Bitter Enemies Reunited in Christ

Bethany DuVal • Aug 21, 2019

On Sunday mornings, Libia and Julio don’t look like anything special. Just two close friends worshiping God, maybe imagining their future together.

You would never guess that this time last year, they wouldn’t speak to each other — much less be in the same room together. Or that they were bitter enemies for five long years.

The fact that they happily sit together at church now? TEAM missionary Dawn Moore says it’s nothing short of a miracle.

Peruvian Couple Seeks Better Life in States

Libia and Julio’s relationship was complicated from the beginning.

They both grew up in Peru as Catholics, but neither had a personal relationship with God. When they started dating, they also started sleeping together. And within a year, Libia was pregnant.

Wanting to be good Catholics, the couple got married.

A few years later, they immigrated to Charlotte, North Carolina to build a better life.

Julio and Libia were ideal immigrants. Julio worked long hours to provide for his family, while Libia cared for their son. But they rarely had time together — and it began to hurt their relationship.

“We used to argue over everything and over nothing,” Julio says.

Libia was eager to fix her marriage. So, when an acquaintance invited her to church , she decided to start going.

But then Libia was hit with an unexpected blow.

Sickness, Overworking Drive Couple Apart

Libia started having strange symptoms. She was constantly fainting but her doctors didn’t know why.

In her fear, Libia started praying and reading Scripture more. Julio kept working.

As Libia tried to save her marriage, she started experiencing strange fainting spells. After two years, she found out she had a brain tumor.

After two years, the doctors figured out that Libia had a brain tumor.

Julio was horrified at the news, but he had no time to slow down. Libia’s medical bills were growing. It was far more than they could afford.

Julio began working up to 20 hours a day. The couple’s fighting got worse.

Eventually, Julio decided to go to church with Libia. And eventually, Libia was healed of her cancer. But by then, the marriage was so far gone, Libia and Julio didn’t know how to save it.

One day, Julio decided he just didn’t care anymore. He left and married someone else.

After years of fighting, Julio gave up on his marriage. He left Libia, and the couple stopped speaking entirely.

Both Julio and Libia stopped going to church. They were so consumed by anger, they refused to speak to each other. Their only news of each other came from their adult son.

But as the years past, Libia longed for God. In 2018, she let people know she was looking for a church. Word spread through the local Latin American community, and someone told her about a Spanish-speaking church plant: Impacto Charlotte.

Spanish-Speaking Church Leads Ex-Wife to Healing

The first time Libia went, she sneaked into the back, trying not to be noticed. But she loved the music. And the whole service was in Spanish, letting Libia relax as she listened to the sermon.

“The teaching [at Impacto] is profound, and at the same time, simple, so you can understand it,” Libia says. “It fills my heart.”

When she met the TEAM missionaries leading the church, Dawn and Keith Moore, she found out they had planted churches in Colombia and Honduras. They already knew and loved the Latin American culture!

The Moores could see that Libia was still traumatized by her marriage. But they welcomed her with kindness, patiently sharing the Gospel and studying Scripture with her.

Slowly, Libia’s heart began to heal.

Meanwhile, Julio’s life was falling apart — again.

Ex-Husband Amazed by Spiritual Transformation

Julio thought starting over with someone new was all he needed. But he kept working so many hours, he didn’t have time for his new wife either.

Soon, the marriage fell apart. This time, though, Julio took it as a wakeup call. He knew he needed to change.

Shortly after Julio’s revelation, Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina.

Julio and Libia hadn’t talked in five years, but Julio decided to check on Libia anyway. When Julio arrived at the house, he was shocked at how Libia received him .

Julio and Keith Moore sit at a table and study the Bible together.

When Julio saw the change in Libia, he wanted to go to church for himself. He soon started studying the Bible with TEAM missionary Keith Moore.

“There was no grudge, there was no pain, … because God healed me,” Libia says.

Libia and Julio started texting, and Julio quickly realized that Libia was a different person.

“I was amazed to know that she had forgiven me after everything that had happened between us,” Julio says.

Julio asked if he could go to church with Libia, and Libia agreed.

