my time poses many challenges. The threat of becoming so busy that the purpose of ministry is lost behind all the activity is cause for concern. If knowing and loving God is sacrificed for the sake of doing ministry, then it's a no win situation. I lose because I have forgotten the One for whom I serve, and those I serve lose as they realize I am acting out of duty and not motivated by love. Intimacy with God must come first and Muller's words are a timely reminder to carefully protect times of solitude and prayer.
However, there is another dimension to the challenge of remaining close to God that Muller does not address. As Christine Pohl states, “Intimacy with God involves three different dimensions.” The first is similar to Muller's “closet communion” of prayer and Scripture study. The second has to do with participating in a community of believers. The third of these dimensions is that “intimacy with God comes through the loving attention we give to others – neighbors, enemies and especially the most vulnerable” (The Cry Spring 2002).
This new understanding of the scope of communion with God brings me great joy. Muller's important admonition combined with Pohl's insights on intimacy with God remind me of my life's purpose – loving God and loving my neighbors – and teaches me that the two are more closely connected than I would have guessed.