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When we think about our lives, it’s beautiful to see the contrast between who we once were and the work God has done in us. And it’s even more beautiful to be able to share this with others, as a living testimony of what we believe and what Jesus did on the cross for us. Now, think about having the opportunity to talk to people who are willing to hear more about God, with hearts desiring the truth, but there’s one little inconvenience: you don’t speak their language. How do you share this with them? How can you do what God is calling you to do in that position?

This is a reality that many missionaries encounter, because going to a different country often includes the challenge of learning not only about a new culture, but a new language, in order to be able to share the Gospel. This is the reality that Fellowship International missionary Jerusha Ricketts has been experiencing since the Lord called her to serve in the Spanish-speaking city of Medellín, Colombia.

Jerusha lived in Colombia for two years during her time in the Launch program, where she was able to serve and spend some time getting to know the church and the ministry, as well as becoming acquainted with the language. Now, back in the field, her typical day includes Spanish classes in the morning and practicing with her workbook on her own or at the church. Her main focus right now is language acquisition, and even though it can be difficult to stay encouraged during seasons like this, Jerusha expresses how God is using this time for her to share the Gospel in the environment she is currently in.

“It’s really hard for me when I can feel the gap in my ability to speak Spanish. But I’m learning that if my heart’s desire is to do the will of the Lord, He will give me what is required to do so in this season. And so even just getting to be at school to meet awesome people and to live alongside them, being able to share my faith in organic ways—is a lot of fun. And realizing I wouldn’t be in the environment that I’m currently in if my Spanish was perfect.”

Sometimes we might have certain expectations about how ministry in the field should look, but being able to acknowledge where the Lord has you in a specific period of time, and learning that wherever that may be, He wants to use your life for His glory, is something we should remind ourselves of every day. Not only in a missionary context, but for all believers because we are called to make disciples and give testimony of the light.

This is what living the Gospel in the everyday means, and as Jerusha shares, it’s a very organic process: “I think when you’re fluent in the Gospel, you naturally end up processing everything in life through these lenses. When I think of how to share the Good News, I like to be a tangible expression of Christ. And as I read through the Gospels, Jesus got a lot of flak for spending time with tax collectors and sinners. I’m not a tax collector, but I am a sinner. And I feel like that’s the group of people that I gravitate towards—people that don’t pretend they’re perfect or that they have it all together. They’re honest. And so, I think it’s easier to talk about the Lord, the Gospel, and faith with people like that.”

Spending time with people, sharing about your lives, and bringing the Gospel into it is a beautiful thing, but it can also be difficult to stay encouraged through times of sowing before seeing the fruit. Watching people leave and return to things that are hard, or others continuing with their travels, is something Jerusha has seen and relates to. She knows she has to surrender that to the Lord and remember that He cares for them and is faithful to bring to completion the work He starts.

Colombia is a country where Catholicism has a strong cultural presence, and one of the needs Jerusha sees while living in this city is that many people think they know God. There’s often some form of faith background, and they might say they pray a lot, but when you get to the deeper conversation of how they relate to God or what they are praying for, you see a lack of intimate relationship with the Lord, one built upon Scripture. So, in a way, there’s a sort of Bible illiteracy, where people believe they’re in good standing with God but don’t truly know Him.

Another need she observes is within the local church. Jerusha is currently serving at Redil del Poblado, and she shares that it is difficult to find spaces where there’s an overlap between believers and non-believers. “As I’m meeting people who don’t have a relationship with God—outside of a Sunday service or a mid-week Bible study—I keep wondering, where else can we create that overlap with non-believers? Spaces where they can be around Christians filled with the Spirit of God and come to know the Lord through relationship.”

As we see all these challenges, let’s pray for Colombia and for Jerusha: for her process in language acquisition and for wisdom in how to build relationships using the Spanish she currently has, not waiting until she feels completely comfortable. Let’s also pray for guidance as she seeks to understand how the Lord wants her to support the local church and clarify her role in it.