قصة آنا اسأل المبشرة

Today's episode of Ask Missionary is little bit different. If you've tuned in to the show before, you've heard Chad, pastor of Ascending Church, or Brooks, missionary to an unreached language group, answer questions about the great commission. In this episode, we're turning the microphone around to hear firsthand what happens when Christians go and make disciples. So, was born in Northern Asia. At the time of me being born, it was communist country. And growing up, going to preschool and elementary school, remember that we had special classes where we were taught what it meant to be communist. And remember one time our teacher, she said like, "Can't you see how beautiful our universe is?" And these pictures were taken by our spacemen, but do you see God there? And all of us in the classroom were like, "No." She said that yes that's true there is no god there as communists we do not believe in something that we cannot see when we see something when we can touch something that exists so whatever we cannot see and cannot touch it doesn't exist so that was in school but when came home saw my grandpa doing his Buddhist praying beads sometimes he burned incense in front of small statue of Buddha and especially during the time when we had sickness in the family or big event was coming up. And also knew that he secretly went to the Buddhist temple outside of our town. because one time overheard my dad whispering to him, you need to stop doing that because it's it's bad for our family. You're going to get in trouble and get us all in trouble. And when visited my maternal grandma, observed her doing shamanistic rituals like appeasing the spirits, asking them to protect us and give us health and overall well-being. So you can imagine that growing up my worldview was very mixed up and it was confusing what was true and what to believe in. In my teen years, communism fell. And remember that my dad announced to my family, we are Buddhists and we're free to go and worship now because we got freedom of religion, freedom of speech. And remember the first time we went to the Buddhist temple that was outside of our town. And my dad said to us that you just follow me and do everything that tell you to do. and he started pushing this praying drums that were along the path way that we followed. And asked of course like why do we need to do that? And he explained that in each praying drum there is book of prayers written in old Tibetan language. Of course, we couldn't read this language and that's why we push the drum and the drum spins this book of prayers and it counts us as our prayers and they spin and go up to heaven. And when when heard that, was like, "Wow, that would be so cool." To get into this drum, get the book and look at it even like to hold it in my hands and also to read it. Being able to read it would be so cool to understand what it's all about, how these prayers even sound. But followed my dad and we finished that circle that we had to do clockwise around the temple and we entered the temple itself and it was the first time for me and was so overwhelmed with everything that saw and everything that heard at the temple. The only familiar thing was the burning incense that my grandpa did at home. So when we came out of the temple, had tons of questions to ask and bombarded my dad with all sorts of questions and he he actually he tried to answer them but finally he told me that you know do not have all the answers. It's our first time at the temple. As we start coming here we will learn more and hopefully we will answer your questions. And it didn't satisfy me completely. was disappointed. But again, thought to myself, well, our grandpa was Buddhist. We're Burats, so we're Buddhists, too. And this is our identity. So we from that moment on, we started coming to the temple, but not regularly, not every week. It was just several times year, especially during the big events in the family or sicknesses and stuff like that. when was in college we actually my freshman year had to take required class and it was called world religions. Our professor he announced to us that he was professing Buddhist and that's why we're going to spend bulk of time just learning about Buddhism. And we were excited about that. was actually excited because thought to myself finally I'm going to learn what Buddhism is all about. because couldn't find the answers and we started reading lot of articles and lot of textbooks and to my surprise came to the conclusion that Buddhism is not religion it's philosophy it's kind of philosophy that you have to earn marriage you have to follow this path of Buddha that the enlightened one that you need to follow his teachings and there is also reincarnation stuff that you need to kind of keep like earning merits so that you can reincarnate into better being. Hopefully you will reincarnate in another person but you can reincarnate into material thing like plant, rock or something else if you lived bad life. And just reading about this and learning about Buddhism more, was just more confused. was like that is not religion. do not see God here. It's more like philosophy. And was again disappointed. But thought to myself, that's how my family lives. We're Buretss, so we're Buddhists and this is our identity. just decided to to focus on my academics and social life in college. And was part of student club for mountaineering and hiking. And in that club, my friend, actually my best friend and we had mutual friend who approached us and asked if we would be interested to meet his chemistry professor who was an American. the thing is that he was hosting group of American college students coming from the states and wanted them to meet like local students. met the professor chemistry professor and met eventually the college students that arrived to our hometown and we had blast spending time together going in our town sightseeing and had really good time together became friends and then left to go on hiking trip and my actually my best friend went to help the American college students with the translation just to do work at the kids camp. actually it was camp for deaf kids. So when we got reunited with my friend at the end of the summer, she announced to me that she became believer Christian. Couple weeks later she invited me to the Bible study that was that would be held at professor's house that American professor that we met earlier. him and his wife were arranging like Bible study for whoever was interested in that. And didn't want to again ruin my relationship with my friend. was like, "Okay, really like those people, those Americans. They were very nice and there was something in them in the family dynamics and between them that had never seen before. not among my relatives, not among my neighbors. there was something that couldn't put my finger on. They were really nice people and wanted to get to