God at Work | Faith on the Frontlines

[00:00:17] Speaker A: Hello. Hello. Welcome back to another season of working Out God. We had an amazing first season. We're super excited to be back on air, recording and chatting through all the topics that I'm sure everyone is super excited to hear about. Bea, how have you found this little, I guess, break that we've had? [00:00:41] Speaker B: I think. I think it's been good for us because it's given us some time to reflect through the first season, gather the feedback that people have given us, and we've just been told to do more. So here we are, we're back with season two, and I think we're both pretty excited about this one, and I think this topic is really special to both of us, and we hold it incredibly dear to our hearts. So should we do the big unreveal? What's this season about? Tee, go on. [00:01:18] Speaker A: So this season we'll be talking about God at work, faith on the front lines. [00:01:24] Speaker B: So this season [00:01:27] Speaker A: we'll essentially be exploring how our faith comes alive through work in social justice, care, community service, that realm. And we will be speaking to quite a amazing bunch of people about their work in this field. [00:01:44] Speaker B: So, absolutely. [00:01:46] Speaker A: Yeah, we're super excited about this one. It's a big. It's a big area of our hearts personally. So we're so excited to talk to people who just live their lives doing this every. Every day. [00:01:59] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I think for us, it's all of us, regardless of whether you're on the front line per se or not, you know, whether, you know, you're a mom at home or, you know, you're in finance or whatever that may be. We are all on God's mission. But what we wanted specifically focus about is the people who are on the human frontline roles, the people kind of in care, work in NGOs, doctors, teachers, social workers. Those are the people that we're going to be spotlighting on this season. So we're super excited about that. But before we kick off, hey, why don't you tell us or tell the audience, because I know the audience why this is so dear to you. [00:02:54] Speaker A: Yeah. So I'm sure everyone is probably wondering why we maybe didn't even pick finance, considering we are both finance girlies by day. So why didn't we choose finance this season? Why did we choose this topic? [00:03:11] Speaker B: I guess podcast. Sorry. And then podcast slayers by weekend. Yeah. Yeah. [00:03:19] Speaker A: Well, I think for me, personally, this is a huge, like, part of my heart. Like, it's something that's really, really dear to my heart. It's something that has really been impressed on me for a long period of time. I think we both discussed this and I, we both had moments. I'll let the say hers, but I remember specifically having a moment in worship several years ago where I was just overwhelmed by his love and his presence and just wanting to be used by him like in, like in service, in this kind of space. And I remember making a prayer in that, in that time of worship, just saying, lord, please just break my heart for what breaks yours. So that I could feel it in that level of intensity and be driven to do something about it and be able to be used by him to do something and make change. So I think that's why for me, it's a really big area. Even though it's not my day to day vocation, it's something that I am hugely passionate about. Really, really want to spend more of my time over the years just doing, doing the work wherever I can. And there's a lot of things the Lord has like laid on my heart as well to do in this space. So, yeah, that's my. [00:04:38] Speaker B: That's so beautiful. I think my kind of, yeah, I would say it's very similar. And I think you have those moments, don't you, when you're in church or you're in worship or your quiet time with God and you say that prayer that loads of people will say, don't say, but you do because you feel led to. There's something deep within you that says, you know, God, use me. And I can't speak for others, but for me, definitely I wasn't asking God to use me in the world of finance or God used me as a mother, or God used me in ministry. I genuinely asked God to use me in the space that is, you know, social justice. [00:05:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:05:25] Speaker B: You know, my heart is for social justice. And even when I was younger, I found if I read the news or if I read things or heard things, I'd get a deep sense of, oh, this is unfair. Yeah, you know, people suffering and, and the disparity in the world and just the things that happen around us, that you're just like, God, why is this happening? And this is so unfair and people are suffering and people are hurting and there's a, there's a real broken world. And I guess for me, I kind of fell into that after university, you know, as I said in the first podcast that I'd fallen world of third sector, working with charities organizations like Barnardo's, housing associations, where we were delivering support for people with disadvantage, mental health Vulnerabilities and everything. But I didn't feel that that was my calling when I was doing the role of business development and fundraising. But my heart has always been there. And I guess you do the best that you can, which is you get behind organizations that God leads