I didn’t realize Michael was listening (though he’s always listening) when a few moms were
talking about jobs at the park today. All of a sudden he chimed in with, “my
mommy is a missionary – and I’m a missionary too!”
He likes to tell Luke he’s a missionary, usually followed
by, “so that means I need to come to work with you.”
We’ve talked a lot about how Jesus calls all of us to be
missionaries, and to tell people about him. We also talk about how Daddy’s job
is to train new missionaries how to tell people all over the world about Jesus.
Staying here to train those who go.
“How then will they
call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him
of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How
beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” – Romans 10:14-15
How are they to preach unless they are sent? It’s pretty
huge. They can’t go if we’re not sending. And we absolutely 100 percent feel
that this is right where God wants us right now. We have such a passion about our work walking new missionaries through the process of going, and a peace that this is our calling for now. Yet sometimes it feels so
insignificant. Especially when we try to communicate our role here to our
financial partners.
As a writer, I love to tell stories. And for four years, we
were able to share some pretty incredible stories of God's goodness and power. We experienced firsthand pretty incredible stories of God at work. Now I sit to write our
newsletters and don’t know where to start.
But lately I’ve started thinking about the stories that
aren’t ours directly, but because of the training and wisdom and support we
were able to provide, are happening all over the world. Stories of changed
hearts from discipleship, breakthroughs in communities through sports ministry,
hope and healing brought through medical care. Stories where our missionaries
have experienced God in new ways as they’ve been stretched by cultural learning
and adjustment.
Sometimes we hear these stories through their blogs and
facebook and newsletters. Sometimes it’s a 6 a.m. Skype call to Japan or
Senegal or an email asking for advice or prayer. It’s the praises in chapel for
people getting on their first plane or when the visas for East Asia are finally
granted.
Through their stories, we are reassured that our roles are
significant. That we are part of the sending. So how do we communicate that to
you, our support team and prayer warriors? It’s certainly not as romantic as
heading off to Zambia to work with orphans and vulnerable children. And this is
where I’ve struggled in communicating our needs since we returned from Zambia.
Raising support is honestly one of the hardest and most humbling parts about
being a missionary – and one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to do. Raising
support here in the US is especially difficult, because the stories look
different and life looks different.
But if I downplay our importance in the process – as senders
– I feel like I’m also downplaying the importance of your role in the process – sending us. Your support and prayers are
significant; because by standing with us, you are helping these folks take the
Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. And my friend, that is something in
which Jesus has called us all to play a part.
So thank you, for those of you who have supported us and
prayed for us. We especially thank those of you who have continued to see the
significance of this work even though our location and ministry have changed.
Thank you to those who have started supporting us in the last two years. You
have helped us see the significance in the work God has called us to here in
the US. And thank you to those who are considering joining our financial team
even now.
As we come up on the end of SIM’s fiscal year this month, we
are sitting at about 82 percent of the support we need to sustain our ministry
of training and equipping new missionaries. One-time gifts this month would be a huge help in making up that deficit. Of great
need right now, though, is several friends to commit to new monthly giving to support our work here.
Please pray that the Lord would raise up new members to our
financial team. Please prayerfully consider whether God might be leading you to
join that team yourself. If not for us, we can direct you to other missionaries
in various ministries who need financial support.
And he said to them,
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly
to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. – Luke 10:2
We are helping train laborers for the harvest. What an
awesome opportunity – and you can be a part of it! Let’s be senders.
Let me know today if you want to join our team, or click
here to sign up for regular giving (or to make a one-time gift).
We appreciate you. Your role as a sender is significant. Your prayers are incredibly significant. Thank you.
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| We've enjoyed working with this sweet family - who leave this week for Ethiopia! |
"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now" - Philippians 1:3-4
