Seeing the World Through New Eyes at 22
Hi friends and family!
I have a few new readers, so I wanted to share a little about the Calvary School of Missions (CSOM). CSOM is a six-week program that teaches the Church’s responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission, especially among the unreached. It also provides an opportunity for those interested in missions to seek the Lord more deeply and surrender to His calling for their lives.
Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
For those who feel called to missions, there is a one, to two year Missionary Training School (MTS) that prepares students for long-term ministry overseas. After MTS, students are encouraged to return to their home churches before being sent out as missionaries. Calvary Saving Grace partners with home churches by providing practical support, including financial administration, missionary care, and ongoing resources.
We are now halfway through the program, and this past week has been full! We had a park outreach on Tuesday, I celebrated my birthday on Thursday, we had a beach outreach on Friday, a church outreach on Saturday, and we served at the same church again on Sunday.
Getting used to the language barrier has been a bit of a challenge. It’s not as easy to connect with kids or adults when your vocabulary is limited. But praise God, I was able to share the gospel with a few people, tell the story of salvation to the children at the church outreach through translators, and engage with some of the kids using a few basic phrases. Because of that, the outreaches felt much more intentional for me this week.
This experience has really shown me the importance of learning the language before ministering to people long-term. Several of the missionaries who have spoken to us shared that they spent years learning the language before starting any kind of church ministry. That has given me an even greater appreciation for the patience and dedication required to serve cross-culturally.
I also really enjoyed Rob Douglass’s classes this week. He served as a missionary in Uganda and Sri Lanka and taught about culture shock and different worldviews, which was fascinating. One simple example he gave was how different cultures can view a cow: many Christians and Muslims see it as food, many Hindus consider it sacred, and in some Buddhist cultures it may be viewed almost like a member of the family. It was a great illustration of how differently people can see the world. Because of that, it’s so important to be culturally sensitive. Without that sensitivity, a ministry can struggle or even end before it truly begins.
One of the things that has impacted me the most each week is meeting missionaries who serve in different countries around the world. This week, I learned about the country of Pakistan and some of the challenges Christians face there.
Many young girls are abducted, forcibly converted, and married each year. There are also an estimated 4.5 million people trapped in modern-day slavery, working in brick kilns through a system known as bonded labor. On top of that, being a Christian in Pakistan is incredibly difficult because of some of the strictest blasphemy laws in the world. False accusations can be made at any time, and the consequences can be life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
We learned about 30 families that were rescued from the brick kilns and that a church was started in their group!
Hearing these stories has been both humbling and inspiring. Seeing faithful men and women continue to persevere in sharing the gospel despite such immense opposition has challenged me. It has convicted me to be bolder in sharing my faith, especially when I have the freedom to do so without facing the dangers that many of them encounter every day.
“Our pursuit of God is successful just because He is forever seeking to manifest Himself to us.”
— The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
We finished this book over the past week, and although the title implies that we are pursuing God, what really stood out to me is that He is the One who sought us first. If God hadn't pursued us first, we would have nothing to pursue. I've been deeply encouraged this week by His love, and my prayer is that as you read this newsletter, you too will be reminded of it. He desires a personal relationship with each of us. All that remains is for us to lift our eyes and meet His gaze because He has never stopped looking toward us.
Prayer Requests
For continued health and energy to finish out our last week at the Connections House well before we travel to our next location.
For continued team unity as we get into increasingly tighter and less comfortable accommodations.
That God would continue to work in the lives of the people that we were able to minister to this past week.
For the missionaries and pastors serving in countries that are closed to Christianity- especially in Pakistan.
For the children of the Christian families that were freed from the brick kilns, that they will be kept from living in a life of crime.
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me financially. I’m incredibly grateful.
I still have $1,300 USD to raise. If you feel led to partner with me, there is a giving link below to help support my missions trip. Every gift, no matter the size, is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your prayers and support!
Best wishes from Mexico,
Abigail Plett
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