Islamabad, Pakistan
The day after I arrived in Islamabad last week I visited with the president of the Zarephath Bible Institute in Rawalpindi. Over the past twenty-five years, this institution has equipped hundreds of Pakistani nationals to advance God’s purposes in Pakistan. Theological education of national workers is essential to advancing the interests of God’s kingdom throughout the 10/40 Window. I am a firm believer that sound doctrine is the best antidote to false doctrine. Over the coming months, Kingsland’s missions ministry will invest funds to add two-thousand volumes to ZBI’s theological library. These volumes, along with those they already own, will make the theological library at ZBI one of the largest in South Asia. While at the institute I also had the privilege of speaking to the faculty and students at their chapel service. As a result I received an invitation to speak on Sunday at the fastest growing Pentecostal church in Pakistan.
Later in the week I received a phone call informing me that the church where I would speak was celebrating their sixth anniversary on Sunday. “You should be prepared to say something about this when you speak,” said the caller. No problem. I learned a long time ago to be prepared for things like this. An ex-pat friend who is visiting Islamabad accompanied me to the service. I really did not know what to expect in terms of numbers but was pleasantly surprised to find a packed house when we arrived. The service started at 10:00 AM and ended sometime after 2:00 PM. Wow! What an incredible high-energy service. I love opportunities like this because they remind me of what it will be like when the redeemed “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9) are assembled around the throne of God.
Immediately after the service, I was approached by several people who asked for prayer for healing. These are individuals who either do not have access to medical care or cannot afford it but who know that they can rely upon God to help and heal them. It was a privilege to intercede for each of these precious souls. The pastor and his staff then invited us to join them for lunch. This gave us an opportunity to hear more of the remarkable story of the growth of this six-year old church. My ex-pat friend asked the senior pastor this question: “How do you stay humble in light of the fact that you are experiencing remarkable growth at a time when Christians are persecuted and churches burned in Pakistan?” The pastor smiled and replied that he and his staff do three things to keep things in proper perspective and to not think more highly of themselves than they ought. First, they pray together. Second, they observe periods of fasting together. And third, they clean the toilets at the church in preparation for each service. This is a task that the pastor has reserved for himself and his staff.
Three years ago I met with a young minister from another church in our community. In the course of our conversation he said, “I know I will experience lots of failures in ministry and in life. But, I want to know how to handle the successes. How can a person remain humble when things are going great?” My reply — “Write lots of thank you notes!” I write thank you notes almost every week because I never want to forget the people who make it possible for our missions ministry to do so many wonderful things around the world. But, writing thank you notes somewhat pales by comparison to cleaning toilets as a means to remain humble and focused on God. I was both inspired and convicted by the pastor’s answer. Pardon the pun, but cleaning toilets is an excellent way to flush away the pride that can easily accumulate in our hearts. Those of us who serve churches in America can learn something from our Pakistani brethren. In a day when people with titles feel entitled we need more people willing to clean toilets.
Go Beyond 
What a way to remain humble. Thanks as always for the update and challenging me to go beyond. Be blessed!
By: Herschel on April 3, 2011
at 2:03 PM
Amen to the statement, “cleaning toilets is an excellent way to flush away the pride that can easily accumulate in our hearts.” I learned this first hand a few years ago when volunteering for Mustang District Day Camp for Cub Scouts (over 400) of them. Originally the job I volunteered for was carpool and clean up – how difficult could that be, little did I know. Over the course of the week, God more than once reminded me that just because someone cleans my bathrooms at home, He still wants me to remain humble. Cleaning outside toilets has a very powerful way of accomplishing our Lord’s purposes in our lives…………..
Way to Go Beyond………again!
By: Sheryl on April 3, 2011
at 2:21 PM
Uncle, I’ve loved reading your blogs from Pakistan this week. This one in particular touched my heart. Several years ago when we lived in South Arkansas I served on a search committee for Worship Pastor at our church. At the time we had a young man in his early 20’s serving as interim. He had an awesome voice and loved the Lord very much. We decided to call him full time and I will never forget how in all of his testimonies about what God was doing in his life, he would always say “I love the Lord and I want to serve him. I told God that even if he wanted me just cleaning toilets I would do that.” He and his family served us faithfully until one day on the way back home from out of town he, his wife, their 5 year old son and two year old daughter were tragically killed in a car accident. Our church family mourned our loss, but I will never forget his testimony. Thanks for sharing these precious stories this week.
By: Janet Caldwell on April 3, 2011
at 2:24 PM
Herschel, Sheryl, and Janet…
Thanks for your comments and for the personal testimony and also for the story of the young worship pastor. I am encouraged by your words and more determined than ever to follow the example of the Pakistani pastor and his staff.
