Then, other teachers who, didn't disagree with his message of love, but disagree with who he was decided to kill him.
So they did.
But death did not suit this teacher and so he came back to life, which proved he was exactly who he said he was. He was the Son of God. He was God who walked the earth. And furthermore
After this revelation, he told those who followed him, "Go out into all the world and preach the good news to all creation," and then he ascended into heaven.
After this, his followers spread like wild fire to share with everyone the teachings of service, love, a relationship with God, and the truth of who their teacher was.
And this is how my story, of why and how I ended up going to Liberia, began. In fact, it was the most important part.
But the rest of the story continues as so...
That teacher was Jesus Christ. You may have heard of him.
Serving. Loving. Relationship. The truth of who Jesus/God is. These are the foundations of what I think mission work, whether it be down your street or in another hemisphere, is really all about.
I fell in love with Jesus and I fell in love with working for/with him. And that love has, over the last few years, manifested itself into a passion for missions. I feel a significant call on my life into ministry of some sorts and for now missions is where God is leading me.
This works well considering God had already equipped me with that of a personality that loves to learn about other cultures, learn about and invest in people, and teach.
Following the summer of my first overseas mission, which was to Nicaragua in July 2008, I started making arrangements with the organization, The Mission Society to go on a long-term mission trip for my entire next summer. It had been a goal of mine, to really dive into this mission thing and figure out where God wanted to take me. Everything was going well with the preparations through this organization. Dr. Richard Hunter also knew about my passion for missions and was sending me to 'Beyond These Walls' Mission Conference in October.
Around this time, Rev. Jerry Kulah, from Liberia, came and spoke at my home church Snellville UMC and spent some time a few of the congregation. I actually missed Jerry speaking that Sunday, because I was out of town. But I heard great things about the man.
After Jerry spoke and met with our church, the church decided to help him out and bought him a new laptop. Though, Jerry was going to be all the way on the other side of Atlanta for the rest of the week and then leaving to go back to Liberia.
It just also happened that my pastor was sending me the next weekend to a Mission Conference, which was where Jerry would be for his last few days in the States. So, ole' Josh was made erring boy for the church and asked to deliver the new laptop to Jerry and help him with it.
I arrive late to the conference, because I had a late class and I was coming from Athens. Confused by all the people and a conference that was already well underway, I start desperately asking various strangers where I could find a Mister Reverend Jerry Kulah. Thankfully Jerry was a rather popular individual at this conference, so identifying him to people wasn't the difficult part, it was just the actual trouble of locating him.
(Rev. Jerry Kulah)
Eventually, by the help of various conferencing persons, Jerry Kulah was finely located. I was given the opportunity to introduce myself and explain why I have gone through the trouble of finding him. I explain who I was, where I was from, by whom I was sent, and what gifts I had brought. I was a little nervous about bearing the load of gratitude for the gift for the entire church, but for as thankful for the gift as he was, he less interested in seeing this gift as he was in getting to know me. I am just a delivery boy.
After my initial timidness of presenting a grand gift to a stranger in an unfamiliar place wore off, I finally realized what a bright, enthusiastic personality that Jerry had, and I was reminded of all the positive remarks from those who had come in contact with him. Like I said, Jerry was very popular at this convention, but after he grabbed my hand and led me to where the food was being served, I was his main concern. People would come to us as we were getting our food and ask Jerry if he wanted to sit with them, but Jerry said that he was fine, because he was with me and that we would be eating together.
After getting our food, Jerry and I found ourselves in the back of the large gathering room at a table alone. He was constantly engaging me in conversation and focusing on just us. I realized at that moment I was not just eating with anyone, but someone I had a tremendous opportunity to learn from, someone who represented a region of the world that so many of us lay a focus on when it comes to missions. I threw caution to the wind and decided to pick his brain and toss some of my own ideas at him and see what sticks. This was it, this could very well be why God wanted me here at this mission conference, just for this conversation.
I needed to know so many things, why things are done certain ways, what he feels Africa needs, what are some problems, what are some solutions. I toss a few of my ideas at Jerry, things that I would say are not the most conventional views on missions, and somethings Jerry agree with me and somethings he helped me to understand better.
I have no idea if he was surprised by my lack of casual dinner talk, but I'd hate to have regretted the opportunity to pick his mind, and I am sure now it was a path meant for me. If for anything else, this conversation was why I was meant to come to this conference.
