A Servant's Diary

By Sharon, a Servant

I wrote this book during COVID-19 to remember all the things God has done for me. I was humbled and full of gratefulness to remember how, over the years, he cared for me, protected me, provided for me, and gave me his direction, for he had a plan for my life, to give me a future and a hope.

My hope is that this diary will encourage you to see that no matter your age or position in life, God has a plan for you, and he can use you if you are willing to listen to him and respond. If God calls you, he has already prepared the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9781639610846

Book preview

Chapter 1

Go!

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

—Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

My journey began in 1991. I received a magazine from the Company and on the back page it showed a picture of Russia’s Red Square and the printed question: How would you like to go to Russia with Josh McDowell and hand out Bibles? I looked at the magazine and heard God say, Sharon, I want you to go. I went to the phone and dialed the Company to ask about details for this trip. My heart was not to just walk the streets of Moscow and hand out Bibles, but to be sure the people had an opportunity to meet with other believers and study God’s Word finding fellowship and encouragement. The company suggested I go with a team to Novosibirsk, Russia, sharing the love of Jesus, showing the Jesus film and setting up places and times for Bible study. The time frame was June 13, 1992 to July 16, 1992.

Now that I knew where God wanted me to go, the challenges began. I had to raise support, and I had never traveled to a foreign country before. Going to Mexico and Canada was not my idea of a traveling challenge. I grew up in the ’50s when we did drills hiding under our school desks for fear of a bomb attack from Russia. This trip to Russia was exciting and frightening at the same time.

It was said to me, What are you going to do when you don’t raise all the money needed for the trip? I felt a real peace about the details of the trip, and my Father would not let me down.

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12)

I drew a barometer on paper and marked the amounts in increments, coloring as I raised money needed for this mission trip. God was faithful and brought in every dollar needed. I went through the process to get my first passport and shots for this travel—all so new and exciting for me.

When we entered the Moscow airport, I was shocked as it was dark with low, dark, oppressive ceilings and empty spaces. Young guards stood around unarmed. The glass windows were badly in need of washing; fingerprints were all over them. The check-in station had exposed wires; everything looked old, broken or rundown. Dick, our leader, said it was the easiest entry he has ever seen. On the metro the people sat quietly, not smiling or talking. They dressed old-fashioned and poorly. This was truly a dark place that needed light.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19–20 (NIV)

That night, at the dinner table in Moscow, I took off my glasses as my sinus was going crazy; the cottonwoods were blooming, and it looked like snow. I was exhausted and not thinking clearly. That was the last time I saw my glasses. I broke down in tears from exhaustion, and the loss of my glasses. There were more issues: one of the girls lost her visa to stay in the country, so that added more time and stress on the leaders to get it before we left for Novosibirsk. Thank God, Dick had a pair of reading glasses, and they helped me make it through the whole time of ministry. Daily, I saw miracles, and the Word became alive and amazing for me.

In Russia, we started as a team of seven (the Siberian Seven) people from all over the US. A few of us went to a warehouse where we were to pick up a few boxes of books: the book of Luke, The Four Spiritual Laws, and some Bibles in Russian. To our amazement, it was not just a few boxes but a school bus full of boxes. Sweat poured off our bodies as we loaded the boxes into the bus. This was the team leader’s mistake but not God’s. God knew we would need all the materials. This also created another problem: now the load was too big for the plane we were to take to Novosibirsk. For hours we sat under the belly of the plane that would take us to Novosibirsk, and I could see the poor shape of this plane. We lifted prayers and singing to God to handle this situation. The tires were bald, wires were literally dangling from the underbelly, and when we needed extra room for the boxes, they just popped out the seats. There was a bathroom at the airport, but the floor was covered in feces and urine, and the smell was overpowering, so we made a human circle in the field near the plane, and each took turns relieving ourselves. The pilot came onboard, and we all were sure he was drunk. He turned on the heat in ninety-degree weather, and we were dying. Finally, we got him to turn on the air conditioner, then it got so cold it was dripping ice water on us. So we asked again, and he turned on the heat. At one point, he turned on Russian music so loud we could not even talk. We were so ready to get off this plane. After many trials and plane issues, we did arrive in Novosibirsk and went to our hotel. Yes, once again unloading all the boxes and luggage onto another bus and then again in the hotel. At this point, we had had very little sleep, food, or water, and we were physically exhausted. But no, we loaded the boxes in the wrong place and needed to move them once again.

Novosibirsk is where the Russian government sent their scientists and educators for protection, as they feared the US was going to bomb Moscow.

Russia was in dire straits, with little food, little money, and little organization. This country that I feared for so many years was literally crumbling. I saw people trying to get on public busses, people half in and half out of the bus. The bus was crammed like a sardine can.

