When Matthew Martin, UFM Communications Manager, set out to Southeast Asia, his aim was to capture short films for the mission. What he brought back was more than video clips, it was a renewed vision of God’s global Church.

I couldn’t hold back the tears. The moment they began to spill down my cheeks, I knew resistance was futile. Hearing Great Is Thy Faithfulness in the local tongue proved to be the final straw. The congregation’s heartfelt chorus, echoing in a packed room, magnified the intensity of worship and bound us to the worldwide Church.

It wasn’t only the familiar melody, the focus on God’s word, the sermon, or the prayers – it could have been my home church in the UK, if not for the foreign language, the ninetypercent humidity, and the monsoon rain pounding on the tin roof. My reaction to the unfamiliar was, in truth, because it was familiar. And I couldn’t ignore the Spirit’s whisper: Matthew, this is a taste of my Kingdom – and it is good.

I interviewed faithful men training for leadership, young converts ostracised by parents of another faith ….

Yet this church differs from mine in one major way: it meets in a nation torn by civil war. Men risk forced conscription into the deeply unpopular and brutal military, while civilians endure rolling blackouts, food shortages, and collapsing infrastructure. In the days leading up to that service, I had travelled across the region, capturing stories of God at work. These people were hard-pressed on every side but not crushed, perplexed yet not in despair (2 Cor 4:8). Through my camera lens, I saw the radiant joy on their faces as they spoke of the treasure they had found in Christ.

With the help of a translator, I interviewed faithful men training for leadership, young converts ostracised by parents of another faith, and our UFM mission partners – quite possibly the only family planting a church in that area. While many mission partners had been evacuated, they chose to remain, denying themselves the comforts of the West to plant a gospel-hearted church and raise up faithful men, like those I interviewed, to lead it forward, even at overwhelming personal risk.

While many mission partners had been evacuated, they chose to remain, denying themselves the comforts of the West to plant a gospel-hearted church …

There is nothing novel in what these mission partners are doing. Yes, it is the first evangelical church of its kind in that area. Yes, many in the congregation are coming to Christ. But the model itself is one UFM has prayed for and worked toward for nearly a century. Insignificant though we are, God continues to grant us the privilege of playing a small part in his great plan for the nations.

For me, it was a glimpse of heaven itself: worshippers from every nation, every tribal group (135 are officially recognised in this country), and every language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Rev 7:9) in unified praise.

It saddens me to say, there is something almost indulgent about trips like these. Even though their purpose is to support mission partners serving long-term and provide resources for sending churches, returning to the comforts and security of home often brings a sense of guilt. Yet these experiences also serve as a wake-up call, that outside my quiet Wiltshire bubble, God is building, and will continue to build, His Church. That Church is truly global. When what is “foreign” feels like home, you are reminded that you are part of one body with many members, a body we are all called to support, whether by sending, going, praying, or giving. I implore you: don’t stop.

I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. (Rev 7:9)