Dreams that Changed Everything: Josh and Anna’s Story

Suzanne Pearson • Nov 01, 2023

Josh and Anna* grew up in “the old ways” of their remote Indo-Malay village. No electricity, no running water. No westerners or foreign ideologies to disturb centuries of an Islamic worldview. Josh’s father was an imam, as was his grandfather. Anna’s family was also devout, revered in the community for their strict and unyielding commitment to their Muslim traditions. But God had an incredible plan to bring the Good News of Jesus to an entire community and beyond through this young couple. And it all started with a pair of dreams…

A Heart Softened

Josh was 12 years old when global workers from the West first came to the village. He became friends with the couple’s son, and over the course of five years, Josh heard stories of the man they called “Jesus.” He listened intently, nodding when asked if he understood. But still he was unsure.

“There was a struggle in me,” Josh recalls. “Which is the right one – my old belief or this missionary belief in the Lord Jesus, that He only is the way, the truth, and the life?” Then one day, Josh cried to God for clarity: “Lord, show me the way. Give me a sign. If [the Gospel] is really true, please soften my heart.”

That very night, and for the next several successive nights, Josh had a dream in which he says the Lord gave him confidence and assurance in what his friend had told him – that the Gospel is true. “The dream was the answer to my prayer,” Josh recalls. “[I knew it was] the Holy Spirit that was leading me.”

Unable to contain his excitement, Josh ran to his friend’s home and knocked on the door, even though it was late at night. Josh remembers being concerned that his friend would think he was crazy! Quite the opposite, his friend cried with joy at hearing the news – Josh was the very first in his village to receive the Gospel!

“I am ready.”

Josh’s friend knew that following Christ would not be an easy road for Josh. He explained that there would be persecution from Josh’s family and community. He encouraged Josh to take three days to pray and consider the cost of truly following Jesus. Three days later, Josh returned with simple words: “I am ready.” He was baptized that day at the age of 17.

Josh finished high school and went to college. After graduating, Josh had opportunities to go to a large metropolitan city to get a good job and make a comfortable living – true signs of success. But instead, he wanted to return home to share the Gospel with his people.

“I realized my family didn’t know the Lord,” Josh shares. “It would be selfish for me to seek [material things] which are temporary and not share with them what is essential – that we have life forever. I didn’t want only myself to have eternal life. I wanted them to have eternal life, too.”

So Josh returned home to begin the slow but steady journey of introducing his family and community to the life-changing truth of the Bible. And over time, the Lord was faithful! “It began with me,” Josh shares with a smile, “and then my brother, my sister, my father, my mother, then our neighbors. And today, including children there are over a hundred [believers in the village.]”

Several years later, God opened the door for Josh to partner with western churches and missions organizations, enabling him to expand his reach to other communities in the Indo-Malay region. No longer isolated in a remote village, Josh is a veritable force for the Gospel and has no intention of stopping. “I want to be productive in God’s kingdom as long as I live.”

As the first believer in a village now home to over 100 Christians, Josh serves as an example to other near-culture workers serving in Indo-Malay.

A Wife and A Spy

One of Josh’s early disciples did not come to Christ easily. Anna’s devout Muslim family arranged her marriage to Josh with both sides believing that their union would turn Josh away from Christianity and back to his Muslim roots. When describing what it’s like to grow up in the Muslim faith, Anna draws an interesting analogy. A young person is like water, and his or her family is like a container that holds the water. “They shape you and tell you where to go,” she says. “You don’t have a choice in that.”

Anna believed that she, along with the pressure of their families, could convince Josh to return to Islam. Once married, Anna often instigated arguments with Josh about his reading of the Bible and other books about Christianity. She regularly reported to her family how the situation was going. “I became like a spy,” Anna remembers. “A wife and a spy.”

Still, Josh was unwavering. “He was so strong. That’s what I hated the most,” Anna says. Over time, Anna felt she could not go on in a marriage to someone whose faith was so different from hers, and she considered divorce.

“Will you please open your book?”

