The transplanted Leucaena tree outside my desert home dropped its leaves, one by one, to conserve energy. Under the care of a seven-year-old who threw a cup of water over it every few days, the poor tree had no rain and no shelter from the harsh, dry winds.
Yet as the months passed, I watched the tree overcome and survive. While it appeared to be dying on the surface, the taproot dug through layer after layer of rock and soil.
It’s hard to believe that our Leucaena survived its fight for existence. Although I sighed over the tree’s drooping leaves six years ago, today its leafy branches provide shade for picnics, a jungle gym for my kids, and even food for a handful of hungry sheep.
The growth process of the tree in my yard spoke to my heart many times over the years as I witnessed it overcome the harshest conditions. I saw my own story in that tree.
My story is one of abundant provision, of power made perfect in weakness.
Twenty years ago, I put on my hijab for the first time as I stood at the exit door of the airplane looking over the desert landscape. Without any idea of what the future held, I put my pale, uncalloused foot forward and took my first step into the sands of the Sahara. The hot, dusty wind swallowed me up and I found myself lost in unrecognizable languages, gaping at the sight of camels on the horizon, men in turbans, and plastic bags flying around like diurnal bats.
I was at the beginning of my own transplant story, one where I would seemingly lose everything, even as my own taproot pursued underground streams. I would survive cerebral malaria, escape an attempted kidnapping, learn to navigate the busy markets, and become nomadic like the people I had come to love. My story is one of abundant provision, of power made perfect in weakness.
As the 20th anniversary of my arrival on the field came and went, I thanked God for His faithfulness. The streams of His Spirit are all He promised they would be. He has strengthened me to endure in an unforgiving environment to share the love and truth of Jesus with people thirsty for the hope I have found.
Pray:
- Praise God for this field worker’s two decades of ministry.
- Ask God to walk alongside field workers as they survive difficult seasons overseas.
- Pray for new field workers to be encouraged by those who have been on the field for many years.
This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.