Blessings,
Omar~
By: Omar C. Garcia on April 3, 2011
at 2:42 PM
Omar,
God bless you for being his eyes, hands, feet and voice this week as he has called us to beseech him greatly for the Gujjar, the Hindko and Pakistanti people. What an outpouring of His spirit to pray and weep for these who are perishing. God bless the Pakistani believers – may we have their passion and their humility.
Thank you, Omar
By: Connie on April 3, 2011
at 4:06 PM
Connie…
Thanks for faithfully praying for the nations. The more I meet people in places like Pakistan the more convicted I become to pray for and to do everything possible to make sure that those with the least access to the gospel have an opportunity to hear and respond to its message. Thanks also for praying for me as I continue on to Bangladesh to meet our teaching team there.
Blessings,
Omar~
By: Omar C. Garcia on April 3, 2011
at 4:16 PM
Omar,
I am going to print this out and post on my whiteboard at work! While I do not clean toilets at the office, this puts a perspective on who I am and how unimportant our day to day business really is. I wish some of the corporate presidents and ceo’s could read this blog! I pray earnestly that we learn how to be humble and not forget to be humble each and every day.
By: marilyn on April 3, 2011
at 4:35 PM
Marilyn…
Thanks so much. I pray that God will use this post to encourage those at your workplace.
Blessings,
Omar~
By: Omar C. Garcia on April 3, 2011
at 4:44 PM
What a great history, Pastor Omar. It really make me think. Thank you for these lines. I keep praying for your ministry and that God gives you great health to keep going……..Dios te bendiga Hermano.
By: Carlos Molina on April 3, 2011
at 4:55 PM
Hola Carlos,
Gracias por tu comentario. Me gustó verte de nuevo en El Salvador. Gracias por su servicio a nuestro Señor y sus oraciones por mí.
Bendiciones,
Omar ~
By: Omar C. Garcia on April 3, 2011
at 6:27 PM
Thanks Omar for sharing about the “lesser tasks”.
For me I have only yesterday & in weeks gone by have been part of a work party involved in wallpaper stripping & gardening of the church manse ready for a new Pastor of our church. I have been asking the Lord why or why am I stuck in the UK and not in Kolkata the place I love more than anywhere in the world. But I can see now that my efforts on the manse does help the Lord’s work and even if the way to Kolkata for me is like a door locked and double bolted I have the privilege to pray & receive information from so many sources about Kolkata, Asia,t Turkey & Uganda. It is wonderful to see how the Lord is bringing people of many Nations to Kolkata, India & Muslim lands of South Asia, as well empowering local folk to reach out with the Gospel. So I say if that is what the Lord has for me then that is ok by me.
Praise you Omar for bringing to our attention the folk of Pakistan who suffer so much for the Gospel of Christ.
By: Paul & Sarah Beniston on April 3, 2011
at 6:10 PM
Paul…
Thanks for your faithfulness to the Lord where He has planted you for this season of your life. I appreciate your love and concern for the nations. Your comments always encourage me. Thanks again for your faithful readership and prayers for me as I travel.
Blessings,
Omar~
By: Omar C. Garcia on April 3, 2011
at 6:39 PM
I love this story. As a previous restauranteur, I was able to excel in the gift of hospitality. But I never slighted the details…one of my motto’s was “from the curb to back dock, and especially the bathrooms”. I still have the habit of taking the time to gather towels and drying off a sink, cleaning the mirror or picking up loose used paper towels, etc… I love servant leaders. Great story by a solid rock writer. I read your blog to my wife each night. Some say, “I wanna be like ____ when I grow up”. Well, I don’t want to grow up, just wiser, …but admiring the Christ in you is pretty cool.
By: Dacques Nini on April 8, 2011
at 4:25 PM
Dacques,
Thanks for your comment and kind words. I appreciate and am grateful for our new friendship.
Blessings,
Omar~
By: Omar C. Garcia on April 8, 2011
at 4:36 PM
Pastor Omar,
GOD BLESS YOU!!! Your blogs are a daily blessing to me, and your life is a true inspiration.
The pastor who was at the little church in Angel Fire when we first moved there did all the janitorial work for the building, partly because his family lived in an apartment that was part of the church building. Dick and I were horrified the first time we walked in and saw him cleaning toilets. Your blog was a real insight as to how that may have been a really good thing.
By: Marcia Frith on April 12, 2011
at 12:17 PM
Thanks for your kind words, Marcia. And, thanks also for sharing about your pastor in Angel Fire. God bless this dear man for having the heart of a servant who is willing to do whatever it takes, even cleaning toilets.
By: Omar C. Garcia on April 12, 2011
at 1:07 PM