Eliana Roth – Missionary to France Q&A
Eliana's Missionary Journey to France
Interviewer: Pastor Corey Guest: Eliana, Missionary to Aix-en-Provence, FrancePASTOR COREY: So I want to start back from the beginning because every missionary story begins with understanding the gospel, right? You're not going to take the gospel to a place unless you know the gospel yourself. So I'd like to just kind of roll back to the beginning and hear: how did you come to know the Lord as your Savior? Who shared the gospel with you? And what did God use to bring your life into His kingdom? ELIANA: So I grew up in Illinois, and I was born into a family where both of my parents attended church. Both of them actually grew up Mennonite, for those of you who know that denomination. So my parents were both Mennonite on both sides, and I grew up going to a Mennonite church, actually. That church was interesting because sometimes I would say that the gospel was not necessarily the forefront of what they were focusing on in their ministry. So that was interesting just in getting to know who Jesus was a bit at that church too. But I also just think that the gospel was not fully presented there either. But thankfully, both of my parents actually loved going to vacation Bible school when they were younger, so they had the habit of—my siblings and I would always go to like five vacation Bible schools every single summer, I think, just to get us out of the house. But some of it too is just to be able to go to other churches. And I remember it was at a church that was nearby, a Baptist church actually. I remember the person who was presenting the gospel there—it was actually my friend's mom who later, we went to the same college together. I remember her going up and talking about how Jesus died on the cross and how He paid for our sins on the cross. And it was the first time that I think I understood what the gospel was, but I did not make it personal and take it personally in my own life until that moment when I was nine, at the vacation Bible school there. So that was the moment when I did receive Christ as my Savior, when I fully understood what a relationship with Him looked like, as opposed to just knowing about Him and knowing who He was more personally, as opposed to just knowing more facts about Him too. So that was the moment when I was saved. And I think along with this question too, just one word that I think has really stuck with me throughout my life is just faithfulness—how the Lord is just so faithful to me even after that time too. Going through certain things in high school and being able to see how the Lord was just so faithful and walking beside me just each step of the way too. I think it's just amazing to think about how the Lord is so faithful, even when we turn away sometimes, and how He's so gracious and faithful to keep us and to just hold us too. PASTOR COREY: As a single lady missionary, I'd love to be able to kind of hear just what's it like being a single lady missionary and how is that helpful for a church plant? Kind of a little bit about your plan there. ELIANA: Oh, yeah. So usually some people are not as familiar with singles just helping in the church too, in the context of missions. So I kind of like to explain it as almost as if there was like a kids director here in the States or someone who is helping out with churches here in the States, but just in an international context. So a lot of what it will be is—Jonathan is still the pastor of the church and Priscilla is still helping out with the kids ministry. But I'll be able to come alongside both of them in being able to just pick up some of the tasks that might be harder for them or that they might not be able to get to and just kind of be able to take on some of those tasks that they don't have to focus on as much. So some of those will be helping out in the children's ministry department. And Lord willing, as I learn the language throughout the year and really put in a lot of time to that too, being able to teach the kids by the time that I end up leaving after the year. And then in addition to that, the big thing I'll be doing is social media as well. So making social media for the church and really working to sort of hone those skills and be able to reach a lot of the college students in the area. So that'll be one of my focuses. And then by the time I'm leaving, sort of my last two months there, the plan is to train someone else to do that. So a lot of it will be helping out in the kids ministry, training someone else to do that before I leave, and also doing the social media, but then also being able to train someone else to take over that once I end up leaving too. And I know some people often have issues with the accountability and things like that since I'm not married. But I will just be discipled by Priscilla and I will have that fellowship and community there. I'm not going on my own to work on my own, but I'll be going and working with a family who's been on the field for many years too. PASTOR COREY: So can you tell us just a little bit about what you might anticipate as far as struggles living cross-culturally on your field, and then maybe what your plan is to adapt, even if it isn't for a shorter amount of time? ELIANA: So I know—I don't know what you guys know about the French people too, and obviously I only