By Rhonda Adams

In 1996, God placed a burden for Krakow, Poland on my heart. My husband and I were married in 1997, and had plans to take on the world. Little did we know God had a lot of training in the works.

We were heavily involved with our church, having worked in Sunday School, hospital care, and youth work. We were learning every part of the church, but then our worlds turned upside down. Without providing details, a situation happened which left us without a church, a pastor, or my job. In the coming weeks and months, everything we knew about church ministry was taken from us. However, one night we made a decision that no matter what came against us, we going to serve the Lord and work for His kingdom. With strength that came only from God, we picked ourselves up, dried our tears, and waited on Him.

Waiting can sometimes be the hardest thing we have to do in our walk with God. Birthing a new church was just the training we needed. Even though we did not see all of this at the time, God did, and He knew exactly what He was doing. We helped my husband’s parents birth this new church, and then, in 2006, took our first trip to Poland.

I will never forget the feeling that hit me when we stepped off the train in Krakow. I had never felt anything like it before—and never have since. We checked in to our hotel and I became very depressed. This depression hit me so strong and hard, that I couldn’t control my emotions. I felt as though thick, heavy chains were holding me down. I asked my husband to please change our airline tickets. I wanted to get out of Poland as soon as possible. I couldn’t eat, and could hardly move.

We awoke the next morning and my husband said to me, “Before I change these tickets, let us pray:’ I agreed. He physically had to help me out of bed onto my knees. As we began to cry out to God, He began to speak to us. He said, “I have allowed you to feel what the Polish people feel every day of their lives—the spirits of oppression, and depression:’ In that moment the feeling was released from me, and the burden for the souls of Poland fell on us even stronger.

In 2008 my husband, our two children, and I went for two months on the mission field. When we returned to the United States, we knew we had to return to Krakow as quickly as possible. We went before the ALJC Missions Board in the fall of 2008, and were appointed missionaries to the country of Poland.

In 2010, after two more years of growing and waiting, we finally made our move to the country of our calling We have since started the first ever ALJC Apostolic Foundation in Poland, where I currently serve as director of the Krakow Gospel Choir. While directing this choir I have seen such joy on so many faces. For most of the members of this choir, this is the first time they have ever worshipped God or sang His praises. Today I can honestly tell you I am so very thankful for the tests and trials. We would not be where we are today without them.

So allow me to encourage you. Don’t give up! Hold on. He has a beautiful plan for your life. It may not come the way you want, or how you think it should, but let Him lead and guide you through it. We have been so blessed in Poland with such a hunger for God, and we’re seeing God bring revival to Eastern Europe. We are still waiting on God, and it has never been more beautiful!

The above article, “What Do They Feel?” is written by Rhonda Adams. The article was excerpted from Apostolic Witness Magazine, June 2014.

The material is most likely copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.