you to. Right? With your, with your giving, with your volunteering, with your resources and your time. But I think both of us, when we were brainstorming and vibing off each other about this topic, that we know that God has asked and called us, even though it won't be our kind of primary vocation to do something in this space. [00:07:06] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. [00:07:07] Speaker B: Is that right for you? [00:07:08] Speaker A: Absolutely. Same for me. Honestly, I felt exactly the same. I, I feel like although we'll be speaking to people who this is their day to day vacation, I just don't believe this is like a niche area that, like separate, like a separate, you know, topic that we shouldn't touch at all. Because I think even in whatever sphere we're in, I do believe that there's something we can do. And I think it's really important that we shed light onto this area because I think as Christians, as believers, like he's called us to help our neighbor. He's called us to do this, to be his hands and our feet. His hands and his feet. So even if it isn't our day to day, I think hopefully there's something we can all learn that we can be a part of and I don't know, just be involved in the change. [00:08:00] Speaker B: Absolutely. And you know, as we're quoting scriptures or giving context to this from the heart of Jesus and the Bible, there's that passage right, where he says, you know, when you clothed the poor and you fed, you know, those that were hungry and you visited those that were in jail and they were like, the disciples were like, well, when did we do this? Do you know what I mean? Like you did, you know, when you did it for them, like you did this for me, like. Yeah, I'm terribly paraphrasing this, but that's the heart of Jesus is that when we look after those that have been marginalized, those that are vulnerable, those that have been forgotten by the world, we're actually doing it directly to him. [00:08:44] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:08:44] Speaker B: And for him. And so we're going to use two kind of reference points throughout this season and we'll do a full book review. And the book that we are using as our reference for this season is, is by Jackie Pollinger and it's called Chasing the Dragon. And the reason why we've called this book is because she gives us a lot of vibes like Lloyd at, because she was about 5 years old and she felt that she was called to be a missionary. [00:09:20] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:09:20] Speaker B: And you know, we've talked about this in the previous season, which is like, wow, how do you know what God's calling is from that age? And we hear some amazing stories where people just feel so convicted that they are called to this line of work or this particular group of people or this particular geography. And it will just hopefully encourage those that are thinking, well, God, actually, you know, the world is telling me to go make money, the world is telling me to climb the career ladder. But I feel like you've given me a heart that breaks for people and is this really what you want me to do? And like, how will I be able to buy a house or how will I be able to have nice holidays? And all of those things that, you know, the world tells us is what success is. And in this kind of industries, in this kind of sector, you know, you're not measured by how you're financially renumerated. But God is so passionate and this is so important and so dear to God's heart. So can I read a little passage from the book? And it's a bit where Jackie's, you know, she's in her early 20s now and she knows that, you know, God wants her to leave the UK to go on missions, but everything that she's applied for hasn't been successful, doors haven't opened for her and she's not quite sure what to do. And so she's got a minister friend called Richard Thompson and this is the conversation that she lays out for us in the book. And this is Richard's advice to her. And he says you can't lose if you put yourself completely in God's hands, you know. And Richard was quite serious. If he doesn't want you to get on the ship, he's quite able to stop you or to make the ship go anywhere in the world. Jackie says, I had visions of being storm driven like St. Paul. I might land on a little desert island where one person wanted to hear about Jesus. It was an exciting proposition. Richard then continues, maybe you will go all the way around the world just to talk to one sailor about Christ. Or maybe you will go as far as Singapore to play the piano for a week of youth meetings and then come back. Richard never suggested that I had to achieve anything at all. I had simply to follow wherever God led. I too felt I could not lose on this Adventure. What do you think of that tea? [00:12:03] Speaker A: Oh, that's so beautiful. I mean, I think what I do love about this story so far is just her, like, willingness and surrender to just go where the need is. So, yeah, I think it's going to be really exciting to keep unpacking what is discussed in this book and just how we can also, what we can learn from this as well in our day to day. [00:12:33] Speaker B: Absolutely. And I think what struck me was I remember about four years ago when my son was going through a set of entrance exams for school and he said to me, mummy, what if I don't get into these