Evangelism: easier than ever

Now that I’ve become a missionary, it’s easier than ever to share my faith. In my previous life as an engineering graduate student, I didn't see many opportunities to talk about God and how he was working in and shaping my life. Church was one of my escapes from work – work that burdened and exhausted me to the point of leaving without my PhD. As my interest in grad school waned, my faith waxed brightly. After a series of contacts, by God’s grace, I applied for and became a missionary serving in Washington, DC for two years. My work includes designing and facilitating educational experiences based around a variety of social issues like poverty, immigration, and human trafficking. I’m finding my interest in engineering to be ever-present, and I hope to find ways to connect this with my walk in the Way which leads to life, joining my God given gifts and graces with God’s mercy and justice.

I can’t help but share this elevator pitch version of my call story when someone asks where I come from, why I’m in DC, or why the switch from engineering. I attended a gathering at a friend’s house over the weekend, and I must have told my call story ten or more times to complete strangers. The sharing just happens, and the words spill right out of my mouth. Why? Because my work and my faith are synergistic instead of mutually exclusive. I don't even have to try, and I find myself talking about my faith. It's an out-of-the-box, surprising story (who leaves engineering and goes into ministry?), and there is no honest way I can tell this story and leave God out of it.

One empty pocket in the story is that it focuses on me and neglects Jesus’ story, which is something I want to work on with God. Nonetheless, my experiences in story form are a gift that has given me the ability to share my faith with others, and help people understand better the kinds of things that actually matter to God.

How will I use this gift to glorify God and to advance God’s Kingdom? This is a question I want to ask myself a little more often. How will you, the reader, use your life and vocation to do the same, and how might we partner in this mission?

Prayer requests:

• Continued strength, vision, and openness as I explore a variety of social issues, which are new and complex.
• Open eyes to see and follow the movements of the Holy Spirit in my work.
• Smooth transitions for all who are moving around at Church and Society in the coming months.