have the limited knowledge of what others have said too, since I haven't been there yet. But I know that a lot of what people say about the French people is that they're more closed off. I actually have a French tutor too, so even like learning some of the culture—I know she told a story where there was an American student who went over there and would smile, look at people in the eyes, and nobody would really look back. Everyone would just look straight ahead or at the ground or just not really acknowledge her. And I remember she was like, "What's going on? Am I doing something wrong? Is there something going on here?" And my tutor just basically had to tell her it's just the culture. A lot of it is that people in France sometimes just don't trust strangers. So even if you go up to someone, try to have a conversation with someone, they can be very wary of that and not as comfortable with that. So that will be one thing that will definitely be a challenge, just in trying to learn more about how to reach others and knowing what methods to do that with too—just being able to connect with people and get to know them better too, instead of kind of always going up to strangers, but praying that the conversations will continue after first meeting them too. So I think that will be one of the stressful things. And I think along with that too, just throughout the year, trying to focus on being present and being in the moment when I'm there. Because I think one thing—I tend to be very forward thinking. So sometimes I am sitting here trying to think about what happens after that year. I don't know yet. And I think just being able to just sit in the present moment and know that God has me there for a reason, to be able to just sit in that and be present and do the ministry there and not view it as, even if it is just a year, the Lord can still work in a year too. That time is not wasted serving Him during that year. And I think that would just be one thing in following the Lord's leading and not jumping ahead of Him and just being able to walk according to His will during the time there and not being as concerned about what to tell people once I get back from the year and where the Lord is leading to. PASTOR COREY: What do you anticipate? What's that first arrival period going to be like when you first get there? ELIANA: So the other day actually I had a Zoom meeting with Jonathan, so we kind of went over some of these things about when I first get there, what that will look like. When I first get there, sort of the first few months, there'll be a lot of French learning—a lot of just full immersion, spending a lot of time, the majority of my time trying to learn that language at that point in time. So that will be one of the things that will be very intensive and just thrown into it, full immersion, trying to learn the language through that way. And then at the same time, the other thing is sort of the logistical side of things. So I will be staying with Jonathan and Priscilla Loss until I can find my own apartment. So that will be one thing that as soon as I get over there, trying to start searching for an apartment and trying to see what you need to set up an apartment. I also have heard too it's sometimes harder for foreigners to be able to get a lease and sign a lease and have an apartment just because the French government does not necessarily trust some foreigners that much. And so sometimes I've even heard they want you to pay the entire year up front. And so being able to kind of figure out what that looks like, figure out if I'll be able to sign a lease and just hoping that all of the paperwork goes well and all that too. And then in addition to that, setting up a French bank account too—so being able to get ties to the country and everything and learn what that looks like too. But I think one of the struggles with that will just be being able to figure out what that looks like and being able to figure out how to do that too as a foreigner. And then another thing that I was thinking about actually regarding this question is just being able to do a walk around the city and just do a prayer walk. That's something I've done when I have been on other mission trips. So I think just doing that as soon as I get there will be beneficial in sort of centering my mind on what is the culture like, being able to walk around and being able to just see some of the needs. It obviously won't be able to see all of the needs there just with prayer walking, but praying that the Lord will just open my eyes to the specific needs there as I just prayer walk and seek the Lord's guidance on that too. PASTOR COREY: What is your plan as far as building relationships with people during that year in your community for the gospel's sake? ELIANA: I've had a few ideas actually, which some of them we'll see if they end up working or not too. But some of the thoughts I've had is being able to go and integrate in the community by being able to just see if I can join like even a run club or a fitness group or some sort of club that meets where even if there's college students there, being able to sort of join that and integrate into that too and just get really involved in the community. And especially since there are a lot of college students in the city itself, I think just looking for those opportunities, being able