“I didn’t know what to expect but feel I got more than I bargained for,” said Enrico Bain from Bahamas. He had participated in the Transform missions conference, in Athens, Greece, where close to 150 people had gathered from five continents and 30 countries under the theme 'Unleashed'.
At home in Bahamas, 28-year old Enrico owns a small clothing business, sells cars and runs a rental company. He has been a believer for nine years, has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and loves serving, teaching and encouraging others. He was first introduced to Christ through a small church in his hometown. Truth to tell, he came across the church through a television programme which somehow the Holy Spirit led him to follow. He then visited it in person and gradually felt that Christ was transforming his heart. He now helps with a young adults’ Bible study and occasionally with the Sunday school.
Each year, Enrico tries to serve in missions and outreaches locally. When the OM Bahamas Country Leader told him about Transform, he realized that this cross-cultural experience could be a way to expand his horizons and challenge his faith. “Not only do I love to serve, but missions usually play a vital role in ‘revving my engines’ and reigniting a fire within me for the work of God and the people of God. It is one thing to talk about having a heart for the nations; very different to see God in the different nations, and beautiful to hear people’s stories. I also feel challenged to do more at home.”
Before Transform, Enrico had not heard many sermons about sharing one's faith and doing evangelism. He found it was a good experience to be pulled out of his natural habitat, learn from others and listen to their stories. “Coming to OM you eat, sleep and breath Jesus, and then go out and do it! OM gave me a real sense of calling in my life, and I am leaving with a greater sense of urgency,” he exclaimed.
After the conference, Enrico and his team went on an outreach to Drama, a small town in the Macedonian region of Greece. The team helped clean up public parks and assisted the local church with paint work on their building. They also trimmed trees and tidied up their basketball court. The highlight for Enrico was the one-day ‘Vacation Bible School’ they held for the church and neighbourhood children.
“You could tell that they enjoyed it, and we enjoyed serving them,” he recalls. “We taught them words from different languages, including English and Cantonese; we taught them basketball and soccer and went through a few Bible stories with them. It was truly a joy to serve the church and especially the kids. This trip reminded me that mission trips are not solely for the lost or doing evangelism, but also to bring strength, relief, and restoration to other brothers and sisters in the faith around the world,” concluded Enrico.
The Transform conference and outreach is over, but the Evangelical church in Drama is still reaching out to the community. Please pray for Greece and the ministry of OM together with the local, often small, Evangelical churches as they are endeavouring to reach out with the love of Christ.