schools? And I said to him, look, Josh, we have plan A, which is this particular school, and if we don't get it, we. That means God has a Plan A plus for us. And I didn't plan that saying, but I felt like Holy Spirit was saying that with God it's always a win win. [00:13:11] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:13:13] Speaker B: We always see it as it's a no, a doors closed. But actually if something that we desire or we long for doesn't happen, that means God's got something better. Absolutely. So we haven't actually lost out. It's a win win. [00:13:28] Speaker A: Yeah, it's a win win. [00:13:30] Speaker B: It's a win win. [00:13:31] Speaker A: You ever heard, like, have you ever heard the saying that you can just never come second by putting God first? [00:13:37] Speaker B: Like, there you go, there you go. And that's essentially what Richard is saying, right? Yeah. It's like wherever God takes you, whether it's just for that one person or whether it's for the whole city of Singapore, Hong Kong, wherever the boat takes you, you're going to win because you're doing what God has asked you to do. Absolutely, Absolutely. What you said is, it's that word, surrender and trust. [00:14:05] Speaker A: Big ones, big ones. [00:14:07] Speaker B: Big ones. And we wrestle as Christians. [00:14:11] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:12] Speaker B: Our whole lives. Right? [00:14:14] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:15] Speaker B: Because different circumstances, different situations, different seasons require we surrender. [00:14:23] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:24] Speaker B: And trust. [00:14:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:26] Speaker B: And I think just reading that particular paragraph was just like reinforcing God. It's always a win win with you. So for those of you that think I'm not on the front line, I'm not doing anything meaningful. If you have obeyed God and you've trusted God with your career and how he's led you, then trust God that you're not there by accident. [00:14:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:53] Speaker B: And that even there, he can use you for that one office worker. [00:14:58] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:58] Speaker B: That one person on the reception desk, that one person that you might speak to on the tube. [00:15:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:05] Speaker B: Do you know what I mean, too? [00:15:07] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. I think a lot of the time when we look at Jesus's life, for example, and we want to emulate what he was doing. We want to be more like him. It's like a lot of the time he was just on his way doing something, and then he was in whatever he was doing, he was pulled into certain scenarios for this, you know, for people who are in need. And he would stop and he would, like, I don't know, try to think of stories off the top of my head, but, like, heal the leper, you know, and he would feed the 5,000, all those kind of things. But he was. A lot of the time he was kind of just going about his daily what God had placed him on the earth to do. And then he was, like, drawn into a situation and he stopped. And I think that's like a key thing, is that, like, we recognize those moments when we're like, we need to do something about this and not just keep going. Which kind of brings me to, like, the story of the Good Samaritan, where all the religious fellows were kind of like, you know, they. They know the word, they know what they should be doing. They know they should care for the. Those in need. But I think they were so focused on, like, getting to what they need to do day to day, but they were missing key opportunities to be the hands of. And hands and feet of Jesus. So I think that's a key thing for us to remember is that, like, we do have our vacations, but in that I think we can still be on the front line as well in those kind of scenarios too. [00:16:40] Speaker B: Yeah. And I guess we're always on the front line. Right. Like, we live in a broken world. We live in a world where loneliness is so high and people are struggling, whether it's because of the cost of living, whether it's just anxiety, whether it's fear, whether it's just generational problems, family problems, breakdowns, you know, the people are hurting, and every one of us, you know, whether we've got it together more than the next person or not. We have wounds, we have scars, we have histories, we have backgrounds that all need, you know, the balm of Jesus to come, you know, the balm of Gilead to come and, like, soothe our souls. And so when God left us, when he left this earth and he gave us the Holy Spirit, you know, that's a great power given to us to be like, okay, Holy Spirit, I'm going out into the city today. I'm going out into the classroom today. I'm going out on my walk to the park, you know, today. Show me who it is. [00:17:47] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:17:48] Speaker B: That you want me to share a kind word with. Open my eyes to see those that I just need to stop and have a conversation with. That's it. We're not saying preach the gospel. [00:17:59] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:17:59] Speaker B: We're not saying, you know, give them the full low down from Genesis to revelation, you