“There are many more battles to be fought. It would be such fun to be a part of them rather than just read of them. So go! Write your own books. Go!”
-Jackie Pullinger, in the introduction to her book, Chasing the Dragon
I know I usually begin with a quote from Scripture, but recently God has been using this book to inspire me in powerful ways, so I wanted to share a bit of it with you. It tells the story of a young woman who followed God to Hong Kong, where she worked in the Walled City—a place run by gangs and lords, where poverty is rampant, sewage is simply thrown into the street, children are exploited, and prostitution is one of the few “career” options for women. My pastor recommended this book to me after I had shared with him that my greatest joy isn’t in doing organized “ministry,” but rather simply sitting down one-on-one with people, seeing the image of God in them, and speaking truth about who they are, and who God is. This is what Jackie Pullinger has done, and she has seen God move in miraculous and powerful ways. And even though she does have a large, organized ministry now, she continues her work by sitting down, seeing another person’s heart, and offering love.
As you know from my recent prayer requests, I am feeling a strong pull to bring new life into the Jesus Kitchen, and the ministry on the West Bank in general. This book has deepened that desire. I have felt for some time that God should be made more manifest by our presence, and that something new may be in the cards. Don’t get me wrong—I love standing on the sidewalk and simply talking to people. God has used that in powerful ways, and I have no doubt that he will continue to do so. Yet some days, I feel a tug to start shouting from the street corner. Dare I become one of “those” preachers? Only if God calls me to. But I wonder if he might be doing just that, or to something similarly brash. I am wary, because so many people are turned off by such stereotypical “evangelists,” but I know that if God were behind it, he would give a way to speak that would draw people to him, rather than push them away. Moreover, in addition to new ideas and new boldness, I want miracles to back up our witness! We meet people regularly who have physical needs. Why should they not be healed? And everyone we meet needs to hear a prophetic word specifically for them. All I know is that I want God to move. And I believe he wants to move. I do not know what it is going to look like, but I am asking him and praying for power.
Last month, the Jesus Kitchen folks held a “Hard Times is Closed??!?!” Party, where we did our best to recreate the Hard Times Café at our church—down to covering the bathroom walls with paper and providing Sharpie markers so that people could graffiti. It took a lot of preparation… and hardly anyone came. I was quite disappointed at the time, but looking back, I have been encouraged. First, one of the people who came is an older gentleman I know well who has always snorted at the idea of coming to church with me. He may not have come to church, but he has been in the building now, and—while it may sound silly to you—that is no insignificant thing. Second, we met a homeless man at Jesus Kitchen the weekend before the party, and he came to the party and brought a friend with him. She turned out to be a Christian, though she has been disconnected from a body for a long time and was quite discouraged. One of the Jesus Kitchen s got to talk and pray with her, and she has been coming to church since then! And finally, one of the baristas at Hard Times told me that he had planned on coming but ended up being out of town. To be honest, I had hardly been able to imagine any of the workers actually coming, and the fact that one of them would have been there blew me away. He and I correspond through (that darn site is good for something!), and I have been extremely gratified to find out that he really does respect, and even like me. In a place as cynical as Hard Times, for one of the most cynical of them to have a real friendship with the obnoxiously Christian is truly amazing.
All this to say, God is doing amazing things, and I believe more is on the horizon. I want to be faithful and seek him with my whole being so that I do all of my part. I know that he will do his. I feel like this is a crucial time and ask very much for your prayers. There are many specific, and important prayer requests on the reverse. Thank you, as always, for all you do in my life!
Take hold of the life that is truly life!
Molly S. Waggoner
Prayer Requests
- Praise!!! I have a roommate!!! A friend from church introduced me to her, and we are getting along splendidly. Not only does she share my love for old musicals, but we also recently stayed up until 12:30, excitedly discussing theology. Perfect! Thank you for your prayers.
- Hard Times is still closed as I write this. The work has taken much longer than expected, and the workers are, appropriately, having “hard times.” They know that we are praying for them, so please join us in prayer for the café to open soon so that those whose livelihood depends on it will have income again, and so that I can be back there among my friends. We plan on having a “Hard Times is Open!!!” Party once they are back up and running, where we will simply invite lots of people to come to the café, order lots of food, and leave big tips. I hope that the workers will be blessed by our love and support. Please also pray for new vision, passion, and boldness for my ministry there when it opens up again.
- I am going to be giving up some of my old roles at church—particularly those relating to finances—in order to focus more on things that I feel are my calling. I am able to do the church finances, but it is not something I enjoy or feel called to do. Please pray that we can find someone who has a real calling for that sort of work and is able to do a good job while feeling excited about serving in that way. I plan on getting involved in the worship and prayer teams, as well as having the opportunity to invest in people one-on-one after the service, instead of hurrying to the office to do bookkeeping. I am excited about this, and hope to make the transition as soon as possible.
- I will be teaching theology at the SHIFT Discipleship School again this year. My classes will be one evening a week starting in mid-October, and will be an intensive version of the topics I taught last year. This leaves more time at the beginning of the school for other teaching, particularly on biblical study methods and hermeneutics. Please pray that all the teachers would be able to communicate effectively, and that the students’ lives would be changed through everything at the school.
- Jodi Pierce, the leader of the New Zealand ministry school, recently returned to the United States, so we should soon be meeting to discuss my role at the school. Please pray that we would know clearly how God wants me to serve there.
Thank you!
MSW
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