When There Are Roadblocks Along God's Trail

"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

Have you ever felt like God was clearly calling you to do something for Him, but you had to take a roundabout way to get there? Instead of a perfectly clear path, it was a bumpy road full of detours? Sometimes the enemy does everything imaginable to get in our way and the road ahead may seem impossible. After facing obstacles surrounding an I-DENT training in Mozambique in 2014 Jaime Saint said, "Anytime God is at work, we also have an enemy who is alive and at workThe good news is that we know that in the end, God wins."

Can't Practice New Dental Skills

Imagine the discouragement that the three I-DENT graduates in Mozambique faced when their government told them that they would not be allowed to practice their new dental skills. These students had been selected for the I-DENT training because of their spiritual maturity and leadership within their church. After months of anticipation and a week of intense training, the trainees were ready to use their new skills to share the love and good news of Christ with others.

Unfortunately, the local government stepped in after the training and told the trainees they would first have to go through the process of getting approval from the local hospital and Department of Health. This was a huge obstacle that could have put a permanent end to a short-lived ministry.

We Can't, God Can

But God made a way! We recently received word that approval has been granted! The three trainees were given a permit from both the local hospital and the Department of Health to continue the dental ministry. And to make the deal even sweeter, the government will also be providing them with the dental supplies they need! What an unexpected blessing!

As Jesus reminds us in John 16:33, "In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." We are never promised that following Christ will lead to an easy life. But we do know that God is faithful and He has already overcome the enemy.

The three I-DENT graduates in Mozambique have been faithful in their call to serve the Lord. Instead of giving up at the first sign of difficulty, they pursued the proper permits and waited until they had the support of their local government. God honored their faithfulness and made it possible for them to serve their community.

We trust God with the results of every training. While it would be nice to know for certain that every trainee will continue practicing after the training, there is no guarantee. This is a risk that we take. Some may wonder why we take this risk, investing the time to train indigenous people instead of treating as many people as possible in one week. It's because we believe that the people we are training will make a much larger impact for the Kingdom of God than we will.

Caring for Their Own Community

The ITEC team returned from Mozambique about a year and a half ago, and the result of that training is now taking root. The impact of the training will continue to grow. The three trainees, who know the local language and culture far better than anyone on our team, are now able to care for their own community. By meeting peoples' physical needs, they gain their trust and open the door for the Gospel. This is the ultimate goal of ITEC, that indigenous people will be empowered to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Praise the Lord for making it possible!