Kostya—my translator, a Russian Jew—and I were responsible for finding food for the team. We would pray before leaving and maybe would find three loaves of black bread, three Pepsis with skewed labels and easy-to-pop caps, and a few bananas, cherries, or apricots. When we returned to eat, we all sat in a circle—the seven Americans and four translators—sharing what we found to eat and thanked God for it. We had no glasses, so we just passed the Pepsis around, and all drank from the same bottles. Bottled water was very hard to find. God protected us, and none of us got sick. One thing I did not tell anyone was I was sure that when I left the US, I was getting a bladder infection. If I had shared this news, I would have been met with many objections and told to stay home. Sweating, working, and being thirsty all the time and feeling bad, I knew it was only God who kept me from really getting ill.

One day, as we were doing street ministry, I saw pure evil for the first time in my life. The look in this man’s eyes were terrifying. I started to pray and watched as he walked among us and then left. When I brought this up in our team meeting that evening, several of us had seen him and prayed for him to leave us. They saw evil too.

We showed the Jesus film in many places. Back then, we had the large reels and projector, hauling them up many flights of stairs and all over the city. During the reel change, one of us would give our testimony. I was first, with the help of our translators. About two hundred came that time. Many accepted Christ as their Savior. We all were there to share with them and help them with their questions. One lady hugged and kissed me and gave me her necklace. They were so poor yet gave so much.

At the hotel, we had a key lady. We were to leave this large ball with the room key with her. She was waiting for us each night with a pot of hot water so we could take a quick, simple bath. There was no hot water at the time. She also protected us from thieves. Often, we would bring her food gifts as thanks. When other teams came in, we assigned them to different schools to teach kids or show the Jesus film. They were all on different floors of the hotel, and many of them lost their personal items that they left in their rooms to thieves.

My roommate and I realized we had so many more clothes than the Russians, so we decided to wear only two sets of clothes the entire time. Kostya, my translator, needed a toothbrush so we went to the store to try and buy him some things. We found a toothbrush in the shop, but it was used. We could only find one pair of pants for him. The grocery store shelves were almost totally empty.

English Club was a huge success, attracting many Russians: doctors, lawyers, and scientists all wanting to improve their English. The club started at 10:00 p.m. and went until almost midnight. Each of us spoke, and they asked many questions. When we all finished, without knowledge of each other’s talk, God had given them, our students, a lovely picture of a spirit-filled life in Jesus Christ. I left the English Club on a high note. My roommate and I were both fast walkers, and we reached the hotel about fifteen minutes before the rest of the team. When I opened the first of two large doors, I froze in disbelief as blood was smeared all over the door and walls, and there was a man lying on the floor covered in blood. Only then did I hear people upstairs shouting for me to get away from the door. I looked over to my right and saw a group of men dressed in black leaning against a car. I backed away and watched in a frozen state as one of the men, wearing brass knuckles, came with a stare and walked around me. I prayed for protection, and my Father heard me. After a face-to-face encounter, the man finally turned and walked away. Not long after that, the team arrived, all of us standing in a group trying to understand what just happened and how long it would be until we could enter the hotel. Finally, the police came, and the men got in their car and left. When the police carried the beaten man away, we could enter the hotel. Once again, our Father was with us and protected us from harm. We never did learn what had just happened.

One day we met a lady who invited Kostya, Bev, Lisa, and me to her flat. We took a bus then walked through the woods to her home. She had made cream puffs without the cream as the butter was rancid, and no sugar could be found. She had a bottle of Moldavian wine she had been saving for a long time for a special event. She told us nothing special had happened to her and was about to give it away. But when she met us, that was special, and she wanted to open this bottle of wine and share it with us. We ate, and she played her accordion. She told us she had an emptiness in her; we shared the four spiritual laws with her. Kostya did not want to translate; he wanted to lead her to Christ himself. We told her we were showing the Jesus film at the October Revolution Theater in an hour. She wanted to go with us and helped us get all the right buses. Drenched in sweat and exhausted from running, we made it right on time for the showing. She did not accept Christ at that moment but wanted to think on all we had told her. But Kostya was so excited he could hardly stand it. He shared Christ for the first time. He told us that when he accepted Christ just that week, it was like a small wind that came to him. Of course, I did not get back to the hotel until after midnight—once again exhausted.

While sharing the four spiritual laws with a group, an Afghani man came, and I tried to share with him, but he kept saying, It is too late for me. I tried to get him to come to the Bible study we had set up in the area, but he would only say, It is too late for me. He kissed my hand and left.