Just as they had with Libia, the Moores were eager to study Scripture with Julio. And when Keith shared the Gospel, Julio thought, Why not receive Christ in my heart? … Why not fill that emptiness that I have been feeling for years?

Former Couple Grows in Christ Together

After Julio received Christ, he began to change, too. He’s eager to study Scripture and to treat others with Christ’s love.

“God works in incredible ways that we really do not understand,” Libia says. “He is amazing.”

Julio and Libia sit together in church at Impacto Charlotte

After years of animosity, Julio and Libia now attend Impacto Charlotte together! Thanks to friends like you, they are living new lives in Christ.

And for everyone who supports TEAM missionaries like Dawn and Keith, Julio has one simple message: “I was so far away from God, and now I have returned. … I want to thank you with all my heart for all you do.”

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Exploring The Creative Power of Creative Arts Ministry

By Lorena de la Rosa • 16 May, 2024

Creative Arts Ministries focus on using the arts to provide new avenues for Gospel reach and discipleship around the world. Ever felt the urge to channel your creative talents into a higher purpose but were unsure where to start? Whether your passion lies in art, music, or another creative endeavor, God is opening doors where creativity meets ministry, where the journey of expression takes on new meaning with eternal significance. Creative Arts Ministry is all about using your creative side to share the Gospel, encourage the global Church, and build disciples all around the world. Made with a Purpose At TEAM, Creative Arts Ministry encompasses a variety of initiatives and global workers on multiple continents, all focused on using the arts to provide avenues for the Gospel. Jon Tello, TEAM’s Global Arts Ministry Coordinator is a creative person who was first called to ministry when he was in 9th grade, even though he had no idea what that meant. “I talked to my pastors, and they said, ‘Hey, this is awesome, you’re going to be a pastor. You’re going to preach and teach God’s word,’” Jon recalls. He wasn’t sure how his love and gifting for art fit into this. Yet in his heart, Jon knew, “God made me into an artist for a purpose.” Jon says his experience is not unique. Many who feel called to global missions feel that their passion for the arts must take a back seat. They are left with the question, “As an artist, how do I fit into the bigger framework of this thing that we call the global Church?” Luke, a TEAM global worker in Japan, concurs. “A lot of people get into [cross-cultural work] just adjacent to where their skill is,” says Luke. He goes on to explain a great metaphor for what happens next. “In music, there’s a term called ‘dissonance.’ It’s when there are two notes very close together, but they clash.” Being near to one’s true calling and giftedness, yet not quite able to express it can lead to frustration and burnout. For Jon, Luke, and many others in TEAM, God is helping them find a “sweet spot” where they can use their creative gifts for Kingdom work, particularly in areas where traditional church planting and direct evangelism are difficult if not impossible. A Call to Creatives In a world teeming with creativity and a growing desire for missions, many find themselves at a crossroads, wondering how to blend their artistic talents with the call to serve. Picture this: a vast landscape of possibilities, where your creativity isn't just a skill, but a powerful tool waiting to be unleashed in the mission field. Jon’s role in TEAM allows him to help global workers tap into this potential. Jon remarks that the concept of art for ministry is anything but new. During the Renaissance period, the literary rate was so low that the Church commissioned artists to create beautiful images to communicate with the people. Jon says Creative Arts ministry today works very much the same way to reach and impact believers and unbelievers alike in ways that words alone cannot. “In a sense, we are artists commissioned by the Church that are going out across the globe, doing just that: creating imagery, creating music, creating a story to tell,” Jon says. Though once a TEAM Italy global worker, Jon now works alongside other artists to help them use their skills in ministry. “They need somebody to help them embrace who God has created them to be and for what purpose,” Jon said. “And once we’re able to do that, it’s a beautiful thing to see these artists truly thrive.”