know, just. Just a presence is what sometimes people want, you know, And I think oftentimes we can go grab our coffee, sit in a cafe, laptops on telephone next to us, and we just ignore these people around us, or we're in a queue, you know, at shopping, and we don't want to engage with anybody. So there are ample opportunities for every single one of us to strike up conversation, to strike up that kind of. I'm a friend. I'm not saying friend. Like, let's become bff. [00:18:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:18:42] Speaker B: But for just people to feel like, okay, you're not weird. All you're saying is, hi, yeah. And I can have a conversation with someone, and that just sets their day, the rest of their afternoon or something. [00:18:55] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:18:55] Speaker B: And I think we, as Christians, our call to be that salt and light. Like, we have to be intentional with the time and the spaces and the environments that God has placed us in. [00:19:09] Speaker A: Yeah. So you had an amazing trip recently to India, where you got to go with your son and actually be physically on the front line, which was amazing. And I think there was a lot of takeaways that we wanted to share, especially from your experience on this. So maybe I'll hand it to you and just tell us how that came about, the trip to India and who you met there, what you took away from it. Yeah. [00:19:41] Speaker B: Okay. Well, I hope I don't get all teary, you know, a lump in my throat, but when we chose to go to India, Jim and I knew that we wanted our children to get exposure to just another, you know, country, another way of life. You know, it's very easy living in London, going on the holidays that we go on to. To think this is the world that we live in. But there's a big, big world out there, which, you know, unless we're intentional about going into those spaces, we can live very sheltered lives. And so we always determined that when our children came of age that we wanted to take them into those spaces. So I am Sri Lankan, and so I grew up in Sri Lanka for the first three years of my life and then came over to London. So I was always aware that I was an immigrant child. We were actually refugees because we left Sri Lanka because of the civil war. And so at least as my generation, I am aware of the sacrifices and the challenges and where we've come from. But my children don't have that level of understanding or history to kind of relate to. So when the church offered this missions trip to India, we were like, perfect, let's do it. Me and Josh will go. And if I'm honest with you, I went to India the same age as Josh, so back in 1996. And I hated it. Team I'm really sorry for anyone listening, but I just, I was just like, for 14, 13 year old, it was just like so overwhelming. It was just so many people so busy, so different to where I'd come from in London in incredibly dirty at that time. And, you know, this is, gosh, nearly 30 years ago. So it's not as advanced it is now, you know. And so for me, I was a bit apprehensive thinking, oh, gosh, how's Josh going to take this? But we landed and we were in Mumbai and it was just mind blowing because I went hoping that Josh was going to have an experience, hoping that Josh was going to have an encounter, that a seed would be planted in him. But little did I prepare for myself that actually God was going to do something in me. And I found myself one particular night, I just could not find my sleep at all. And whether it was the time difference, the heat, or just my mind just racing away with everything that we'd seen and heard, just feeling like full with, wow, what an experience this is. And I want to share with our listeners two particular conversations, realizations that I had that have really shifted something in me, that I know that I won't be the same again. So the first was two conversations. One lady was doing a presentation to us and she was saying that her and her husband had been in corporate jobs and they went to God and they asked, God, God, what do you want to do with all my. Our skills, our talents, our experiences, like, what do you want from us? And they felt God lead them to this organization to come and, you know, get involved. And they gave up, you know, the corporate world. They gave up good salaries, you know, middle class living, Christy lives and everything to come and be on the front line. So that was like, wow. And then the second conversation was very similar, was I was speaking to a couple and I said to them, do you guys, like want to leave India? Do you have plans to leave any India? Would you like to leave India? And there's me, right with my Naive mindset, thinking, yeah, they going to want to leave India to go to, like, America or, you know, the Arab countries or come to the UK and they said, yeah, we do want to leave. And we've been thinking and praying and we'd like to go to Somalia. And literally, my jaw dropped. And you know why? Because both of these conversations, these were people where I've grown up with a mindset that, you know, you put your career first, you climb the career ladder. If you're gonna make moves geographically or, you know, organizationally, you're making moves to earn more, you're making more to. You'll make, you know, you're making moves to get better benefits. [00:24:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:52] Speaker