I Believe

There are many different things that make up my beliefs. My belief in the Lord as my Savior has existed as far back as I can remember. My belief in His mercy and forgiveness has been shaped through a range of experiences throughout my life. My belief in ministry, however, was transformed last summer during the month I spent in Kenya, Africa. While I have strongly believed in the importance of ministering to otherssince I started in the youth group at my church some eight years ago, my outlook on it changed during this mission experience. My team and I spent the first half of our trip in a village called Ewuaso where the Maasai tribe live in mud huts and just recently acquired electricity in select parts of the area. Although they live with very little and have to work hard for the little they do have, these people are the most loving, relational people I have ever met. Their way of life is obviously extremely different from our lives in America. We stay so busy trying to become “successful” that we overlook the people around us. They work their fingers to the bone, yes, but in the circumstance that they have unexpected visitors stop by; they do not hesitate to drop everything to express their hospitality and love. I experienced this during an afternoon of door-to-door ministry. An entire family was out working in their crops when a small group of us approached. Although they had never met us, they immediately stopped their work which needed to be done in order to provide for their family, and welcomed us into their home. A couple of hours later, after tea and many unforgettable stories of how the Lord had blessed their lives and provided opportunities for them, I left carrying with me a new understanding of what it means to be relational. I admit that I become so focused on getting things done, whether it is with school, with church, or just life stuff in general, that I constantly overlook the needs of those around me. It has been instilled in us, as Americans, that work is more important than people. We measure success by how much money we earn rather than by how many people we love and express that love to. This can easily be compared to Lazarus’ sisters Martha and Mary. Martha was so focused on what needed to be done to impress Jesus that she completely overlooked the need to focus her time on Him. Although she had good intentions, Jesus told her, “only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better [sitting at His feet], and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42. During the time I spent with the Maasai tribe in Ewuaso, I learned the importance of building and strengthening relationships with others. In doing so, we are able to more effectively minister to their needs, and express our value in them through the time we spend. I believe relational evangelism is an incredibly effective way to share the love of Christ and reach people in a way that His example teaches us to.