How did God call me into mission?

The inspiration and power of storytelling leading to a vocational journey from Hong Kong to Vietnam and Great Britain and on to Tanzania.

Growing up in Hong Kong, I had always shared a bedroom with my sister even though there was an empty room in my parents’ flat. Many cross-cultural missionaries and their families from different parts of the world would stay in that room. As Hong Kong is at the crossroads of East and West, and since my parents have been working in an international mission organisation, many missionaries stopped by for home assignment and conferences. Therefore, as a young child, I got to hear stories about what God was doing around the world.

These stories came alive when my family and church went to visit missionaries in various countries where Christianity and mission were restricted by the governments, and where there were no ‘official’ churches. I remember feeling impressed that the missionaries from different countries could serve together and each other despite the cultural differences (and was shocked by the impossibly spicy food). The missionaries worked patiently in their professions and shared their faith with those who asked them. Moreover, they prayed faithfully for the unreached. Little did I know how their stories would go on to shape my life.

Later, together with a teenage youth group from my church, I had the opportunity to visit one of those towns again as a volunteer. We spent four summers there, doing tasks that the missionaries gave us, held a summer camp for teenagers from the area, and fell in love with the spicy food. One of the most memorable experiences was when some of us were about to pay a visit to a missionary’s friend, who was paralysed and bed bound. As a gift, we bought him some food and randomly drew some paintings for him without coordinating with each other. However, when the three of us presented those paintings to the man, somehow, they coherently illustrated stories from creation to New Creation! After hearing the stories, the man decided to give his life to Christ. It was clearly not by our doing, but God’s mighty work.

These experiences, combined with many others, inspired me to seek to serve God and people through community development, so I decided to study Geography in university. One evening in November 2012, some of us from the Christian youth fellowship attended a live recording of a worship band. While worshipping and singing, God showed me a vision of people of different nations worshipping God on layers of mountains. They were all dressed in different styles of clothing, worshipping in their native languages and gestures. God helped me understand that he invited not only me, but people of all nations to join in his mission.

Since that turning point, I began to explore how and where God would like me to join in his mission. Together with others interested in the student fellowship, we attended various mission organisations’ camps, conferences, and talks. In my final year of university, I applied to go to Vietnam for 11 months as a missionary intern with an international mission organisation. That immersive experience showed me the power of stories and storytelling – Vietnamese Christians would learn Bible stories from the missionaries, and tell them to their friends and family, who would tell others, who would then tell others … and indigenous churches sprung up.

In order to receive more training and education about missions, my mentor and field director recommended studying at All Nations Christian College in the UK. While studying there, I asked God to continue to show me where to serve afterwards. I prayed that if he did not show me a place clearly then I would return to Vietnam. However, when Mads and I met at that college during our studies, he had already signed a contract with BDM (Brødremenighedens Danske Mission), agreeing to go to Tanzania in 2018. After some prayer and confirmation through dreams, we decided to go to Tanzania together.

During our seven years in Tanzania, especially in challenging times, God’s initial and continuous calling to us kept us persevering and sustained us. God’s story, Bible stories, and people’s stories have led us to where we are. We are grateful for the unfailing support from our families and churches, who respond to God’s calling to mission wherever they are.

Sr Janice Leung Jacobsen

Rukwa Province in Tanzania