During my recent trip to Asia, some other long-term workers and I were hanging out one night and playing a game where we took turns answering questions that we drew out of a can of popsicle sticks. The question I pulled out was – “Who is your closest Asian friend? What have they meant to you?”

My mind quickly flew to my friend Esther, who I was supposed to have reunited with for dinner just a few days prior. She unfortunately had to cancel, but she was still on my mind.

When my roommate and I met Esther (almost two years ago now!), we quickly learned that she had actually already learned about God some other workers in our org. When we asked her what she thought about God, she simply replied that she couldn’t see Him, so she didn’t believe in Him.

Despite Esther’s apparent disinterest, she became one of mine and Felicity’s closest friends. She regularly attended our weekly Bible study, and we could tell God was chasing her and working on her heart, even if she couldn’t see it. At the end of the year, our goodbye to Esther was one of the hardest things we had to do.

As I finished telling my teammates about my friendship with Esther, one of them, Dove, asked, “Does she have a friend named Nicole?” When I nodded yes, Dove replied, “That’s awesome! They both joined the family this past year.”

To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement. It was a special moment where God reminded me that He is L0rd of the harvest, and doesn’t forget seeds that were planted in faith, even if we do.

It was also an eye-opening moment of conviction for me. Since joining CT, I think I had unknowingly fallen into a false expectation that missionaries get more immediate results in their work. But in the Bible, there aren’t super Christians and regular Christians; just children who are all called to be about their Father’s business.

No farmer who plants a seed gets disappointed if he doesn’t see an immediate result. He simply  trusts that it will yield fruit at the right time, as God allows. Don’t get discouraged in sowing seed, friend! You may be working with tough soil, but God has a purpose for you and for the field he has put you in.

So thank you, thank you, thank you so much for all of your prayers and support for this trip! God certainly blessed our time there.