Surprised by generosity
I was so encouraged by my wife and I’s visit with Iranian friends, Babak & Eli, in South Carolina a few weeks ago. It was great to visit our friends, but I was most surprised by the church in South Carolina who had sponsored them to come to the US. The SC church has been supporting the church in Zonguldak, Turkey that we planted together for close to 10 years. The SC church had tried to get Babak and Eli visas to come to the States multiple times but were turned down.
Then this past year, to everyone’s surprise, the US government initiated giving a visa to Babak & Eli. While our Iranian friends waited for the visa in Turkey, Babak and Eli’s residence permits in Turkey were canceled. The last few months Babak and Eli were there, they were worried that they would be deported to Iran. At last, they received a visa and they went to South Carolina.
When they arrived at the small Columbia airport, Babak & Eli were greeted by at least 30 people from the church. The greeters had signs welcoming our friends. They gave them hugs and told them how much they had been praying for them. Our friends are staying in a house that the church owns. Babak will work at the church once his work permit arrives. Individuals from the church have been caring for my friends with generosity and grace. Someone gave them a car. Another person came and decorated the house for Christmas, donating all of the decorations to them. Someone furnished their daughter’s room and filled it with toys. Our friend’s wallet was filled with gift cards from people wanting to bless them.
I wasn’t only surprised by the financial generosity of the church. I was also surprised by their fervent prayer for my friends. Multiple ladies came up to Eli individually and told her that they had been praying specific prayers for her and it was sweet to see that God had answered their prayers. No one had told those ladies to be praying for those things. It was sweet to see the Holy Spirit at work.
So often I see churches in the US give to ministries because of the work that is being done and this SC church does care about the ministry that is being done in Turkey that is empowered by their support. At the same time the SC church has really shown care for the individuals doing the ministry. They care about their wellbeing not just what they can produce. The tenderness and generosity was encouraging to see.
I ask the senior pastor what it was about the church that produced such generosity and care for our friends. He humbly said that he wasn’t sure. In his sermon he preached about the 7 marks of a successful church, I don’t remember what any of the marks are. However, what I do remember is that he wants his church to be courageous, led by the spirit, accepting of others, lovers of God and others and to be generous.
As Christians our ideals are mostly aspirational. We struggle to live up to the righteousness and faithfulness of what we want. It is was sweet to see a church, full of normal people, living out the aspirations of their pastor in the way that they cared for our friends.
