Yesterday I preached in a church. Preachers got together from the remote areas of Jakarta for their Christmas celebration. The ladies stood there with their batik uniform. I saw their legs, dry skin and dirty, dusty shoes.

I sat there and wept. I said, Lord, this was how my ministry began, except there was no tiles for the floor. It was just cement or red soil. I remember how I began my ministry. I didn’t start the way I am now. I didn’t start with diamonds on my ring or Rolex on my wrist.

When I began my ministry, I started with my pony tail hair and a long skirt, among the un-known people in the remote island of the northern part of Sulawesi. No church, nor parents financed my ministry. Nobody paid my tickets. I walked on foot from one church to the next. Nobody printed brochures for me. There, in that remote island of Sanger Talaud, I was sold out for Jesus. Nobody knew my background. But I faithfully did what God had called me to do, to bring souls to Jesus. I didn’t see how thick the envelope was.

It is my desire and my heart cry that people would be willing to take the step and take God fully on His Word, to focus on it carefully and enjoy the exciting journey, like I do.

As I worshipped with that church yesterday, from 2pm – 4 pm, my heart broke. I said, God, thank You for making me focus on the destiny You called me to do. Now that we have the Kuningan Place, now that the ministry can have cars, it all began with one commitment in the poor place. I want everyone to experience Christ and be filled with His love. I am not moved by the past wealth and comforts, I lost my desires for comforts. My focus was to see the people in the island of Sanger turned to Jesus.

I didn’t receive cash offering that time. Instead, a basket full of water crest, bananas and all kinds of fresh fish from the ocean was my love offering from the local pastors and the villagers. I taught them how to make money with all these. I put in practice the managerial and financial skill I have and taught them how to generate income. It worked. I can turn poverty into wealth.

The keys to unlock success that I have embraced all along my journey are:

• Self-discipline: be diligent and focused in walking out your God given vision
• Passion: a hot burning passion will get you to walk on
• Generosity: contributing to the world and people around you which harvest will be rendered in your latter days, in ways you can not imagine/predict.
• Creativity: thinking out of the box to get new ideas and solutions
• I went through what it takes to get me into where I am today. It’s a process, alright. But through that process, I’ve grown. I’ve gained wealth of wisdom.

It is my desire and my heart cry that people would be willing to take the step and take God fully on His Word, to focus on it carefully and enjoy the exciting journey, like I do.

(Written by Ps. Evelyn C. Nadeak as told by Ps. Indri Gautama)