One of our short termers who is considering long term ministry in a creative access nation shares her TIMO Quest experiences (name withheld for security).
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“So, how was it?” This is a question I have been answering since returning home from a month spent living on an Indian Ocean Island as a TIMO Quester. Of course I am overjoyed and excited to be asked about my experience, but before I prepare to speak, my pause is unusually long, the thought racing through my mind at that precise moment is – “Where do I even begin?!” I want to tell them about all the things I have observed, learnt and endured – before, during and after my experience of TIMO Quest. I want to tell them about the people, customs, traditions, colours, smells and sounds that make up the Island I called home for a month. I want to share it all. Although in reality I know it is impossible to ever ‘share it all’, I am excited that one special way I can share about my TIMO Quest experience is when I reflect on what I observed, learnt and was reminded about the person and character of God during this journey.
God the Creator
Seeing and hearing the ocean every day and enjoying views of the horizon from balconies and rooftops on the Island was breathtaking. The greenery along the mountainsides felt like the finishing touch to an already beautiful masterpiece. Opportunities to sing and pray with such a backdrop made me feel God’s presence and his awesomeness. When the locals asked us what we thought of the Island we could truthfully and joyfully say how God had blessed them with a beautiful place.
God the Provider
Right from the start God reconciled my heart and mind with my concerns about the cost of the trip and the call to be a good steward of resources (in this case, money). He provided situations and people to remind me about the vast number of unreached people in the world and the fact that God has called us to live a radically sacrificial life. Through these conversations I concluded that no financial cost is too much to bear; if God calls me to a task, he will provide.
“It was such a priviledge to see God at work on the Island…”
God the Protector
Thank God for peace in the Island we visited. Despite other hardships facing the Islanders, we were able to comment on the peace and lack of crime with locals, pointing to God’s goodness and care for the Island. Spiritual warfare is something we felt, learnt about, prayed against and were protected from!
God the Sustainer
It was very humbling to share in the life of the TIMO team. They didn’t pretend to be sorted but shared their brokenness and modelled for us their reliance on God as they continued to learn the language, culture, work and share their lives in the different communities God has placed them in.
God the Worker
It was such a privilege to see God at work on the Island, to meet and worship with local believers and to hear about people who had come to accept the Lord during our time on the Island. It was encouraging to see God working in the lives of those seeking to know him. God clearly demonstrated that he is at work but that there was work still to be done!
