Heart for Mission

By Joyce

Joyce is a 25-year-old Global Mission pioneer who, with another female Global Mission pioneer, planted a church for young people in a city of 10 million people. Because she lives in a closed country hostile to Christianity, Adventist Mission is not publishing her full name or location. Here’s what Joyce said when asked by editor Andrew McChesney, “Why did you decide to be a missionary?”

I have one sister, Sarah, and she was born with a congenital heart defect.

Image © Pacific Press

My grandmother was very worried, and she looked and looked for the best hospital. But the doctors couldn’t help Sarah. So, my grandmother visited our traditional places of worship to ask for help, but no one there could help my sister.

Finally, the doctor told my parents that he could do nothing more.

“Take care of Sarah as best as you can”, he said. “If she wants to something special to eat or a new toy, give it to her to make her happy”.

One day, when Sarah was 7, a Seventh-day Adventist relative came to visit from far away. She saw that my grandmother was worried about Sarah, and she said, “If you believe in Jesus, you will be blessed”.

The next Sabbath, my grandmother took me to church. I was 3. Church members gathered in a circle around us and prayed for us and for Sarah.

Just a few days later, Sarah was healed! Her heart was perfect! The doctor couldn’t believe it. He ran several medical tests, and he couldn’t find any problems with Sarah’s heart. It was a miracle!

The miracle changed my family. My grandmother and my parents started going to church every Sabbath, and soon they were baptized. Then my parents decided that they wanted to tell other people about Jesus. So, they quit their jobs, received church training, and became Global Mission pioneers. When my sister grew up, she also became a Global Mission pioneer. Last year, I decided to become a Global Mission pioneer.

As a missionary, I give Bible studies, I pray with people, and I preach. I work with a partner, another Global Mission pioneer who is 23, and we just opened a new church for young people in this city.

Relatives who aren’t Christians don’t understand why I am a missionary. They tell me to look for another job. Sometimes I feel discouraged when I hear such negative words, but my parents pray for me. My mother even fasts and prays for me on Sabbaths. My parents remind me that I am not working for man. I am working for God.

My parents are right. I am working for God. God is so wonderful and powerful in healing my sister. I believe God is leading me every step of the way.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

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