know them and become friends with them. also wanted to improve my English speaking English ability and was like okay cool will have this opportunity to practice speaking English with them. the Bible part was less attractive. wasn't interested and was thinking that well might as well for general education can learn about the Bible some but they're not going to change me. And the very first actually Bible lesson we talked about how the Bible was written and why it was worth opening the Bible and read it. And from just that talk had never heard about that before and was hooked. was really interested. Okay. Like that's worth reading. That's worth knowing. And then we were that that American professor who hosted the the group, he passed out the Bibles to each one of us and he said, "It's gift for you. You can take it home and then bring it back and we will use it during the we will read it during the Bible lessons." And then he proceeded to tell how the Bible is written and that there are two parts, Old Testament and New Testament and there are books and there are chapters and verses. And was holding the Bible in my hands and it was the very first time that held Bible in my hands. And what really shocked me was the fact that the Bible was in my heart language. But when opened the Bible, it was in the language that could read and comprehend what it said. And then the leader of the group, the American professor, he asked us to find the first book of the Bible, Genesis chapter 1 verse one. and he asked could somebody read the first verse and somebody read in the beginning God and that guy the leader of the group he said stop here and let's talk about it we we talked maybe like 5 to 10 minutes what it meant in the beginning and what it meant God and was sitting there listening to this discussion and was just blown away by the fact that the very first words the very four three words in the Bible they talk about God the God that couldn't see in shamanism and didn't find in Buddhism and then from that verse we started reading the Bible chronologically verse by verse story by story and the fact that the God of the Bible was the main character in each story the creation story as we were reading through that saw just his loving character that he created everything out of love and how he did it. Even from the first Bible lessons that we were reading through for me it was just like started receiving answers that had from my childhood. All of sudden my questions were answered like right from the get-go, right from the beginning of the Bible. And also the character of God that he the God that knew from shamanism was God who created everything but then left everything on its own because it was so sinful. Here in the Bible saw God that he didn't leave people. He led them out of the Garden of Eden. They couldn't be in his presence, but he provided way for them to still come to him and worship him. and he pursued them. He wanted relationship with them still but on his accord on his rules. And then when we went to the came to the story of Noah in the ark that just really again showed me how God wanted to save his people. He saw Noah as the Noah as the righteous man, the only righteous man on earth and started communicating to him that the flood was coming that everybody would perish if they didn't listen to him and if they didn't follow what he wanted to say and he was telling Noah how to get saved from that by building an ark and he gave the the instructions everything how to make everything for that and was just blown away by that fact that God wanted to save his people and actually during that time it was now looking back can say that it was probably the Holy Spirit that started working in my heart because it's it was the first time that applied the story to my own life. around the same time my family actually my my parents had rough time. They were arguing with each other for long time and understood that couldn't help them. My brother couldn't help them. They couldn't help each other. Nobody in the whole world could help this situation. And remembered one thing that happened at the Bible study. One of one of my friends who came to the Bible study she came emotionally distraught when the Bible study leader asked her what happened. She said that her grandpa was in the hospital and she was really sad about it because she didn't know what the outcome would be. And he offered her to pray for that. When heard him asking that, was like, interesting how he's going to do that. Because in my mind, prayer was very complicated process. You had to go to the Buddhist temple to order the prayer and then the Buddhist monks would chant prayer for that. You had to pay money for that. You had to travel to get to the temple. Then for my friends who were Orthodox believers, they had to go to the Orthodox temple, buy candles, find an icon of saint that responsible for like healing or something and also pay money for that. That was very complicated for me in my head, this process of prayer. And was like, how he's going to do that? So he closed his eyes as was watching him and he started talking like having conversation with friend and as if this friend was sitting right there in the living room with all of us. And just couldn't believe that you could simply just start talking with God. And and then at the end of the prayer he said in Jesus's name, amen. At that moment when was listening to my parents arguing, felt that desperation. felt that nobody could help me in the whole world. And remembered that prayer. And thought to myself, what if pray to God in Jesus' name like our friend prayed that American professor who who did the Bible studies. And remember addressing it to Jesus. was like, "Jesus, if you hear me, if you really God, that you can help this situation. Please help my parents make peace with each other." And could concentrate on my homework. continued my life after that. forgot about that prayer. And maybe couple days later, was sitting again in this in in my room getting ready for my classes. And the door to my bedroom was open and through the crack of that opening could see my parents. They were sitting watching TV. They were sitting in the living room next to each other watching TV and peacefully talking with each other. And right at that moment remembered my prayer. remembered what said to Jesus as God. asked him to help my parents. And that was the first time, the first ever time that my prayers that addressed to Jesus, not to Buddha statue, not to any anything else, but to Jesus as God. And that prayer was answered. was in shock and in awe. was sitting there not kind of believing what just experienced or what just saw with my own eyes. And all of sudden there was that feeling that somebody that is bigger than the whole universe was in my bedroom with me. And as if he was saying, see you. hear you. And care." And after that moment, was going