Every September at our church we have a missions conference. I love these!! I also dislike these!! Let me explain before you freak out. We have some of the most amazing missionaries in the world on our teams. 4 couples and their families, were actually "home grown" under the Avalon Hill Bible Church ministry where we attend. That means their kids spent time in our church nurseries and Sunday School classes, we ate many a dinner together for potluck, and two of the men now serving actually came to Christ as a result of our churches Military Outreach Program. They all are "family" to us and our church. We have other families as well that serve in many different places. Some I can tell you about and some I can't. (their lives could be in danger if the masses knew they were missionaries) All these dear people are so brave! They have had some amazing encounters with God, some very hard trials, and some very exciting results. Each year at the conference, in case you have never been to one, we hear about all their cool stories and exciting adventures as well as how we can help support through prayer and financial gifts. We Skype some of them and wave and blow kisses and listen to them speak the new languages they are learning. Then comes the kicker, almost all of them share that they could use ten or one hundred more people like themselves to help! I always want to go!!!!!! I cry every service. One, because I am so proud of them all, two, because I miss them all terribly, and three, because I want to go!! ( I have no idea how to punctuate the above sentence so be gracious) Hence the dislike.
Here are the circumstances that prevent me from going:
1) I am married and my husband doesn't want to go. (No, he is not a curmudgeon that doesn't want to serve the Lord. He is a faithful and generous servant of the Lord who works very hard in our church to keep the home fires burning and God hasn't called him to lead our family into the wild.)
2) I hate smelly things, and love soft bedding and air conditioning.
3) I can't even remember my grocery list sometimes much less learn a foreign language in 8 weeks.
4) I have no marketable skill that could be used as a front for getting the gospel to unreached people groups. (Although I do play the guitar badly and can change diapers real well.)
So, every year I cry and feel sorry for myself and then I pray. I pray for each family and their massive needs. I ask God to help our church to continue to grow so we can continue to support our friends. I also ask God to show me ways I can be used as a missionary right here in my own town. Did you know that some countries are actually sending missionaries to the United States?! We have people around us every day that don't know the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News. I hope you take some time this week or this month to ask the Lord to guide you to someone you can share the gospel with. Be a missionary, pray for missionaries, write to missionaries, support some missionaries. In other words, Flood your life.
ps. Someday I still want to go...........
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| Some of our church family practicing to dig a well after hearing about Hydromissions |
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| The Tim Anderson Family |
Cool link to Hydromissions if you would like to help in a practical way. www.hydromissions.org (Under the donate button you just click the Tim Anderson family)