to sort of see some of my hobbies and my passions and see if others share that and joining some of those groups. And then after that just kind of slowly building that relationship from there. So I think that was one of the things that I have been thinking through and seeing if I can join one of those. And then also I think a lot of what I've seen on other mission trips too that I've been on is just the importance of hospitality—the fact of just wherever you're living, you can use your apartment or your home to be able to share the gospel and connect with others by inviting them into the home. And that's one thing that I really want to do a lot of, is being hospitable and being able to just invite others in the home. And I think when you do that, it's a safe space where people can sometimes feel free to share other things too. And it's not necessarily in the context of just outside—it's welcoming and it shows that you care. And so some of that will be challenging with some of the distrust of strangers, but I think just kind of seeing if I can get past that initial conversation and even getting coffee with someone, having a meal with someone—those are some of the things I've seen on other mission trips that are really beneficial in being able to slowly build a relationship and being able to get to the point of sharing the gospel as they're comfortable enough to get to know you and you're comfortable enough in the relationship that they do know a bit of who you are too. PASTOR COREY: Do you anticipate maybe social media or anything kind of helping building some of those bridges and building community and maybe even presenting the gospel? ELIANA: I do. And that's one of the things that I really hope to be able to do is just being able to maybe host some gatherings, some outreach things like that too. Even actually when I was in Hong Kong too, just a Mandarin-English exchange night—so even sort of a French-English potentially exchange night, or some of those ideas too, of being able to just set up activities that might bring in a lot of the college students. And so during some of those events, being able to sort of help market that through the social media, and then after that, just be able to run some of the events and see how that goes too. So that is one of the things—just being able to kind of reach others by organizing events and then also just doing some of the social media too for the church. PASTOR COREY: What do you see as kind of the hardest hurdle for unbelievers to get over when it comes to coming to faith in Christ in France? ELIANA: I would say—and I'll just give some statistics too. So around 65% of people in France practice Roman Catholicism, or I guess I should say they say that they are Roman Catholic. And out of those 65%, about 15% actually do end up going to Mass and attending a service somewhere. And so it's also around, I think, 8% too that practice Islam as well. So I think some of the hurdles of just some of those belief systems too is that a lot of that sometimes is tied back to more cultural things or familial things. And I know even the couple times I've talked with some Muslims as well, a lot of that is that if they are leaving the faith, it's very hard for them to do that too because they face familial rejection. And I've even talked with people that they've had to just completely leave their homes and they're kicked out of their homes and their family just doesn't contact them anymore because of that decision. And I think sort of on the Roman Catholicism side too, a lot of it can be, "Well, I know my grandparents practiced this, and so that's why I'm practicing this now, and that's who I am." And so being able to kind of help them understand that saying that you are a certain thing does not necessarily mean that you have a relationship with Christ. And I think that's kind of the big thing there—getting people to understand that you can say that you are a certain religion and identify with that, but it's different having a personal relationship with Christ and living for that day by day and being dedicated to the faith as well. So that's, I think, where some of those shifts will be and trying to help people understand that too, and just some of those differences in saying that you practice one thing and then actually having a relationship with Christ and the differences there. PASTOR COREY: With Aix being a city that has a lot of college draw there, do you anticipate there being a lot of stuff still like that—"Well, I'm Roman Catholic"—or is it more in that city where there's maybe more of a lean towards humanism or atheism? Do you find that that might be some of the case? Have you looked into that much? ELIANA: I have not looked into it much, but I would guess that that is the case because I know I went to England on a mission trip too, and so when I was there, a lot of the thought process was almost very postmodern. Sometimes you talk to people that didn't believe there was a God. And so I'm guessing that there will be a lot of that too, especially in some of the younger generations too that I've talked to are not really thinking about that and just thinking that there is no God in and of itself too. So I do think there will be some of that too when I do go to Aix. And then also just on top of that too, being able to—there's like a very wide variety