There are lots of people concerned about fulfilling the Great Commission. Not all of them carry the label “missionary”. Yes, there are thousands who carry that title and labor sacrificially all over the world. Many serve in dangerous places without much notoriety (probably a good thing) or support. The number of missionaries from the third-world is growing quickly and many of them devote their lives to some of the least reached groups. All of these deserve our gratitude and prayer.
There is another group of people that also labor to see the Great Commission fulfilled. This group also labors mostly unknown and unthanked. These are the people who devote time in their prayer closet seeking God to move among the nations revealing His wonderful plan for salvation to those who have never heard. Only eternity will reveal the impact this tremendous group has had on reaching the nations for Christ. This unnumbered group deserves our appreciation and admiration.
Suzanne and I are telling our story to individuals and groups. God’s call to leave pastoral work and enter the world of international missions fulltime has been an exciting road. It is an honor to meet so many people who are interested in what we’re doing, and, more importantly, what God is doing.
We spent the middle of January in Spokane making contact with many old friends. What a thrill it was to see them, hear what is transpiring in their lives, and share where God is taking us. We also had the opportunity to attend our Pacific Conference Midwinter Pastor’s Retreat in Newport, OR. The weather on the coast in January is normally better than one would expect. This year was no exception. It was great to be with the pastors and wives after missing last year’s retreat while we were in Central Asia. We learned about the importance of “digging our [spiritual] well deep” if we want to be victorious in the difficult times of life.
This week we’ve had meetings at Oregon City Evangelical Church. Again, we’ve met people who are interested in and committed to the task of fulfilling the Great Commission. We’ve met with high school students and adults. This weekend we have a food fair and will meet with elementary students and more adults. We have several opportunities to share a portion of our story in various forums. It’s a challenge to share something of substance in a short time, but the opportunity to do it frequently is a privilege we don’t take for granted.
As we’ve moved through these last couple years we’ve learned a great deal (still have a long way to go) about the vast team God uses to fulfill his plan to reach the nations. We appreciate each of those on our team, and recognize that we are just one part of His overall plan. One of our partners closes his letters with, “Great to be on the team with you.” That is an expression that characterizes our attitude for those who support us and all those we work with – known and unknown.