B: To. To do better for yourself and your family, that you're improving yourself. But to hear people who would lay that all down and actually go from a country that already has its own challenges to a country with even more challenges was just alien to me. [00:25:19] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:25:20] Speaker B: Do you know what I mean? [00:25:21] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:25:23] Speaker B: You know, like the Western hemisphere, you know, like the global North. It's all about self. Right. It's all about get a good education, get on a grad scheme, you know, get to management, get to CFO CEO levels, get to board levels, you know, move into this postcode, get on the property ladder, get a great retirement package, you know, investment, savings, generational wealth. [00:25:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:25:57] Speaker B: That's what we're taught. [00:25:58] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:25:59] Speaker B: You know, and then to hear people who were saying, actually, God, where do you want all of me to go? [00:26:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:11] Speaker B: You know, and it dawned on me that I'd never actually offered or asked God that question. [00:26:20] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:21] Speaker B: You know, like, I've always prayed God, like, what's your will for my life? Do you want me to take this job or not? Like, I always check in with him. [00:26:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:32] Speaker B: But I, you know, I don't do anything in my own kind of accord. But I've always checked in with him, but I've never actually asked him. Okay, here are my skills, here are my experiences, here's my interests. What do you want to do with all of this? Have you. [00:26:51] Speaker A: Honestly? No. [00:26:55] Speaker B: I'm glad you're honest. Glad it's not just me. [00:26:59] Speaker A: Yeah. Honestly, No. I think I've kind of been very similar to you where it's like, I know the skills and the gifts that he's given me. I know where I feel like my natural interests are the things that I feel like it laid on my heart. And so I kind of pray around those rather than just laying them all out in complete, like, complete sorrow. They're just being like, these are all the things. What. What should I do next? What do you want to do? What do you want to do with this? It was more the same as you kind of like, should I do this? Should I not do this? What do you think? [00:27:33] Speaker B: Like, yeah. [00:27:34] Speaker A: And then praying from, I guess, that place. So it's a very different perspective, actually, which really challenges me as well. [00:27:45] Speaker B: Yeah, it was. And then the second kind of epiphany moment for me was I was looking into the background of Pastor Bijou, who founded Vision Rescue, and he's got an organization for the movement as well. And he's also a pastor and an incredible man. And I thought, okay, well, I've heard him come to church and he's talked and he's preached, and we've been involved in Vision Rescue for, gosh, decades. So I thought I should get very. No, well, I know very little about him. So I thought, let me look into him. And I read one of his kind of interviews, and he talks about his kind of how this all started. And he said that he went to Mumbai. And when he was in Mumbai, a little girl, a street girl, came up to him and he bought her some street food, gave it to her, and then thought, yeah, okay, I've given her something. Got into a taxi, a tuk tuk, but thought, let me just look back at this little girl. And he looked back and he saw somebody else bigger than her just come and snatch this snack that he'd given her out of, you know, his hands. And he went home and he was talking to God and praying to God, and he was just like, you know, like, God, how can you allow this to happen? Like, how. How do you allow all this suffering and all this pain and all this poverty and everything to happen? Like, how do you allow this? And then a few minutes later, he said that he heard God say, how do you allow this to happen? And when I read that tea, I burst into tears. [00:29:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:38] Speaker B: You know, this was like 3 o' clock in the morning in Mumbai. [00:29:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:42] Speaker B: And it was like those words, like, spoke out to me. Like God saying, when I'm. There you go. Here I go. I'm getting wobbly voice, you know, like, when I. I'm like, God, all this injustice, God, like, this is unfair, God, all of this stuff. And it's like God asking us time and time again, which is, how do we allow this to happen? [00:30:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:08] Speaker B: Because he's given us the keys to the kingdom. Right? Like, he's given us all that we need, and we're doing very little. [00:30:18] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:18] Speaker B: I mean, there are people who are out doing amazing stuff, but it just really challenged me to be like, why do you allow this to happen? Beulah? [00:30:28] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. And I guess as well, when Jesus was departing earth after his time on earth, he kind of handed us the baton, and it's basically like, carry on