I spent the rest of the weekend worshiping, learning, and conversing with Jerry, and then I said farewell to Jerry as he left to return to Liberia.
I left that mission conference feeling rather confident in my call to missions and in the way in which the Lord opened my eyes.
Weeks passed by and I continued setting things up with Mission Society and figuring out where I will go for the summer. About this time Chris Messer (SUMC Missions Director) and Kathy Cook were in dialog with Jerry via email and my name came up. I do not know understand the details, you would have to ask one of them, but basically I was asked one day if I would be interested in going over to Liberia and serving with Jerry. I, of course, responded with an enthusiastic YES!
Chris asked me how long? I said for as long as I can between getting out of school for the summer and return for fall semester. We eventually decided on giving me a view weeks after school gets out to rest after finals, get my self organized and prepared, and spend sometime with family and friends before I shoot off across the Atlantic.
Things of this nature just seem like the sure direction I need to head in. It has to be God ushering you toward some plan for you when doors like this just open up. It never occurred to me to work with Jerry in Liberia. And God just laid this marvelous opportunity for me without me having to do a thing. And I will tell you that is such a comforting thing, to know this is what God wants.
Chris then gave me Jerry's email and I began discussing with him about what I could do while I am there and how I could most assist them in their community during my time there. But slowly our emails began to grow more sparse as we both got busy, him with his work and me with school. Many of the details I needed to figure out with him were now resting in his hands, like where I was to live, costs, and the opportunities for service I would be doing.
Eventually, I had some vague idea of what I would be doing, which I was hoping would be good enough for the time being.
Come Christmas time, when I came home to Snellville, I met with Chris and we discussed some details like plane tickets, vaccinations, and visas. He told me we could start worrying about that later and that he just had to take care of somethings. Weeks passed by and getting in contact with Chris was proving difficult, so I went ahead and looked into the visa and vaccinations I would need. But all these details were a bit overwhelming and confusing, and so I looked to contact Chris and still was getting nothing. I was getting rather worried at this time. I needed help.
But as I said, this was truly a mission that God was sending me on, and so God was very much a part of the preparation for this trip. Out of no where one day in March, Kathy Cook shot me an email. This would the most comforting email I have ever received. It might as well have been God sending me an angel tell me, "Fear not, the Heavenly Host is sending you help!" I am pretty sure I gave up some hearty praise to the Lord for this.
Kathy was all about getting down to business and it was beautiful! She so wonderfully organizes and pulls all the strings together so efficiently and perfectly to make the puppets dance and sing as few could perform. That may sound silly, but I must stress the importance and grace of the help she ushered into my life.
She was now in charge of me and my mission, as the representative for Chris. Within weeks we got together my tickets, worked out my living arrangements in the Kulah household, my vaccinations, visas, and put me on the path to raise some support. She was amazing and I am so thankful for her.
I believe we sometimes see strength in struggling alone and prevailing without help, but I believe that is up there with all the other lies from the Adversary. Companionship is possibly one of the greatest ways in which God helps us through our trials. It is sure something I am learning to grasp on to firmly. I am so happy my Father placed Kathy their to help me bear these burdens.
Besides Liberia and working at churches and with youth in Jerry's community, I will also be traveling with him to Nigeria for a conference towards the end of my time with them. I am there to assist Jerry in anyway he needs, but I have also been informed I will also be speaking there and giving my testimony. What exciting plans God has made for me.
So, I got my ticket ready to leave June 8th and I'll be returning back August 18th (two days after my classes begin, uh oh). I'm in the process of organizing my things and finishing up some preparations for the trip.
I have to say, right now with my little experience with long-term, distant missions, organizing something like this is so beyond me. I have learn a lot from all these preparations, which I am very thankful for, sense I am all about having some new knowledge to help me or pass onto someone in the future. But more than that, it is the wisdom that God has given me through this process of preparation for this trip. Sometimes, a good prayer and reliance on God to take you where you need to go. Also, a reliance on those that God has placed in your life is quite a blessing. Oh sure these are things I know in my head, but practicing them with my heart and actions is something I will continue to work on for the time being as I grow. My, how the Lord has blessed and humbled me.
This is just the beginning of my story involving Liberia, but knowing God, the light has only just breached the horizon on this day.
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