Pushing through like tender shoots

by Dr. Jo

When a gardener plants good seed, she already sees the fruit. Before a single shoot is visible, she is convinced good produce will result from her labours. A gardener participates in powerful forces she does not control, like photosynthesis or the season tomatoes ripen. Clearing rocks and debris, tilling hard ground, fertilising, sowing in good soil, she puts in the work and fully expects her garden to thrive. In much the same way, Faithful Witness workers see something in Forgotten Communities that is not there… yet.

By faith, we see workers crossing barriers with the gospel, being and making disciples of Jesus, expressing his love and compassion. We don’t fix our gaze on the barriers. We see past them to the good produce of our faith. We expect to breakthrough barriers because we are convinced this is the loving purpose of a good Creator, the master gardener himself.

God has promised to redeem and restore his good creation and us along with it. We expect to see and to be flourishing new creation garden plots in Forgotten Communities throughout the earth. When you believe God will do what he promised, you begin to “see” with the eyes of confident hope. In the silent strength of a tender shoot, you push through to the other side.

In confident hope, we ask you to pray with us for our Faithful Witness teams: We expect flourishing communities of disciples to result from our labours because, ultimately, we expect God to make his new creation flourish and us along with it!

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world.
It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives,
just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard
and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.
(Col. 1:6)

Pray

That we see sub-Saharan African students telling their North African friends about their faith in Jesus.
That we see Faithful Witness workers blessing the city of Ayutthaya, Thailand in Jesus’s name.
That we see flourishing disciples of Jesus among the Hassaniya of Western Mali and the Fulani of Northern Nigeria.
That we see Christian Professionals from around the world serving a Forgotten Community in East Africa.
That we see a business training centre in Central Asia, building redemptive relationships that lead to disciple making.
That we see multiplying communities of Jesus-followers amongst the people of Northern Chad.
That we see Middle Eastern families quietly transformed through the loving care of special needs children.
That we see missional business putting down deep roots throughout Asia.
That we see New Creation in all its goodness and beauty.