As an American, I had little opportunity to share my faith, for my friends were Christians. I had little exposure to non-Christians, so sharing my faith in Russia was a first. We used the Campus Crusade for Christ four spiritual laws books. One side of the page was in English and the other Russian. I would start to read to one person, and by the time I turned the page, another person was standing beside me. It was not uncommon to finish with ten people listening and reading. Many wanted to pray and receive Christ as their Savior right there on the street. My heart was overwhelmed with the response of the people. I had never seen such a field ripe for harvest. One woman stood after watching the Jesus film in a crowded theater of maybe five hundred people and shouted, We don’t need food, we need Jesus Christ. The change in my heart and compassion for others was growing like a lovely flower.

We were privileged to visit an orphanage. I fell in love with a little girl who walked around with me and sat in my lap, lapping up all the love she could get. They had nothing. I had little to give her, but I did have a small bar of soap with me, and I gave it to her. She held it in her hands like it was a precious jewel. There were so many children without love and the basic things to keep clean. My heart broke. I was determined to go back the next year and visit that orphanage again and take toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and small toys.

As I was walking through the park, I met a man with a beautiful little girl standing beside him. I started to share with him about the love of Jesus and how much our Father loves him. He said he would consider Jesus if he was ever in trouble and needed him. I looked at his little girl and said, How would you feel if your beautiful little girl never talked to you or loved you but one day, when she needed something, came and just asked for it without showing she loved you? How would you feel? He stopped and looked at his daughter and said, I see what you mean. He invited me and others to his house. We went, and I shared more about Jesus. The whole family accepted Jesus as Lord of their life. Several years later, he and his family moved to the US, and he called me. They came to my house in Texas and stayed for a visit. It was amazing to see the family loving the Lord.

My time in Russia was a life-changing experience for me. Promises from the Bible were real, God’s Word became alive. Sharing my faith with others was a positive and encouraging step. My life was changed forever. I had a heart for missions and people all over the world.

End of School the Next Summer in Texas

School was over for the summer, and I was cleaning out my desk when I jammed my hand into a tack. After going home, I also worked in the yard pulling weeds, so I am not sure which was the culprit, but my hand started to hurt, and my fingers bent. I went to the doctor right away, and they rushed me into the hospital. Seems I had gangrene in my hand. The doctor said, You cannot go to Russia now. I assured him I was going. I had a seventy-pound suitcase ready for the orphanage, and my heart was set on going to see all the kids again. The doctor did surgery and put a drain in my hand after surgery and tied my hand up to the wall to drain antibiotics through. The doctor said I may lose part use of my hand and could not bend my fingers. He also said that had a day or two longer passed, I would have lost all my fingers. But our mighty God was in control, and I did go to Russia that summer, and I had total use of my hand.

With a new team of people, we did get back to the orphanage with that suitcase of seventy pounds full of gifts for the children. The children were very sick, malnourished, and showed signs of scurvy. When we passed out candy, we were almost mobbed. One of the guys who came this year had a Big Bird suit, and it was realistic. All he had to do was walk into an area, and we were instantly surrounded by kids, and then we would get their parents. Many heard the good news of Jesus and accepted him as Lord.

One day, as we were eating lunch in the hotel where we stayed, I stared at my soup with only a few peas and carrots in it, and once again heard God’s voice. Sharon, now, I want you to go to China. Upon my return home and after sleeping for about four days, I called the Company once again and said, While in Russia, doing ministry, I heard God telling me to go to China. The response was We do not go to China. My response back was Well, you must, or God would not have told me to go. A few days later, someone called, and I started my paperwork for the next year’s trip to China.

Chapter 2

China: Be Still and Know I Am God

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path.

—Proverbs 3:5–6

June 15, 1994

It was my first trip to China with a team of eight kids from MIT, Stanford, UCLA, UT, and U of L—mostly kids with a Chinese heritage. We flew to Seattle for training before heading to China. With twelve hours’ difference, we landed in a hot and steamy airport where it was even hard to breathe. We were to be students at the Beijing University learning Chinese. On the placement test, all I could do was put my name. The man kept saying, Do all you can do. Finally, he realized I had done all I could do and let me go. I was given a Chinese name of Sha Mei Wen.

We had dorm rooms with two beds because we were foreigners. If we were Chinese, it would be eight students to a room. Our morning consisted of classes of Chinese language and characters, and then we were to meet other students and ask for help with our Chinese in exchange for help with English.

When we arrived at the university, they gave us a banquet as we were ten foreign students. I had Peking duck for the first time in my life. I rehearsed and said something of gratitude to the official in Chinese and felt quite proud of myself.

Each morning we received two thermoses of hot water outside of our room. Well, it was so hot when I poured it into my plastic bottle the first day, the bottle totally melted. Lesson learned! For meals we ate in the student cafeteria. All I could do at first was point, and then they would dish up the food. It became a game to see who could find the biggest rock in the rice. Eating with chopsticks was not