WestCoast Challenge: An Eagerness for Jesus
Hamish Buntain, WBA Church Ministry Catalyst
On March 24th I landed at the Van- couver International Airport after having spent 12 days in Hong Kong and China. After I recovered from jet lag and began to reflect on my time there one of the things that surfaced as a highlight was the eagerness of the believers I met to know Jesus and to be on mission with Him. It was both refreshing and challenging.
I met a 70 year old man who lives in Singapore but for the last 30 years has been travelling to China to preach and teach about Jesus. His zeal to share the gospel was inspiring. His joy, in spite of leaving his family for weeks at a time, was humbling.
I met 3 young women at a mid-week Bible study. They were each from a different city in China attending university in Hong Kong. Two of them had trusted Jesus but all 3 were eager to learn about Jesus, all 3 prayed like seasoned disciples, and all 3 were memorizing large portions of scripture in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. They could hardly contain their joy in Jesus.
I spent a number of days with a young man who is studying in Hong Kong so he can be equipped to train pastors in China. He is a quiet, diligent man who returns to his home in China from time to time because his parents are not believers – yet. A friend of his was in Hong Kong just to buy religious materials for his work in China. The seriousness of these young men to be about the Father’s business was challenging.
One Saturday afternoon I attended a small group fel- lowship. The group met for lunch first, then went to the church for worship, and afterwards held their small group study in a children’s classroom. No one grumbled about having to sit in chairs too small at a table made for children. I could tell they were delighted to be together, to study, and to pray for those who were yet to trust Jesus. They were professionals concerned not so much about making lots of money but about how to make a difference for Jesus in their workplace. Their intentionality was stimulating.
As I returned to this great city it was, and is, my prayer that we as God’s people might have a similar eager- ness for Jesus and His work; that it would be our great joy to give our lives away for the privilege of knowing Him and seeing others come to know Him; that we would be intentional and serious about our partnership with Jesus to make disciples of the nations. May nothing hinder us in our devotion to Jesus and the Great Commission He has committed to us.