Legacy of Faith

A few months ago, my father passed away unexpectedly. My family traveled back to the U.S. to grieve our loss as well as celebrate his life and legacy as a great man of faith and pastor. All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to the friends and family who had gathered together and return to our host country.

Upon landing back in Southeast Asia, my family and I immediately prepared to move from a large city to a smaller one.

As we moved our things into our new apartment, disaster struck a second time.

Heavy rains hit the region, and a flood destroyed nearly everything we owned except a plastic storage tub that had floated on the water’s surface. Despite the setback, God used that container of extra Bibles and ministry resources to salvage my spirit.

Though we no longer had a home or almost anything else, we still had everything necessary to point others to Christ.

I hoped I could practice the local language with him—even for only an afternoon.

As we worked to make the apartment livable again, I spent hours listening to tapes of my dad’s old sermons. They helped me feel less alone in a new city, and they reminded me to stay focused on the Great Commission.

While still settling in, my wife and I introduced ourselves to our neighbors, a middle-aged Muslim couple. The next day, we received a knock at the door.

A young man I’d never met stood before me in the hallway. I greeted him as well as I could in the local dialect that I was still years away from mastering.

He smiled and introduced himself in rudimentary English. “My name is Hamdee. You met my parents yesterday.” He pointed toward their door.

I nodded excitedly as I invited him inside. I hoped I could practice the local language with him—even for only an afternoon.

“Doesn’t it make you sad to be reminded of him?”

Soon, our small talk grew into an easy conversation. Hamdee always seemed to know when to slow down or translate a word for me. I enjoyed our time together so much that I invited him to come back another day, and he quickly agreed.

The next day, I sensed the Lord leading me to ask Hamdee to be my language helper. After I explained how the process worked, he agreed to try. Since then, he and I have studied together so often  that we’ve both dreamed of my language cards.

In addition to our formal lessons, Hamdee also continues to visit simply to spend time together as friends and talk.

One night, I walked into my living room to find him shaking his head at a group of pictures displayed on the wall.

Handing him a glass of water, I asked, “What are you thinking about?”

He pointed to a photo of my father and stared carefully at it. “My people don’t do this. We don’t leave up pictures of those who are gone. Doesn’t it make you sad to be reminded of him?”

My father’s whole life was about building the Kingdom of God.

I had told Hamdee about my dad before, and as much as I wanted to share and remember another inspiring story about his life, I knew this was an opportunity to tell my friend about Jesus’ promises.

“It actually brings me joy to see his picture,” I said. “I know without a doubt he’s in heaven right now, and one day I’ll see him again there.”

A puzzled look spread across Hamdee’s face. “How can you be so sure?”

As we sat down to continue our conversation, I couldn’t help but smile. I continue to miss and grieve the loss of my father, but I praise God that the Lord is using him even now to open the door for me to share the Gospel.

My father’s whole life was about building the Kingdom of God. What a privilege it is to follow in his footsteps.

Pray:

• Pray for Muslim men and women like Hamdee to hear and believe the Good News of salvation through Christ.
• Praise God for Frontiers families who are committed to spreading the Gospel in the least-reached places.
• Lift up long-term field workers who live far from loved ones. Ask the Lord to provide special comfort to them during times of grief and pain.