From Drugs to Disciple-Maker

I began a new coaching relationship today with an SRC colleague in South Asia (via phone and video conferencing) and for security sake, I will call him Isaac.

Isaac's community is predominantly Hindu. His parents found the Lord but Isaac rebelled and did not give his life to Christ as a teenager. After becoming strung out on alcohol and drugs, his mom calmly pleaded with him to give his life to Jesus. That night he prayed with his parents and repented of his sins.

He became on fire for Jesus. He attended a Bible school after two years of being a believer where he developed a burden for lost souls, especially the unreached in his community. Now married with a baby, he has started 10 churches and has 15 leaders he is mentoring.

He says life is extremely difficult in his community as people are starving under lockdown orders. Many migrant workers are trying to make their way back home since there is no longer work in the city. They travel mostly by foot for days to get back home. He and his wife are trying to feed as many as they can with the little food they have. While feeding them, he is also sharing the gospel with these migrating workers. In fact, one migrant work recently gave his life to Christ.

Isaac also experienced his first COVID-19 related death this past weekend - his wife's father. Despite all of these challenges, he says with joy, we have an assignment from the Lord to advance His kingdom in the midst of such sorrow and hardship!

This mentoring relationship was put together by SRC leadership and Isaac and I were both excited about working together after our first talk today. I will be coaching him towards both church health and church multiplication within his burgeoning network of churches. They face many challenges, including hostility from the community towards Christians. We discussed many of the challenges they face and I will be spending time in prayer as I develop a road map of coaching Isaac forward.

Please pray for this new partnership and that I will rely on the power of God and not my own wisdom.

Author: David Brown, SRC Missionary in Asia

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Side note from Steve Schirmer, SRC President

Isaac is one of our beloved missionaries laboring to take the Gospel to those who have never heard it while also caring for those with deep physical needs like hunger. Isaac gives freely by faith, trusting God to provide for the needs of his family. If you would like to be an answer to his prayers, you can click here to give directly to his ministry through this dedicated link.