Woundedness, Forgiveness, and the Birth of a Team
Bernie Anderson
We met after church last Sunday - on their initiative. Three church leaders requested to meet with Renee’, myself and our field director couple, Dennis and Marilyn. We had no real clue what this was going to be about, but I had my guesses.
For those of you who may be new to our blog, Renee’ and I are working with a group of young people (college students) in Ulaanbaatar. These kids have a vision to reach their city, their country and beyond with the truth of the Gospel. Renee’ and I are doing leadership training with them on Thursday evenings, and Renee’ is working specifically with the girls every other Saturday morning. We want to help them see their dream of reaching their community and their country become a reality. So we are trying to earn the right to speak into their lives by deepening our relationship with them, as well as teaching them the Word.
It was after our Saturday Pizza party with the church leaders last week that we were first approached. The key leaders wanted to meet, so we made arrangements for this to happen the next day. It was one of those disconcerting moments that we’ve all experienced. We were asked for a meeting, but had no real idea what it was going to be about, so you’re mind starts going places it shouldn’t and expecting the worst.
So after church we sat around the Maves’ kitchen table overlooking the city, with brownies, instant coffee and fresh mandarine oranges. I had wrongly assumed they were there to ask us for money or extra support. They just wanted our advise. They wanted to know “through your eyes, how do you see our church?” (that actually sounds more fluid when being asked in Mongolian).
We had been chatting about this for several minutes, when our wise (and in this moment Spirit-led) Field Director began to talk to these leaders about past hurts and about forgiveness. While it would be obviously inappropriate to get into the details on a public website, suffice it to say that there has been some significant pain and wounding that has taken place over the years between our little church and our organization. We spent the next several hours working through those hurts and our church leaders were able to do the one thing that, in my opinion, makes a person most like Jesus: forgive. We spent time bringing up the hurts on both sides and giving and receiving forgiveness, which is the first step in healing the wounds. There was not a dry eye as we prayed together at the end. God was at work, and we all knew it.
The outcome of that meeting remains to be seen. But from the healing that began to take place at the meeting, there was another result that I am personally excited about. Dennis mentioned at some point durning the conversation that this was the beginning - the making - of a team that will work together for sake of Christ’s Kingdom in UB. Ever since Dennis mentioned this, the vision for a team made up of our Mongolian Church leaders, Renee’ and I, and others whom God may send, has been growing clear in my mind. I pray it will in their's, as well. I believe the Holy Spirit has begun a work in bringing a team together in an atmosphere of grace. Pray for Saugie and Dogi and Onon and Renee’ and I as we seek to discern together the Wind of the Spirit for Ulaanbaatar.
It’s the beginning, and it has begun with forgiveness.
Reader Comments (4)
That's a beautiful thing!
brother, this is truly AMAZING!!!
There are other options besides "blame and shame." It is great to see that humility can follow the steps of our Lord. Is there a cultural openess to humiliity or is this the power of the gospel alone at work?
Man, I know you mentioned this on skype a couple weeks ago, but reading it all–that's exciting stuff! I hope this will be a catalyst to jump start the church there. God is so good.