![English (United Kingdom) [Beta]](https://d16pzigze5um2c.cloudfront.net/modern-ministry-theme/images/spacer.png "English (United Kingdom) [Beta]")
Walking into a ministry opportunity by accident
A day in the life of workers in this Asian country where ministry can take unexpected turns.
Recently we went to visit a friend and instead literally walked into a ministry opportunity by accident.
It all went wrong when we got in the lift. Somehow the wrong number was pushed and we exited on the wrong floor.
We knocked on the door and were greeted by a complete stranger but, unphased, we proceeded to let ourselves in. We greeted the other strangers enthusiastically, assuming they were relatives of our friend (not outside the normal experience here).
Once we had removed all our jackets and shoes (quite a long time for us and the kids to do), the penny started to drop. "The lounge-room looks a little different," we thought. "The carpet looks different, the whole kitchen is a different colour... this is the wrong house!"
Funnily enough, by that time our accidental hosts had started to warm to the idea of hosting this brash foreign family and were now inviting us to sit and drink tea with them.
Unfortunately, we needed to leave to meet the person who was actually expecting us, so couldn't stay and enjoy the impromptu hospitality. But we're thinking how we can return and make the most of this unexpectedly warm response to our blundering lunch meeting.
Related Stories
Following God’s call to the Middle East
While many young people in their 20s move to new cities for their jobs, Will* has moved to a new continent. He is preparing to serve God in the Middle East.
Bringing sports ministry to some of the world's highest mountains
We may have been shivering 12,800 feet above sea level in the little mountain town of Ayaviri, but the warm welcome we received from our Andean brothers and sisters in Christ was unlike any other.
From drug addict to disciple: Finding Jesus through football
When the ace student from Malawi ended up in prison, his whole life was over--or so he thought. In fact, through an unexpected encounter with Christian members of a ministry-based soccer team, Patrick's spiritual life was just about to begin.
Ecuador and Ghana: Cross-cultural friendship produces a great harvest
Thomas responded to his missionary call after meeting an Ecuadorian mission team whose presence in Ghana spoke to him deeply - and they challenged him to go where Christ has not been known.
Past Dividing Lines: Ministering to India's Transgenders
Last week we visited several homes that really felt like shades and shadows. I followed Anna through the crowds of a wholesale bazaar, jostled with cows and carts, to the vicinity where dark narrow alleyways and stairwells led to the separate homes of 5 or 6 transgenders (TGs) under her care.
Expression curEntry.getAssetRenderer().getArticle is undefined on line 27, column 48 in 20155#20207#1429419.
1<style>
2
3</style>
4<#if entries?has_content>
5 <#assign storyIndex = 0>
6 <#list entries as curEntry>
7 <#assign storyIndex = storyIndex + 1>
8 </#list>
9</#if>
10<#if storyIndex != 1>
11
12 <h2>Most Read Stories</h2>
13
14 <#if entries?has_content>
15 <#assign storyIndex = 1>
16 <#list entries as curEntry>
17 <#assign url = request.getAttribute('CURRENT_URL')>
18 <#assign paramMinistry = httpUtil.getParameter(url, "Ministry_ID", false)>
19 <#assign currentPageIndex = url?last_index_of("/")>
20 <#assign mainArticle = url?substring(currentPageIndex)>
21 <#assign currentPageIndex = mainArticle?index_of("?")>
22 <#if (currentPageIndex > 0) >
23 <#assign mainArticle = mainArticle?substring(1,currentPageIndex)>
24 </#if>
25
26 <#assign assetRenderer = curEntry.getAssetRenderer() />
27 <#assign article = curEntry.getAssetRenderer().getArticle()>
28 <#assign articleKey = article.getResourcePrimKey()>
29 <#assign docXml = saxReaderUtil.read(curEntry.getAssetRenderer().getArticle().getContentByLocale(locale)) />
30 <#assign abstract = docXml.valueOf("//dynamic-element[@name='Text_Box7568']/dynamic-content/text()") />
31 <#assign ministry = docXml.valueOf("//dynamic-element[@name='Ministry_ID']/dynamic-content/text()") />
32 <#assign country = docXml.valueOf("//dynamic-element[@name='countries']/dynamic-content/text()") />
33 <#assign selectedImage = docXml.valueOf("//dynamic-element[@name='Square_Pic_URL']/dynamic-content/text()") />
34 <#assign title = docXml.valueOf("//dynamic-element[@name='title']/dynamic-content/text()") />
35 <#assign viewURL = assetRenderer.getURLViewInContext(renderRequest, renderResponse, '') >
36 <#assign titleURL = article.urlTitle >
37 <#if mainArticle != titleURL>
38 <#assign articleURL = viewURL + '?Ministry_ID=' + ministry + '&countries=' + country>
39 <div class="media" style="margin:0; padding: 5px 0; border-top:1px solid rgba(150,150,150,0.15);">
40
41
42
43
44 <a class="pull-left" href="${articleURL}"><img src="${selectedImage}" style="max-width: 75px;"></a>
45
46
47 <div class="media-body">
48 <a href="${articleURL}"><h4 class="media-heading">${curEntry.getTitle(locale)}</h4></a>
49 <h6 style="color:rgba(150,150,150,0.6);overflow:hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow:ellipsis;margin-bottom:0;">${abstract}</h6>
50
51 </div>
52 </div>
53 </#if>
54
55 </#list>
56
57 <div class="margin-bottom" style="width:100%; border-top:1px solid rgba(150,150,150,0.15);"></div>
58 </#if>
59
60</#if>