By Rory Bennet
“God will do what He says He will do, and I want to be a part of it,” Vera says with confidence. This confidence is forged from years of seeing victories from God’s faithful hands at work among people who are resistant to the truth of the gospel. Vera works in one of the most desolate places, deep in the desert, where nearly the entire population is Muslim.
IMB missionary Vera must be strategic in how she works among the people, meeting practical needs to build relationships. In her city, the influence of Islam runs deep, and the truth of the gospel faces obstacles like disinterest, threat of persecution, and the difficulty of their physical proximity in the desert.
That is why Vera loves partnering with short-term mission teams. As more volunteers come, the more the people group she calls the Desert Dwellers have a chance to hear about Jesus and what He has done for them. She says she loves facilitating teams and watching in awe as both the lives of the Desert Dwellers and those who come and serve are changed. Every encounter with the truth of the gospel matters in a region where it may take decades for one person to accept Jesus as their Savior.
Vera explains that the Desert Dwellers are deeply grateful that outsiders would care for them. From making gospel-centered crafts to teaching English to installing plumbing and electrical systems, mission teams are sharing the love of Jesus and pointing the Desert Dwellers toward salvation through Christ.
“The Bible says every knee will bow; I want it to be because they know and love Him, not because they are going to hell,” says Vera. There’s a sense of urgency she hasn’t sensed before. She believes the people she serves are ready to hear and respond to the gospel.
Vera may never know what tomorrow will bring in an area full of conflict and lostness, but each day she is ready to share the love of Jesus and bring more volunteer teams alongside her in the missionary task. Her labor is a testimony to God moving in the darkest places.
Short-term teams are an encouragement to Vera and other missionaries. If you are interested in sending a short-term team, write the IMB at info@imb.org. One trip can make the difference in someone hearing the gospel and having an opportunity to respond. One life, and sometimes many lives, can be transformed by your obedience to go. As a believer, you have the solution to the world’s lostness. Will you help us to bring the gospel to the nations?
Even if you can’t travel, please pray that the people God calls to go will answer the call, and they would be brokenhearted over the world’s lostness.
Pray that those who have heard the gospel would choose to respond.
Pray for Vera as she serves among the Desert Dwellers, that God would provide for her practical needs and build new opportunities to share the truth through the short-term volunteers.
Some names may have been changed for security reasons.
Rory Bennet serves with the IMB among North African and Middle Eastern people groups.