Week 16-23-I Give Myself Away, So You Can Use Me...

Time To Reach Out

Lecture phase ended in June and deep down apart of me was so glad to be leaving the sugar cane fields. It was time for me to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel” and apply what I had been learning. Outreach has definitely been a journey for me, an adventurous yet challenging one. God has been continuing to strip and mold me.

First week of outreach I was in Lautoka and me and my outreach team were helping out at a conference called Circuit Riders. Every morning at 5:30am we would go and pick up any rubbish from the ground where the conference was being held. I was also given the opportunity to share my testimony. This was such a humbling and emotional experience for me. I felt so honored to be apart of God’s family. I stood in front of 100’s of people and shared what God had been doing in my life and also the importance of us having a personal relationship with Him. After all life is not measured by what we own but by our relationship with God (Luke 12:15).

I got to meet some amazing and zealous God –fearing people from different parts of the world and different denominations including Methodist, Assemblies of God, Catholic and Pentecost. It was so beautiful to see different denominations coming together to worship God with a strong desire to see the people of Fiji saved. Paul was spot on when he said “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” Galatians 3:28.

From Town To The Village

The following week we were on the move again. Going from living in the big city of London to a small village in Fiji was definitely a big contrast. I have never really lived in a village before, even when I go to Ghana I spend most of my time in the city lol and to add to it I got a shock when I realized that the only way to get to the village was by boat! So I was basically living on an island. Oh and did I mention I can’t swim haha (don’t worry after September I’m planning to enroll on swimming classes). This trip was teaching me to depend more and more on God.

In addition to having to adjust to new surroundings, I also had to deal with language and communication issues. There were moments when I questioned God about why He brought me here but I had to choose to trust and depend on Him more than ever before. By the second week I had pretty much adjusted to village life. Spending 3 months in the sugar cane fields definitely prepared me for this season.

Just like in Luke 10 when Jesus sent out the disciples, we went out in pairs, we didn’t take anything with us; no phones, no money and no Bible. The Spirit of God was our guide. We spent time with families and would help out weeding, planting crops as well as washing clothes and cleaning inside homes. We used this as an opening to pray and fellowship with them.

Weeding and planting crops was and still is hard for me partly because I come from a place where we use the lawn mower to cut grass. Other differences include me having to hand-wash my clothes and using firewood to cook food. This experience has taught me to be grateful to God for everything. I can testify that God is indeed Jehovah Jirah; He has never stopped providing. Because the Lord is indeed our Shepherd, we shall never lack anything. The coconut trees are always full of coconuts, there is always fish in the sea and firewood is always available in the forests.  God always provides just what we need. There were times when I was craving a delicious steak, mash potatoes, fresh salad with my favourite drink-mango juice but God had given me just enough to sustain me during those moments; sometimes just bread and tea. It was in those moments that God taught me to be content in whatever state I’m in (Philippians 3:11).

Back To The City I Go!

A couple of weeks ago I was walking back to the house when a neighbour approached me and blessed me with fish. I was so shocked and humbled. To think that earlier on we were contemplating what we were going to eat as we didn’t have any food in the house. But God was faithful and was one step ahead of us and had already set provision in place.  So after one month of living in Naselai, we were on the move again. This time we spent 2 weeks in a squatter’s settlement in a place called Vatuwaqa, which is in the city of Suva. I was so shocked to see the conditions people were living in especially as we were in the ‘city’. The settlement was hidden behind houses and flats. Whilst here, we would sleep on the church floor; we would have to go outside to use the toilets and showers. We lived next to the sea and the tide would rise in the mornings causing floods. There were no proper footpath; car tyres were used as a substitute for the pavement.

Whilst being in Naselai and Vatuwaqa I came to observe that there are a lot of broken families. Church has become religion and tradition. People go to church and leave the same way-unchanged! A personal relationship with God is virtually not existent. A lot of children are mother and fatherless-some sadly from birth. (One girl who is only 11years old and motherless would go and sell fish on Saturday to help provide for her family). There is also a lot of sexual abuse and rape too within families and also parents are there for their children physically but not emotionally.