Then one night, Josh and Anna had a particularly heated argument. She recalls hitting Josh and yelling at him, but he stayed calm and refused to fight back. He walked away and went to bed as though nothing had happened.

Anna grows solemn and quiet as she remembers what happened next. “That evening, I saw his Bible, and I had hatred in my heart about [him] being a Christian. I wanted to throw all his books.

“I fell asleep and had a dream that I saw a big book, lit only by candlelight. And I saw a hand, opening a page without touching it – like magic. The pages stopped turning at 2 Chronicles 15:2, and I saw the words printed there: ‘ When you seek the Lord, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.’

“I woke up…and my heart was fighting in me. Should I ask my husband, or should I stay silent?”

Anna goes on to share something that makes her story even more remarkable – when she had this dream, she knew nothing about the Bible. “I had never touched it. I didn’t know what’s in the Bible, or any of the books of the Bible.” And yet she clearly knew the reference she had seen – 2 Chronicles 15:2 and remembered word-for-word what it said.

Despite her pride telling her to be silent, Anna woke up her husband. “I said ‘Will you please open your book?’”

Josh opened his Bible – the same one that only hours earlier Anna had wanted to throw across the room in anger – and showed her 2 Chronicles 15:2. “It was amazing. That was the awakening moment for me,” says Anna. “I felt near to God. He was already there, I just had not let Him in.”

To the Next Generation

Over time, Josh and Anna’s relationship has healed and grown into a beautiful example of Biblical marriage. Josh has a contagious laugh that endears him to everyone he meets. Anna’s sweetness and gentle demeanor leave no trace of the quarrelsome spirit she remembers warring within her. Together, Josh and Anna work tirelessly to bring the hope of the Gospel to new generations of house churches as well as to the next generation in their own home.

Now raising two beautiful preteen daughters, the couple is starting new faith traditions of their own. The family shares daily devotions, opening God’s Word together as they continue to walk with Him in a region that is still less than 1% Christian. “In our family, we need to have a strong foundation so that wherever my kids are or wherever we are, we are strong enough to face any circumstances.”

*names changed for security reasons

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.

Hospitality, Help, and the Hope of the Gospel

By Suzanne Pearson • 16 Apr, 2024
TEAM Canada provides warm welcome and trusted friendships for diaspora populations living far from their native countries. As TEAM Canada workers Peter and Ruth (names changed) drive from their home to a nearby community center, they pass numerous apartment buildings and townhouses. Most of the families who live there are immigrants. They’ve left their countries of origin due to political unrest, trauma, and other difficulties. They’ve left family, friends, homes, jobs, and personal wealth behind. They search for peace, justice for the oppressed, and rest from fear and weariness. And as they adjust to a new country and a new language, they are often very isolated from others around them. “The sad reality is most immigrants are never even invited inside a Canadian home,” says Ruth. Peter and Ruth and their team try to change that reality. For the last nine years, the team, which includes workers from partner organizations as well as volunteers, has held English classes at the community center. Three days a week, over 60 students from more than 20 countries come together to learn English as well as to fellowship together and receive practical help in assimilating to a new normal. Meeting Needs and Building Trust That practical help may come in the form of procuring furniture, clothes, or dishes for newcomers, assistance with creating a resume and finding a job, or teaching people how to navigate Canadian laws and the medical system. As these tangible needs are met, relationships are built. “We invite them into our homes for meals and games,” Ruth shares. “We take them on hiking trips, picnics, outings, and out for coffee.” This is particularly important in this type of ministry because most immigrants come to Canada from cultures that value hospitality. Conversely, Canadians do not typically prioritize hospitality and consequently many newcomers feel lonely and isolated. Inviting folks to various gatherings and outings allows the team to spend extended time hearing people’s stories, struggles, hopes, and dreams. When she speaks about building friendships, Ruth’s heart for the people she serves is evident. “Hearing their stories, it’s easy to love them, and many have become close friends,” Ruth says. “We recognize the value of steady one-on-one relationships.”
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