to the Bible study just to know more about Jesus. was like, "How does he fit in the biblical narrative? want to know more about him." enjoyed the fellowship. enjoyed the friendship that we made with this American couple, but wanted to know more what the Bible says about Jesus. The following semester, was going to go on on student exchange program to China because my minor in college was Mandaring Chinese. And my suitcase was packed, my tickets were bought, everything was done except my medical certificate. And 2 days before my train left, got the news that got actually TB tuberculosis and couldn't go and my doctor said that you have to be in the hospital for 6 months and actually took the leave for one year from college and had to go to the hospital. My parents were devastated and the the condition of the hospital was terrible and my dad didn't wanted me to be in the hospital but the doctor really insisted and he said that she would get all the medical care that they could provide. And was in the hospital the it was the month of February and it was dreary month and was lonely. friends and family whoever learned that got to be they didn't want to see me. It's an infectious disease. They didn't want to kind of be in close proximity to me. So felt really isolated and alone in the hospital. though was in the small room with eight other ladies. So on one of those days, my nurse called my name and said that there was visitor for me and didn't know who it was because my parents usually came but it was an unusual time for them to come. So went downstairs and saw the last person that expected to see. That was that American friend, the leader of the Bible study group. And worried for him. was glad to see him, but was worried for his health. And he said that it's okay. He just wanted to know that he heard that was in the hospital and he wanted to know what how they could help. So the next time he came, he brought my best friend with him and another friend who became believer at that time too. And they started coming regularly just to see me to give me word of encouragement and pray with me. And on another day he came with his wife and with his kids actually they stayed in the car thankfully and they brought me study guide on the gospel of Mark and started reading through that and in chapter 5 read the story about the lady who had been sick for long time and the commentary said that in Jewish culture how it was she was considered unclean and she was ostracized from your from her family. And was reading that and was like, "Wow, that just matches my situation perfectly. I'm here feeling isolated. I'm kind of ostracized from my family. Nobody wanted to come and see me or touch me even because had an infectious disease." And started reading further that that lady when she heard the word about Jesus Christ, she decided to go and just touch his garments and be healed. She did it of course and Jesus turned around and asked the crowd who did it and she admitted that it was her. So she fell on the ground in front of him and Jesus told her, "Your faith has made you well. Go with peace, my daughter." And that phrase got stuck in my in my brains, in my mind for long time. continued reading the the gospel, but that question was like, why this why Jesus addressed to her as my daughter? because she was probably his age or even older. And then he said, "Your faith has made you well. What should what did you believe in?" And continued reading the Gospel of Mark and that he's how he displayed power over other sickness, how he displayed power over demons and evil spirits, he displayed power over nature. and then what he taught his disciples and how he interacted with people around him and the Pharisees that were surrounding him too. And then how he was accused and taken to the to the to the court and judged innocently and then he went and suffered on the cross and then he died and then he rose back to life. And as was learning all of that the his life on earth and was thinking about what this lady what did she believe in what kind of faith she had and all of sudden this blurry picture started becoming clear. understood that Jesus was not just born like he wasn't born 2,000 years ago. He just appeared 2,000 years ago. He was God from the very beginning because the lady believed who he said he was the son of God. And since he was the son of gods, he was from the very beginning. He just stepped down from heaven. He left everything in heaven just to make this way to earth to be here with sinners like me, to suffer for sinners like me and to die on the cross for sinners like me. The lady came to Jesus to be healed with her physical need. She came to him with his with her physical need to be healed. But Jesus addressed her spiritual need that she was sinner and she needed salvation through him. And he called her my daughter because he was her creator. And just everything that learned through the Old Testament and what was learning in the New Testament in the Gospel of Mark everything just came together and the blurry picture became clear. That's why Jesus had to come to earth. He was the way to redeem us back to God. And was coming to God in prayer and asked people to pray for my health. came to him with my physical need. But actually my main problem was the problem of sin that couldn't get rid of it. couldn't cleanse myself. couldn't bring any sacrifice to God. And that's why Jesus came because he could deal with my sin. He could deal with death because he was God. He had power over it and he conquered it and he came back to life. realized that Jesus Christ came to save me, came to redeem me back to God. was sitting on my hospital bed and thinking through all of it and imagined like is if everything crumbles down around me, would be just fine because was in Jesus's hands. was with Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. And from that moment on have true identity. I'm child of God because of Jesus Christ. And remember on one of the visits the American professor, our friend who learned afterwards was missionary in our hometown living just with the purpose to share the gospel with whoever wants to hear the good news. He told me that sometime in the future you're going to look back and say that was the best time of my life being in the hospital. And looked at him and chuckled. I'm like, "No way I'm going to say that." but today is that future that he was talking about. Today, looking back, can say that it was the best time of my life that got to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. To hear more missionary stories, visit missionary.com where you can find hundreds of videos, podcasts, articles, and more. If you have question you would like to hear answered on Ask Missionary, comment, post, or email us. And don't forget to subscribe to be notified when the next episode, Send to Survive, airs next week. Thanks for listening.