FEELING LIKE PAUL—TEARING OURSELVES AWAY

 As this is being written we are on the plane returning to the USA for about 3 months before heading to a new assignment in East Asia . We must admit that the past couple of weeks have been among the most difficult we’ve ever experienced. It isn’t the selling of our “precious” belongings that has caused us pain—though we, like others, found it a bit painful to part with a few of those earthly treasures. It isn’t the anticipation of preparing to go to another part of the world and learn new languages and cultures—though we have had a few anxious moments regarding that subject. BUT what has caused us some of the greatest grief we have ever experienced is saying “farewell” to so many precious Deaf brothers and sisters. Each day has been gut-wrenching as we’ve had to say “good-bye” to more of them. Each night we’ve gone to bed with heavy hearts as we think about the fact that we may not see some of them again, at least until heaven.

Last weekend (1^st weekend in October) we spent 3 days with the Deaf leaders from the Czech Republic in final training meetings. It turned out to be less training and more weeping as all of us talked about what God had done among the Deaf in their country over the past 10 years. They prayed for us and had a “kind of” commissioning service for us as they knew our hours with them were coming to an end. Finally, on Sunday morning, we had opportunity to do a fast-track story through the Book of Acts and help them understand that missionaries like Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Luke, and Timothy, had responsibilities they fulfilled and then they left the brothers and sisters in Antioch, Cyprus, Ephesus, Iconium, Derbe, etc. behind—to carry on the ministry and send out their own missionaries.

As we came to the end of our time that morning we finished the “fast-tracking” with the story of Paul’s departure from Ephesus (Acts. 20:17-21:1). After he had called the Ephesian leaders together he gave them a bit of history and a charge to follow his example. He told them that he would not see them again and then prayed with them. Then the scripture says, “After we tore ourselves away from them, we set sail . . .” 21:1, NIV). Believe us! We had to “tear ourselves away” that Sunday afternoon.

One thing that brought great comfort to us was that as we completed story after story with them that morning the Deaf leaders would draw parallels to their own circumstances as the believers had multiplied and churches had begun. There wasn’t time to go into a dialogue with any of the stories since we were covering a lot of scripture stories, chronologically (that’s fast-tracking), in an effort to provide a broad picture of the multiplication of the church. Yet several stories struck their hearts that morning and when we completed them they insisted on two things: (1) that they prepare themselves to face persecution like Stephen, Peter, John, Jason, and Paul, and (2) that they should commission us to go out as their own missionaries.

Of course they have faced persecution and will do so again. Those stories reminded them of “friends” and family that each of them had lost because of the commitment to the Lord. Several recounted times of mocking, threats, and abuse from those who would look at them as freaks, traitors, and/or weak-minded. But they were unanimous in their pledge to be like Peter who told those who questioned him and John that they would obey God rather than man—regardless of the criticism leveled against them.

It was the commissioning and prayer for us that touched us the most that day though. We had expected a long line of folks telling us that we shouldn’t leave, that they needed us to stay, and that our work was not finished with them. Yet, to a person, not one of them mentioned such thoughts. In fact, they declared that they now had the responsibility to see that the Deaf communities of the Czech Republic were filled with the stories of God’s redemptive power and His love for the Deaf living in darkness. They also declared, as they gathered around us, that they were now following the example of the church at Antioch and commissioning us to go out from them as their missionaries. Yes, there was grief and there was weeping in that circle, but the signs sending prayers to the throne of God all gave glory to the fact that they were His children and that they were sending us to be the bearers of that same good news to the 6 ½ million Deaf, living in darkness, in East Asia. Almost everyone signed, “Let this couple take the same light they brought to us, to those in darkness in Asia .”

Our hearts, though breaking, were resting after that! We knew that it had never been about us anyway—it had always been about the power of the Spirit of God working in the lives of each believer and church family.

One footnote to this story (now that we are back in the USA preparing for our move to East Asia): the day we returned on the plane from Budapest there was a text message on one of our mobile phones. It was from Anna, a godly Deaf Czech woman who lives her faith everywhere she goes! It said, “Wanted to let you know that Tomas (her son-in-law and fairly new Christian himself) just shared several Bible stories with some Deaf friends. Two of those friends prayed with Tomas and have committed themselves to be followers of Christ. Praise the Lord!”

Yes, we felt a lot like Paul leaving Ephesus —having to tear ourselves away! And yes, our hearts still grieve because we miss those precious brothers and sisters! BUT—the stories like Anna’s continue to come! Why? Because the same Spirit that indwells our hearts and makes us passionate about sharing His story with the Deaf who live in darkness—that same Spirit indwells them and makes them passionate about the very same thing!! May God get all of the glory! AMEN!

PRAY for the Deaf Czech believers and their churches! PRAY that they would continue to see reproduction of new disciples and the multiplication of Deaf churches throughout their country. PRAY that they will send more of their own as missionaries to neighboring Deaf communities in other countries.