Loving Like Jesus Cross-Culturally (Part 1)

By Megan Lunsford • 23 Apr, 2024

When seeking to serve cross-culturally with an authentic love for others, there’s no better example for us than Jesus. If we sat around a table and threw out the question, “How do we love like Jesus?” I think we would have several commonalities as we respond. For example, Jesus loved all people right where they were. He loved those who were deemed the least, those hardest to love, or those who were His enemies. These are all beautiful realities of the heart of Jesus. When we step into relationships, it can be easier to take on the warmer, more gracious gestures of Jesus’ love, especially in cross-cultural relationships. Think about it––when doing life with those who look and act differently than us, we are already out of our comfort zones and would rather keep things as simple and familiar as possible. But there are other facets of Jesus’ heart we often overlook that can transform us and others even more into His likeness. Jesus is love because God is love. Everything Jesus did was out of love; it’s the mere definition of who He is. As followers of Jesus, He calls us to the same: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John:7-12) Every display of love we offer to others is an opportunity for them to encounter the ultimate love of the Father. That’s a pretty big deal! In this article, we’ll look at three expressions of Jesus’ love that we tend to overlook when engaging others cross-culturally. (Next month, we’ll look at three more.) 1. Jesus loved sacrificially. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed Him. We even see times in Scripture where Jesus had plans to step away for time alone but those who were hurting found Him and He had compassion on them and stayed with them. Can you imagine rarely having any time to yourself but, instead, constantly being surrounded by crowds of people wanting help from you? Jesus loved sacrificially. He welcomed all who came to Him with love and compassion, never turning anyone away. “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the same way, we can make room in our lives for Jesus to bring sacrificial interruptions which, in His eyes, are orchestrated encounters to transfer His love to others. It can be tempting to be so “on mission” that we are full steam ahead and find ourselves frustrated when the Holy Spirit sends an interruption into our path that we feel we don’t have time for. Or, perhaps, we have scheduled a meet-up but it’s the norm in another culture to be 30 minutes or an hour late. We anxiously think through how it will affect whatever we have planned next. While it’s normal to feel a little stressed, what if the very "interruption” standing in front of you was really a divine appointment sent by God? Or what if that person running late experiences how peaceful and gracious you are in adapting to their culture and therefore, they can encounter a beautiful display of Jesus’ love? To truly represent Christ, we should remain ready and willing for each assignment the Lord sends into our path, no matter the cost or how much we will have to re-route our day. He is always a hundred steps ahead and will work all things for His glory and our good. 2. Jesus loved by discerning each situation well. Think about how many situations Jesus had to respond to on a daily basis. We read in Scripture that there were lines of people waiting to be healed by Him, talk to Him, hear His teachings, or simply touch the hem of His robe. Jesus was fully dependent on His Father to discern each situation before addressing it. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Another temptation we can have when in a relationship with those God has sent us to is to think we already know the solution or what God wants to do before we’ve even asked Him. We believe we are full of knowledge, so we just pull from the bank we have stored within and go with it. However, when we access what is familiar to us as our default, we risk missing out on a God-given solution that might truly be the key to unlocking whatever challenge is in front of us. What does this look like when interacting with others? We can simply ask, “God, what is on Your heart for the person standing in front of me?” Then we listen and respond as He speaks. When we make it a daily habit to pause and hear God’s heart for each situation before responding, we are guaranteed to be effective in loving those around us. He knows the heart of every person that will cross our paths. Imagine how impactful we can be if we first lean on His wisdom and discernment before moving forward. 3. Jesus loved by speaking truth. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. If we are honest, this conversation makes us a bit nervous as none of us would be comfortable with Jesus calling out intimate details of our lives that we would prefer to hide. But Jesus went further than just airing her dirty laundry. He offered her the hope of the Gospel and a relationship with Him - a divine fulfillment that could never be found in an earthly relationship. Jesus modeled a powerful example of loving others well cross-culturally. He took the low place and spoke truth, truly out of love––speaking to her heart from His. Like Jesus, our goal in sharing the truths about Him and His Word is to bring hope and satisfaction through Him alone. When we speak truth from Scripture, we are calling others higher into all God has for them. The tricky part here is we should avoid speaking truth if it isn’t first fueled by compassion. If it merely comes from a place of judgment, condemnation, or self-righteousness, it will fall flat 100% of the time. But if it truly comes from love, you are likely to not only win a heart back to the Father but, like the story of the Samaritan woman, even an entire village! If you see someone living outside of God’s best for their lives, ask God to show you your heart before engaging theirs. Once your heart is properly postured, you can speak truth out of an overflow of God’s love and trust Him for a transformation in their lives.