too, I know, in Europe of people, especially just saying when you share the gospel, "That's good for you, that's okay that you believe that, but that has nothing to do with my life," because they don't really see how two differing thoughts can necessarily—that there's one that's correct. It's just kind of sitting there and it's fine if we believe different things because we'll see in the end. And so I think I'll probably run into a lot of that thought too, of trying to help people understand that there is a truth and that there is one truth and that there's not many different truths that make up what we believe too. PASTOR COREY: What do you feel were the most influential things that may have happened, maybe influential people that God brought into your path? What steps did you take that you feel were essential to bringing you to a point of surrendering your life to serve as a missionary. ELIANA: So growing up, I never really thought about missions at all, actually. It was either I was going to be a vet or I was going to be a counselor. And then it was, "Oh, actually, I'm doing something different now too." So before I went to college, I really had not considered it. And when I even slightly thought about missions, it was more of a, "Oh, it would be fun to travel. It would be fun to get to see other people, get to learn a different culture." And that was kind of a lot of my thought process, I would say, until I went to college. I went to college at Cedarville University, and so each of the students there has to have a Bible minor, so you have to take Bible classes. And in addition to that, I also took a few other classes too, just on top of that, that were Bible related. And so I always say that that truly is when my life was changed—about halfway through that time during college. And it was a very random moment too, actually. But I remember I was on a walk and I was listening to a podcast, and a lot of what the person in the podcast was talking about was how he just went all in for Christ. He gave his entire future to Christ and was able to see how God just worked through him. And even him talking about how when he gets to heaven someday, he was able to witness to many Muslims and just being able to see others that he was able to bring to Christ, and how he just talks about that being like, that's just what he lives for. And that's the most important thing that he's ever done before too. And I was kind of listening to it, hearing what it was saying, and then I came to a point in time when I realized, like, "Is that what I have done? Have I fully surrendered my life to the Lord? And have I basically given that to Him and just said, 'I'm fine with going anywhere. I'm fine with whatever You have for me'?" And I realized I just hadn't. And so I literally just got off the trail, sat down on a bench, and just prayed to the Lord for probably 15 minutes and just confessed that I had not given the future to Him. I really was just saying that this is where God is leading because He's given me the ability and talents to do that. But in reality, I don't think that I had ever asked Him about it. I hadn't prayed about it. I had not given that to Him fully. And I'm very much a planner, so it was very hard to just sit down and be humble and just say, "I'm giving this to the Lord, and there's the unknown of what happens next, and I have to be okay with that. And I have to realize that living for the Lord is better than living for myself and my own desires." And even with that too, after doing that, I saw how the Lord changed my desires too, helped me desire to do this too. And in the beginning, sometimes it is challenging not knowing where the Lord is leading and just having fear and doubt in those things too. But just seeing the Lord provide, I think, was just such a powerful thing as well. And I would say another point in time too is actually during my freshman year at Ohio State University. So I led some outreach teams there the last year when I was at college, and the first year that I was there, we all got paired up, and so we did a whole campus outreach where a lot of people from Cedarville went to Ohio State and did outreach there. And it was amazing because I was paired up with someone who had done a lot of outreach, evangelism, and just getting to see his heart in the conversations was so encouraging to me. And just halfway through that night, I'm just like, "I'm going to go do this." So I just would go up to people, and just so many amazing ways that God worked, even through that, of getting to share the gospel and pray with people that night too. And I think that was one moment where—this was before I had surrendered everything too—so one moment where it's like, "This is definitely interesting that I did this and this is something that I sense the Lord is leading to." But then it was a year later where I fully surrendered to the Lord in the way of missions. And along with that too, just after that process, just talking with Pastor Josh, who's my sending pastor, and getting a lot of his wisdom on what this could look like and helping—he has helped me out in so many things too of just when I don't know what to do, when I don't know where to go or what to apply for. He helped a lot in that too and just provided a lot of guidance and counsel too. So I think he was another just really influential