giving us the mandate to go into the world and to be the hands and the feet, to be the salt and the light of the world and to practically do something about it. And he has given us everything, you know, he made us in his image as well, and he's given us everything that we, you know, need really to be able to be the change. And I think it is really important that we own that responsibility and not just kind of be like, oh, God, you. You should do something about this. This is horrible. But actually we need to own this and be like, essentially feel what he feels and be able to be driven to do something about it. Like, I'm thinking of. I think it's Isaiah, I think Isaiah 1:17 or something. I'll double check this. But it says, seek justice and defend the oppressed or something along those lines. So he specifically, in lots of instances in the Bible, just called us to do something about it and be the change, and we've just got to own it. [00:31:52] Speaker B: I'm guilty of this, right? I'm always like, when I have more time, when I have more money, yeah, you know, I'll give more, I'll get more involved. And actually, it's just asking God, right? Like, what can I do? What, one evening where I can go volunteer, you know, once a month, wherever that starts with, you know, just getting into that habit of, okay, I'm going to give to this organization. I'm going to get involved in the soup kitchen. I'm going to go, you know, sit at a nursing home for an hour and, like, read, you know, to the older people in our communities. There's so much around us that we can do, even if it's not our vocation. [00:32:34] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. I think a big one that I feel like has been really helpful for me is just not to be afraid to run towards the brokenness. Like, I think there's a lot of pain, there's a lot of brokenness, there's a lot of issues. So many in the world that different people will be more drawn to certain topics, for example. But in general, I think one piece of encouragement that's really hit me is just like, don't be afraid to run towards it, to get into the depths of it, to understand it, to, I don't know, to almost feel it so that you can really be driven, I don't know, be motivated to be. Do something practical about it from a practical sense, is what I'm talking about now. Because I think the more that you understand, I think the more that you can even have exposure to know how you can be the change, how you can help, what you can do. But if you don't know and if you're afraid to get in amongst the filth, then you kind of stand back a little bit and not. Do you know what I mean? So I think that's like a big thing for me. It's like I always want to get amongst it as much as it can be scary, as much as it can be daunting. But God never gives us anything anyway that we can't handle. So I think we should take courage in that and be like, he's with me. And I know that we should be, you know, caring for our neighbors, doing what we can to be, you know, part of the difference. So I think that's a big thing for me. It's just like, get amongst it is a big thing that's just helped me. And so when it comes to this space specifically, because I think without awareness, there's so little that you can do because it's just another thing that seems really distant, but it actually can be in your backyard if you're actually present in what's going on. So I think that's a huge piece for me. I love to like, especially this season is a good opportunity because we'll be chatting to people who work on the front line. But I think it's so great to actually speak to people who are in the depths of it, who are seeing the problem every day, who know what the needs are, who know how much, you know, their organization, for example, is doing, but how much more there is. So as much as there's so many amazing wins, one specific one comes to mind, which is Destiny Rescue, which deals with child exploitation and exploitation and just saving children in those scenarios across the world. So I think a big one. I like to listen to the updates of this a lot, and they do a lot of amazing work where they are rescuing thousands of kids per year. But then when they look at the percentage of how many people are still yet to be saved, they're just so much. They're so driven when you speak to them. They're so passionate about it because they're like, yeah, this was amazing last Year there was like, I don't quote the figures, but like, let's just say it's like 16,000 rescues, but there was so many more that are yet to be, like, yet to be done. So I think understanding what the problems are, what are, what's going on and finding something that really resonates with you or you really feel called to, that God's really placed on your heart. Because I do think he does place specific things on everyone's hearts. That presses more on your spirit more than someone else. And I think that's an opportunity for you to just take that mentor and just, you know, do something about it. Yeah, yeah. Because the next person, it might be something else that really press upon their spirit that they're gonna do. So I think we should all just do our part, I guess, with, you know, what God's laid upon our hearts in different areas of the social justice space and be. [00:36:50] Speaker B: I think human trafficking is, I think it's, again, don't quote us on this, but