The Harvest is Plentiful, The Laborers Are Few.

“Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” - Matthew 9:35-38

Hello everyone and happy July!! I hope you’ve been enjoying your summer and are either preparing for a celebratory and safe birthday party for America or you’re spending lots of quality time with your dogs. I know my pup back home with my mom will probably need to be heavily sedated this July to have any sort of rest haha. Nonetheless, what a beautiful thing we get to celebrate as a nation: FREEDOM!

What a wild month it’s been! Since joining staff in January, we have been preparing for the summer! We’ve been working on (and I’ve been simultaneously learning) all the logistics needed for outreaches, praying together Luke 10:2 everyday at 10:02am (“Lord of the harvest, send Laborers!”), and receiving those the Lord sends and mobilizing them to the mission field!! This is our second year having 2 week summer outreaches, but this year with the Lord, we were able to send out 7 teams with 58 people to places that have never even heard the gospel or name of Jesus!! We have so many of you to thank for your giving, your going, and your intercession.

After 7 years of prayer and catching God’s heart for the Middle East, I had the honor of co-leading a team to Jordan and it was beyond any of my wildest dreams or expectations. Most of my team met in person only two days before the trip, but we quickly became a little family. Not one person took a moment for granted. Everyone was locked in with what Jesus was doing in ministry, while also being intentional with one another! Everyone truly loved wholeheartedly, walked in humility, generosity, and hunger for Jesus. We chose to spend our windows of rest with one another. Sometimes it was late nights sharing what God was doing in our hearts, sometimes it was swimming, or wild times of playing spicy uno. I am truly blown away and moved by this team, they have provoked me to love without limitation. In Jordan, I was met with the love of Jesus for the lost & the least. The love Jesus has for those that don’t know Him and are enslaved by Islam is a love that aches and goes deeper than a 5 minute gospel presentation. It’s relational and asks hard questions. It’s a love that’s gentle and lowly. Not a passive love, but a patient love.

The harvest in Jordan most definitely is ripe, but it does not quite look like every other field. Seeds of the word of God are scattered and watered, but it’s very evident that the Lord is establishing roots in the hearts of people before we can see the increase from above ground. We didn’t see masses or even a handful of people give their lives to Jesus throughout our time in Jordan, However, we entered into the healing work Jesus is doing in families who have fled their homes to find refuge in Jordan. We laughed and danced with children who once suffered at the hands of ISIS and other terrorist groups. We had the honor of weeping with some of the most faithful followers of Jesus. We saw Jesus give a voice to women who have been told their whole lives that they are not worthy to be heard or to be seen. We saw believers gathering in worship and making intercession for their nation, bringing fresh fire to our team. We saw physical healings in nerves and joints. We met people with a hunger to truly see God and we met people who have had encounters with Jesus as the Man in white. We caught God’s heart for the one in the shopping mall, the one in the candy shop, the one on the street corner, and the barista from Ohio that just happened to be living in Jordan.

We were in Jordan during one of Islam’s biggest feasts: Eid Al Adha (translated: Feast of the Sacrifice). This feast is meant to honor and celebrate two things: #1: Abraham’s willingness and obedience to God’s command to sacrifice his son and #2: God’s intervention by providing a lamb. Muslims today participate in this feast by sacrificing a four legged animal (usually a lamb) and feasting– giving a portion of meat to themselves and a portion to the poor. Muslims believe that this blood sacrifice of an animal and their giving to the poor can help bring them favor with God. Most of the week in Jordan we were hearing about this feast, the Muslim calls to prayer were extra amplified, and we saw lambs slaughtered on the sides of the road with blood and guts everywhere. So much sacrifice, works, and tradition- but no assurance of salvation. No understanding of relationship with God Himself. All we could think of is our Lamb that was already slain as a ransom for all people. Jesus, the perfect sacrifice. What a gift we have in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, which was more than enough to save you and I.

I found Jesus in the field and have been left forever changed. I am back on base continuing to serve and knowing fully well that God has me here for this season, but if I’m being completely honest, these last few days I have felt like my entire heart was ripped out and left on the other side of the world. I may have been astounded by the beauty of Jesus in this place and fully convinced that He’s doing a great work, but I’ve also been convinced of the great need. There’s truly a need unlike anything I’ve ever seen for people to go share the gospel and live among the lost in Jordan. What I have written here today does not come close to articulating the ache the Lord has for Jordanians as well as all the Iraqis, Lebanese, Iranians, Syrians, Afghans, etc. who take refuge in this peacemaking nation. After 7 years of crying out asking God to “Send me!” My prayer and longing is now “Send me back to Jordan! Send more laborers to Jordan!”

I know that the Lord has me here now to be present in Kansas City and further the development process for one day returning to the Middle East. Some practical things I am doing now in this next season are:

Starting the process of learning Arabic! I’m starting out the alphabet and soon looking into the best courses/programs I can take to learn!!
Searching for places in KC that I can shadow teaching English as a second language. I believe my TESOL certificate will be useful when the time comes for me to go overseas again. I would just like to become more confident in teaching, so I am looking for an opportunity for hands-on work!
Beginning to jump into DTS season! Starting to make more calls for potential students that will come this fall and praying that the Lord would bring students who are marked for His mission.
Praying about taking a personal trip to Egypt and possibly back to Jordan after DTS outreach in the Spring.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for more long-term missionaries to be sent to Jordan and for strength in the churches
Pray for the grace for me to learn Arabic, it’s one of the hardest languages in the world to learn and my brain doesn’t retain much these days haha!
Pray for the grace and open doors for me to shadow teaching while I do my normal full-time work here!
Pray for our September discipleship training school- the school leaders, staff, students! Wisdom in upcoming decisions and Jesus’ vision for this school!

Giving:

I am jumping into DTS trusting that God is going to come through and meet every need! I have yet to reach my support goal for my monthly needs, as of this month my rent has gone up an additional $100 along with recently losing some monthly support. With DTS, I will have a hefty sum to raise for outreach as well. If you are looking for a missionary to support, or know anyone that is searching, I would be so honored if you would pray and consider partnering with me in taking the gospel where it has yet to be heard!

Thank you so much to all of you that are praying for me, supporting me financially, and those who have even sent me letters and text messages of encouragement. You truly mean the world to me and I would not get to do what I do without you.

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Non tax-deductible ways to donate:

Venmo: @Jessica-Lawrence23

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Thank you!!

Sincerely,

Jessica Lawrence