God moves during the pandemic beyond even missionaries’ expectations
By Allison Sherwin
“We have started to relax in our role as sower and gatherer. The Holy Spirit is growing people. We are intentional in what we can be, but this is totally out of our control,” Frank and Marie reflect about the powerful move of God they’ve seen in the islands around them since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As they think about the parables about sowing and reaping found in the scriptures, they testify that the seeds planted over many years on these islands through prayer, gospel sowing and discipleship are finally sprouting and growing. It seems God’s sovereign timing for harvest is arriving amidst the fear and crisis of a global pandemic.
Hector, a local believer, visited an informal housing community of workers from another island who have been out of work since Covid struck down the usually thriving tourist industry. These workers, who come from a people group that practices Christinaity mixed with animism, cannot get back to their home and are afraid and hungry. One sick and spiritually disturbed man named Moses asked Hector for prayer. Moses told Hector that an animistic doctor gave him a belt as a power object against evil. Hector preached the good news of Jesus to this man and told him if he surrendered to Jesus he no longer needed that power object. Moses destroyed the belt, proclaimed his faith in Jesus and was instantly healed, to the amazement of many around them. He shared Jesus with someone else, who then shared with someone else, who then shared with someone else. The good news multiplied quickly among this marginalized people group. Within a few weeks, the 4th man who responded to the gospel, named Esau, shared Jesus with 40 other people who have started to follow Jesus. As these others have shared, an estimated 120 people have come to faith in Jesus! Many are starting to meet in small groups to discover Jesus through scripture together and learn to obey his teachings. Frank and Marie’s team has also been able to help distribute food among them to help them through this time.
Two years ago, a massive outreach came to these islands, sharing the good news of Jesus with countless people. After this, Frank and Marie’s team partnered with many of the local translators who were believers and were hungry to learn more about disciple making movements. These local leaders are involved in churches on the island but had never experienced the life-on-life community of a smaller discovery group.
When Covid-19 forced churches to shut down, these local leaders were afraid and in need of community. The team helped arrange small groups of four and initiated simple church and prayer meetings through What’sapp. As the months passed, they started to relax into this new way of church and started to naturally form groups themselves. They began to attest to the growth in Christ they experienced in this season, even though they couldn’t gather in a large church as they were used to. Three of these women asked Frank and Marie to mentor them and teach them more about purpose and disciple-making movements.
These three women are involved in other churches and organizations who are also distributing food to the hungry during the Covid crisis. A few weeks ago they brought food to a rural Hindu village. They came across a young woman locked up in an outhouse and discovered she was the oldest daughter in her household and had been possessed with evil spirits and insane for years. The visiting women asked if they could pray for her and her family said yes. Through their prayers, God touched the woman and she became healed and in her right mind. The whole community took notice of this changed woman. Six different people approached the visiting women asking about Jesus. Frank and Marie are coaching these women as they form discovery groups amongst these Hindu villagers to read scripture and learn to obey Jesus together.
Frank and Marie and their team are in awe of the move of God among the many diverse and marginalized people groups surrounding them. Even though they came to this island with an intentional focus, God has moved beyond their expectations and broken down their boundaries, inviting them to join a move of His Spirit among people they never expected. And He’s done it all during a season of global fear, sickness and crisis.