It’s All About Him

Over the last couple of months I have seen God move in indescribable ways, like my mind is blown away every time I think about how God has been using me to draw His children to Him. During intersession a couple of weeks ago I saw a vision of arrows and got the revelation that we are like arrows leading and directing people to God. As Disciples of Christ this is our purpose; to bring others into the Kingdom of God. 

Ministry has been awesome for me and has certainly taken my relationship with my Father to another level. I have seen God open doors for me to minister and I can testify that the harvest is indeed plentiful but the laborers are few (Matthew 9:37). There are people with broken hearts waiting for me and you to go and share the Good News with them. People are hungry for the Word of God but how will they know if no one goes out and shares the Gospel with them. Romans 10:14 says “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Here are some testimonies;

One evening I was sitting at home having dinner when the pastor called me

and said that a father wanted to see me and share the burdens he has been experiencing (he heard that I was staying in the village and his daughters kept prompting him to come and speak with me). So I went and spent over 2 hours with him. The man had back slided since his wife left and as a result he turned to alcohol. He has 3 beautiful girls and knows how much is hurts them to see him drunk but didn’t know how to change. As he poured out his heart, the Holy Spirit was speaking through me and revealing things to him about himself that he didn’t know. By the end of the night I prayed with him as he rededicated his life to Christ. Since then I have seen and heard so many changes in him. Our God is indeed a miracle-working God!

One my second night in Naselai a girl only 17 years old sat next to me in church and started pouring out her heart and spoke about her broken relationship with her mum and step dad. She had made plans to run away. She mentioned that she had also entered into ungodly relationships and had turned away from God. We would meet up in the evenings and I would encourage her and advise her about the best thing to do. She re-dedicated her life and if you could only see her-her countenance has changed. Her lifestyle has changed, the way she dresses, the way she talks. When we come to Christ, we truly are a new creation; the old things pass away, behold, all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Every morning at 5am we would have devotion and go for prayer walks. On one morning me and two other friends were walking when one woman saw that I wasn’t Fijian and asked where I was from. I explained that I was a missionary living in the village near by. She then informed us that the Rewa Rugby Team were staying in the community hall and asked if I would come and talk with them. I was shocked and felt unprepared but I went and was overwhelmed to see about 25 men in the room. The Holy Spirit took over and I ended up ministering to them for nearly 2 hours.

Before I left I asked if anyone wanted to give their life to Christ; 3 of the men surrendered and answered the call and many others re-dedicated their lives to God. The harvest is indeed ripe! I now have a deeper understanding of what it means to  ‘give yourself away so God can use you’. It means us making ourselves available and submitting our plans to God so He can use us as a vessel whenever He desires even if it is at 6am in the morning lol.

God has also been using me as a vessel to lead kids club in the villages, evangelise in the streets of Lautoka, preach in church as well as in cell groups.

I have faced many trials and tests as well as spiritual attacks. God has been continuing to transform me and renew my mind. Acts 14:22 declares that “we must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God”. The journey to heaven is an ongoing battle not a smooth ride and that’s the reality of things. Just think back to the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis and the many hardships he had to go through but God was faithful and brought him out of every situation. God will never give us more than we can bear and the joy He gives us is what will make us strong.

Although I have experienced many dark moments I have also seen the goodness of God and that certainly outweighs the dark moments. My God has not left me. He has comforted and delivered me from my troubles. He has blessed and continues to bless me in indescribable ways. His love and mercy truly does endure forever!!!

Thank you so much for dropping by lol. I also want to take this time to just say a big THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU to my family and friends who has been so faithful in continuing to support me. Thank you for your endless encouragement and financial support. I truly am so so blessed to have you all in my life. I am praying for each and everyone of you.

My email address is: josieagyeman@gmail.com, I would love to hear from you. 

Love Miss Josie Jo 
Xxx