person too. PASTOR COREY: How did you get connected with John and Priscilla and why Aix? ELIANA: So I'll try to keep this fairly short, actually. But I ended up meeting Jonathan and Priscilla last year in February, and at the time I had surrendered to missions and was trying to figure out what to do. I was applying to a lot of other parachurch organizations—so if you're familiar with Cru or Navigators, I was applying to those organizations and hoping to be able to work with them. And that was the whole last year that I was in college, that was all I was trying to do, what I was focusing on. And I got to the place where I did get accepted to one, and I just suddenly did not have any peace about it too. And I think a lot of that was—a lot of different people were speaking into my life about how it's important to do missions through a church and to connect people with a church. And that was one thing that I had several conversations with some of the people that did that, and it just did not necessarily sound like it was aligning. It was kind of a, "If you find a church, that's great. If you can connect people, that's great, but it's more up to you." And so that was something that I just didn't have peace about, and I ended up declining that position. So actually, the next week is when Jonathan and Priscilla came to my church and they presented when they were on furlough. And I remember them talking about how a lot of what they're doing is reaching out to college students who are in the city and connecting them with their church. And that was one thing that—it was exactly what I was looking for, exactly what I was praying about, exactly the type of ministry that I would love to see, that I would love to be a part of. And so that was where I just connected with them, got in touch. They said it would be fine for me to serve for a year with them. And that's kind of how I initially ended up meeting them. So it was sort of a track where I was going one direction, the Lord closed that door, went another direction, and then saw them and just saw the Lord provide so much in that way too. PASTOR COREY: What does it look like for someone, or what advice would you give to someone who might be considering maybe serving the Lord full-time, whether it be in the church or maybe even considering going across the world as a missionary? What kind of advice would you give to somebody who might be considering that? And conversely, what about somebody who hasn't even thought about that? ELIANA: I would probably say for those who are considering full-time ministry and in that season of life too, I think one thing that I'll say is it's so important to be able to have wise counsel and just seek wise counsel on a lot of the decisions. And that was one thing that initially I kind of shied away from a bit, I think, at the beginning, because it takes a lot more accountability, it takes a lot more humility to be able to do that and to be able to submit yourself to the church leadership and be able to take their advice and hear what they're saying too. So I would say that that's one piece of advice that I would give—just knowing the season of life that you're in and being able to have others who are very wise walk alongside you and just help you with that process. And realizing, I think the other thing too is just humility, honestly, and looking back on just everything I've done in humility of realizing that God is choosing to use me in this position, but He doesn't have to. And at any point in time He can take me out of this position too. So just being able to serve humbly and being able to really be faithful in the small things that God has called you to now. And I think a lot of it too is just continually walking with Him day by day and knowing that He does answer prayer and He is with us and knowing that He is faithful to continue to lead us just throughout that point in time too. So I think those are a few things I'll say to those who are considering full-time ministry. And then I think just to those who haven't really considered it, I would probably just say that—the one thing that I think was a huge thing for me was that I had to come to the realization that God is the one who has made me. And because He has made me, He knows me better than anyone else could know me, including myself. And it took a lot for me to realize that. How can I say what God's plan is? Even if I think I'm good at something, even if I think this is where God is leading, how do I know that without giving everything to Him and having Him be the one who leads me and directs me? And I think that that was one thing that I always tell that to a lot of people too—if you're not sure about something, just pray about it. Surrender it to the Lord. And after surrendering your future to the Lord, He might lead you in the same direction you were already going, but He could also lead you somewhere different. And I think just walking humbly through that and walking graciously through that too, and knowing that even along the twists and turns and where God leads and things change, plans change too, just knowing that He's faithful and knowing that you can still trust Him. And also just to, I think, just do everything humbly and then also with loving the Lord and seeking to glorify Him in everything too.
End of Interview
Topics: Evangelism, Missions