Ministry with Elizabeth Chan

“...See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”
Colossians 4:17

The meeting set by God Himself

My journey as a recruiter for GRN launched last month with a visit to Biola University in Southern California.
It all began with a conversation with a student earlier on that day who, after learning about GRN was excited to tell me that I needed to go talk to the "guy sitting under the tree." I asked why and she told me that he is a linguistics professor and that the "under the tree spot" was his office. She said I would like talking to him because of the nature of my mission organization.

Later that morning I decided to visit the professor. As I walked towards the spot, sure enough, he was sitting there with a student, engaged in conversation. I approached, introduced myself and asked if I could sit and listen for a while. The professor gave me permission and introduced me to Melissa, who was seated to my left. The professor told me they were talking about heritage and asked me to tell them about my heritage.

I told them that I was born and raised in Brazil but that I am Chinese by nationality. I also told them I spoke Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese. At that moment Melissa started crying and the professor was also almost tearing up, so I stopped not knowing if I said something wrong.

Finally the professor told me that one of the assignments for each of his students was to find a person who speaks the language they would like to learn next; they were just praying for that person for Melissa. Guess what language she wants to learn--Portuguese!!!

The professor asked me to tell Melissa a little about myself in Portuguese, so I did. When I finished, he told Melissa that I had a good accent for learning. He went on to say that his parents were missionaries for Wycliffe Bible Translators and that his mother was born in the same city in which I was born in Brazil, of all places!

It was a meeting set by God indeed! Later on, after exchanging information with Melissa, I asked her what she would like to do after Biola and without hesitation she said, "I want to translate the Bible." I told her a little about the work of GRN and what our recordists do, and we are praying together that God leads and shows Melissa what He desires for her.

As for now, Melissa and I are in contact once a week, to share language, life, and global missions, knowing that God is in the center of this picture.