I do think it's one of the largest problems. Right. Like modern day slavery and people exploitation and just what's going on around the world. And there's some amazing organizations doing such fantastic work. But you know, t as you are encouraging us to, you know, like step into, go into that brokenness, I'm just reminded that actually that's what God himself did. You know, God himself said, okay, I'm gonna come down into this brokenness. [00:37:33] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:37:34] Speaker B: As a human being, as a man, and I'm gonna, you know, get involved. I'm gonna walk the earth. I'm going to see and experience all that, you know, men and women and people go through. And he did that for us, you know, like in Philippines too, it says that he gave up all his kind of riches and all his privileges to come into this broken world so that he could experience what we. [00:38:06] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:38:07] Speaker B: Experience. So that he could relate to us and so that he could then say, I've defeated all of this. [00:38:14] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:38:14] Speaker B: I've overcome all of this. [00:38:16] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:38:17] Speaker B: And actually we had the most amazing example right in our own savior that he wasn't afraid to come into our brokenness. [00:38:26] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:38:26] Speaker B: He wasn't afraid to come into our pain and our hurt and everything that we face. It's. It's unreal. And that's what makes the gospel and the salvation so powerful and so beautiful and so loving. [00:38:43] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:38:44] Speaker B: And I think just to kind of wrap up on my time in India, when I was reading this, you know, the background of Pastor Biju and you know, he's really been transparent and sharing openly, like, his discourse and dialogue with God. As you know, he's saying, okay, but I'll do something. If you want me to do something, I'll do something. But, you know, Mumbai is like 24 million people. Like, there's a lot of people to deal with. There's a lot of needs. It's a lot of issues, like, you know, what can I do? And God, in his kindness, in his sweet generosity, he says to Pastor Bijou, I have everything. I have all the resources. I just need you. You know, and it's. We. We forget that. [00:39:39] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:40] Speaker B: Because I. Some. I think sometimes we feel like, how can I do anything? How can I change anything? How can I. I don't have enough money. I don't have the networks. I don't have the connections. I don't have. I don't know. I don't have the. Know how. [00:39:55] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:55] Speaker B: Do you know what I mean? And we can almost, like, talk ourselves out of doing something when our heart has been stirred. And I just want to say to anybody that's listening that if you have felt God ask you or place something on your heart that tugs you and you know that God has called you to this. And God, once you step into that place, God has all the resources. [00:40:20] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:40:21] Speaker B: He is not short of the resources. He'll bring you the helpers. He'll bring you the mentors. He'll bring you the finances. He'll bring you the connections. He'll open the doors for you. He's just looking for a heart and a life that's willing to say, yes, God. [00:40:39] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:40:41] Speaker B: You know, yes, God. And that's something that, you know, Jackie, you know, really talks about in her book, that particular experience. And I do want to just read something that she highlighted. When she gets to a point where she's feeling low, she's run out of money, and she's just like, God, I'm just gonna go home. Like, this has been pointless. You know, maybe I failed, and I'm just gonna go home. And when she's praying, she gets a call from a friend, and they're in America, she's in Hong Kong, and they say to her that they've been praying and they have felt led to give her, like, a monthly budget. So when she's run out of money, God has touched the heart of her friend. She, you know, over in America, and they call her up and they said, you know, Jackie, we want to give you some money. We want to give you a budget each month. We felt God leading to us. And you just think, God, you know, you're with Jackie in Hong Kong, but you're also with Jackie in America. [00:41:57] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:41:57] Speaker B: Do you know what you mean? Like, yeah, God is limitless. And this is what Jackie says. She says her call was a great encouragement. I felt that if God could tell someone who did not know I was even considering leaving my job to offer me a monthly check worth about £15, that it was nothing for him to provide my whole living. Now, 10 years later, I realized that this was the point where I decided to live by faith. But at that time, I had never even heard of that phrase, and I would have found it hard to tell anyone about my financial needs. I knew surely that if God wanted me to do this job, he would provide. And it never worried me in the slightest as to how he would do it. [00:42:46] Speaker A: Wow. [00:42:47] Speaker B: