Wrong Place!

By Linda H.

Teri graduated from high school near the top of her class with so many opportunities ahead of her. There were many avenues she could pursue. Can you imagine the shock on her teachers' faces when she said she wanted to be a missionary in another country, telling others about Jesus? "Why would you waste your intelligence on that?" they would wonder. "Are you sure you are doing the right thing?" Ah, but God's plans are often not man's plans.

So Teri headed off to a Christian college, ready to learn and become involved in some kind of ministry. A typical Christian ministry might be leading a women's Bible study, teaching Sunday School at a nearby church, or even visiting nearby secular colleges and sharing Christ with other students. Certainly God could use Teri in one of these worthwhile areas, yet God calls 5-foot 1-inch, petite Teri to work at a nearby juvenile home where troubled youth are required to live for varying lengths of time due to their prior offenses. Wait a minute! That doesn't sound too safe. Some of these boys have committed some terrible crimes. One staff member was even murdered by one of the boys. God's plan is to give her experience interacting with young people who have not only faced problems with drugs, alcohol, fighting, and stealing, but have real questions about how God fits into the picture.

Teri's minor at college is in Christian Ministries. A requirement is to do an internship. Certainly there are many needs in the United States where an internship could be served. Typical internships might be working at a Christian camp or helping with a church youth program. As you might have guessed by now, those were not options Teri considered. Teri is presently working in Amsterdam, Netherlands at a Christian Youth Hostel right outside the red light district. God has had other plans for Teri. What seems safe and appropriate by the world's standards is not necessarily what is best for us by God's standards.

Where Teri is right now, the world is at her doorstep. She has opportunities every day to share her faith with the guests from every country imaginable who are passing through the area. She uses her cooking skills in preparing food for either the guests or the staff. She uses her experienced interpersonal skills in relating to the guests and other staff. She leads optional discussion sessions that usually lead to interesting conversations on God. She uses her past experience with troubled youth to relate to the problems of some of the runaways that get a job cleaning at the hostel.

Is she in the wrong place? Doesn't it make more sense to be safe in the United States? Aren't there people in America who need to know about Jesus too? God's plan is different for each of us. Sometimes we may not understand what God is doing. He will use our past, and our present to glorify Him now and in the future. God's plan is always the best! Who knows better than He what we were created to do?