Stories from our field
Rens Reedeker: “GlobalRize makes my world a lot bigger”
Work that you can do at your own pace, from your own chair, and in your own time is ideally suited to people battling chronic illness. Rens Reedeker has been active as a mentor at GlobalRize for a number of years, despite a disability that keeps him in for much of the year. Read his story!
I am Rens, 39 years old, married with one daughter. I have a muscle disease and I am a mentor for GlobalRize.
Own pace
I was introduced to GlobalRize by someone who pointed me to the GlobalRize vacancies and I had wanted to do something more with evangelism for a long time. I actually wanted to become a chat member first, but since this requires the ability to type at high speed, mentorship was recommended to me instead. That’s how I came here to mentorship and have been doing so for over two years now, almost three now!
Since I can’t type fast due to my illness (I work with the on-screen keyboard), I can guide students through the Bible Basics course at my own pace. It’s great that it’s international, and because it’s digital, it’s more accessible. I don’t have to go out and in this way I can contribute to the spread of God’s Kingdom.
'Yes' and 'Amen'
I don’t know how much impact my contribution has, but that’s not the most important thing about this ministry.
Sometimes it is discouraging if you don’t get a response from students or that they don’t even read your comments, but then suddenly there is someone who is enthusiastic and that makes up for a lot. And luckily I also received tips from several sides to challenge students to more interaction.
Sometimes I just wish I could get a little more resistance. My students respond with ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ to most of what I say. They don’t tell me when they disagree with me. But this probably has to do with a different cultural background.
Goal
I enjoy participating in the mission of Globalrize. If you can’t get out, your world quickly becomes very small, and GlobalRize makes my world a lot bigger again. During the summer season it’s not that bad, because the warmer weather gives me more energy. But in the colder months it is sometimes hard – I don’t go outside unless it’s for a very good reason!
So it’s nice to be a part of GlobalRize – it gives me purpose, new contacts and an activity close to my heart: telling about my Saviour, Jesus!