Isn't that beautiful? [00:42:49] Speaker A: Yeah. So beautiful. [00:42:52] Speaker B: That's our God. Yeah, that is our God. [00:42:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:42:58] Speaker B: You know, the storehouse, the riches of heaven. But if he's called us to it, that we are just to live by faith. [00:43:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:08] Speaker B: I mean, even talking to you, I just feel we've had moments. Right. I mean, we're seeing each other. [00:43:16] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:17] Speaker B: As we're doing this podcast, and our listeners can't see this, and both of our eyes. I've become watery. [00:43:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:28] Speaker B: And I just. We just knew. Right. We knew that this season was going to be special. [00:43:32] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:43:35] Speaker B: And if all this season does is just shine the light on some of these organizations out there, some of the kind of work that's able, you know, available for you to do, or whether it is just for you to be inspired, that actually I can do something. [00:43:55] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:57] Speaker B: You know, and Pastor Gary used to always say that we can't do everything, but we can do something. [00:44:04] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:44:06] Speaker B: And if we can just lean into, press into that one thing, and that's something. [00:44:13] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. [00:44:14] Speaker B: And trust God, who knows, Right? Who knows. [00:44:20] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:44:22] Speaker B: Do you have any closing thoughts, too? [00:44:25] Speaker A: I think, Yeah, I guess, just probably just to close and just to reiterate, I. Actually, the scripture that you raised at the beginning was what I really felt led to close with as well, which is Matthew 25, and it comes from between 30, verse 34 and 40. And it's that same scripture that you mentioned at the beginning where you. Where in the Bible, it says, for when I was hungry, you gave me something to eat. I was a stranger, you invited me in. I was sick, and you looked after me. I was in prison, and you came to visit me, and it's interesting because I guess the people at the time when Jesus was saying this, they're like, huh, I didn't. I never did. I never saw you in need doing all those. But just a reminder for us that, like everything that we do for any of our brothers and sisters on earth, we do this unto. Unto God. And he really does see this, and it really is pressed upon his heart. Like people are what God cares about the most. He loves. He loves his block. He loves his people. And to. To be more like him and to be the Christians we're called to be, we need to. We need to embody that with everything within us and just chase that and be able to do something, anything that's laid upon our hearts to do. So I did want to encourage everyone, I guess, with the season ahead just to be expected and lean in and to hear all the stories of the people who are working specifically in these fields. And. Yeah, I think it's just a great opportunity for us. Like, be said that we just wanted to shed light onto this and we just wanted to bring more awareness into this and just see what part we can play, really. [00:46:18] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:46:18] Speaker A: In this greater mission. So I'm excited for it. This is definitely my favorite. But even though, you know, we love [00:46:27] Speaker B: finance, we'll get to that. [00:46:31] Speaker A: But this is definitely a big one that's been impressed upon my heart. So I'm super excited for this season and I'm excited for you guys to hear all the stories and. Yeah, just be inspired and encouraged. [00:46:45] Speaker B: Yeah. To come with soft hearts and open ears and just. Yeah. Enjoy the ride with us and I will see you on the other side. And we'll. Yeah, we'll go through the book review with you and if you want to get the book, it's, you know, chasing the Dragon. Jackie Pullinger. There's loads of books out there that we can recommend to you. And yeah, we'll put a list of some amazing resources just to kind of guide and to frame your journey with us. But this is the particular book that we're going to be focused on. There's so much. And, you know, she really is a character, a personality, a powerful woman of God who went into the brokenness, went into the walled city, into the walled darkness, and her story just unpacks what it looks like, being in the midst of broken people and nothing that we do that's small or big enough. Yeah. That God can't use to make such an amazing difference. [00:47:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:47:53] Speaker B: So thank you for listening. [00:47:55] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:47:56] Speaker B: And we'll see you. And yeah, listen to the next show, [00:48:00] Speaker A: make sure to tune in and we'll make sure that we put all the links below for all the resources as being mentioned. [00:48:07] Speaker B: Amazing. And follow us on our socials like us. And do share with anybody that you think would be encouraged by what we're saying. And yeah, yapping on about take care, [00:48:22] Speaker A: take care, have a good one. [00:48:29] Speaker B: Sa.