There are so many good stories to tell. As I sit here I can think of dozens of them, but I have one that really touched me. I not only was able to see God working in my life and answering my prayers, but I got to see Him working in another’s life. I am so blessed that God used me to speak into this person’s life.
Where to start? Over the first two weeks of our time in Savoonga I was looking for my niche, my place of ministry there. I had no idea what that looked like. I didn’t know if it was with the kids, young adults, adults, or elders. I seemed to be moving around to all of them, but I didn’t really feel a calling to any particular area. At least not that I was seeing. To look back now it really was the kids that God was putting in front of me, but that is another story. During these first weeks I decided to just serve where ever there was a need, and just see what God had for me. I kept one prayer though, and that was to have just one divine appointment. I just really wanted to be able to connect with someone and share God’s word and God’s love with them.
Well, God started putting some things on my heart about faith and trusting Him, and the scriptures started coming out to go along with them. I felt led to step out and share these things at a Friday night worship service. I was not sure what it would look like at the time though, and felt like I really didn’t have a lot to share.
Friday came and there was a new face in the crowd. A man came in that was about thirty years old, and appeared to be looking to sell some carvings. He patiently sat down at the end of a bench from me, and listened as we sang worship songs. As time went on he seemed to get more interested in the songs and lyrics. The time came for me to get up and share what was on my heart, and I started talking about my struggles with faith and trusting God. God really guided me through it. I never even looked at the notes I had written except to find some bible versus. My five minute presentation turned into 20 -25 minutes rather quickly. It was good though.
Afterwards, I went to the man, and almost felt sorry that he had to sit through forty minutes of and my stories just to show us his carvings. As he took out his carvings, one thing really caught my attention. It was a small bone mask with a fur ruff around it. Not much bigger than the palm of my hand. It happened to be the only thing my wife Lindsay and I both really wanted to find. Until that time no one had brought one buy to sell, and we had met dozens of people trying to sell us item. Some were even back multiple times. I ended up buying it feeling that it was really a God led meeting.
After buying it we started talking, and he just poured out his story to me. He had not been to church for years. He had stopped going after his mom died. He told me about struggles with friends, drug and alcohol use, supporting his fiancee and children, and having to wait one more year to get married. It is an Eskimo custom to work for the brides family for a year before you get married. He was working for three. We talked for about an hour and a half, and God really allowed me to use my life experiences and the scriptures He had given me over the last several months to really connect with him. I was able to encourage him, and at the end he let me pray for him. I believe God really touched him. I saw him again later in Gambell, and he seemed so happy and proud to introduce me to his family. He even came by the church to visit a few times, and God gave me another chance to encourage him before leaving Gambell to come home.
-Matt Freeland
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