The Great Adventure

Over the course of my life, I have engaged in what I consider to be some adventurous activities. Among them are:

• sleeping in a hammock between two trees in Venezuela listening to the calls of the wild;
• grass skiing down the slopes in South Carolina;
• ziplining over three descending waterfalls in Hawaii and getting stuck;
• capturing a glimpse of glowing dismalites (fungal gnat) at midnight in a mossy canyon in Alabama
• watching the largest and bluest butterfly I’ve ever seen flit through the Amazon jungle;
• wrapping a python around my neck in Nassau;
• having a spiritual conversation with a prostitute and her madam inside a brothel in Athens, Greece;
• eating guinea pig and alpaca steak in Peru;
• helping construct a mud and straw house in Moldova;
• trekking the steep steps of Machu Picchu,
• serving as a worship leader in India and singing in Assamese while playing a harmonium;
• assisting in surgery to remove cancerous breast tissue on a Honduran woman;
• swimming in the Amazon River;
• riding in a sled pulled by a team of reindeer (yes, reindeer) in Norway;
• freezing under the Northern Lights;
• and walking through an ice tunnel atop a glacier in Iceland.  

All of these things are amazing, but they do not come close to the adventures that missionaries face. I will never know what it is like to live in another country and adapt to its culture. I will never know what it means to learn a language with single words containing 30 letters. I will never know what it’s like to painstakingly create an alphabet and then use it to translate the Bible to enable people to know the love of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ.

This is exactly what BJ and Jill Sanders do on a daily basis. They have lived in Papua New Guinea with their three school-age children for over five years. They have built a community of believers while dealing with the stronghold of witch doctors. Yet, they persevere and are making great strides.

Responding to the Gospel

My church in Birmingham, Alabama, hosted a Global Impact Celebration last week. The Sanders came to share some of their experiences. Our church supports their efforts through giving and prayer. But the Sanders weren’t the only missionaries with stories at the Celebration.

According to the International Mission Board, there were 1,036 unique people groups that heard parts of the Gospel last year. Almost 880,000 people around the world heard the Gospel with more than 141,000 accepting Christ as their Savior.    

To borrow the words of my pastor, we know that when God’s Gospel meets human hearts some will oppose it and try to stop its spread. Others will embrace it and gladly promote it. Whatever the response, it reveals the heart. Our most important choice in life is how we respond to the message of the Gospel.

God’s spirit empowers His people to keep sharing the Gospel. Missionaries know this well. They put into action the call of the Great Commission. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  

Jackie Pullinger spent nearly half a century in mission work on the streets of Hong Kong, in some of the worst parts of that city. She concluded from her time spent in Hong Kong that God’s messengers need soft hearts and hard feet. Unfortunately, many have soft feet and hard hearts on top of cynicism.

Real People with a Real Message

I have interviewed a number of missionaries for articles I have written. One of the things that strikes me is how real they are – real like you and me. They encounter everyday problems like car trouble and homesickness. They may not be eloquent in their speech or know every Scripture by heart. Heck, the apostle Paul even said that he did not preach with wisdom or eloquence. “When I first came to you, dear brothers and sister, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. I came to you in weakness – timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching was very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit” (I Cor 2:1, 3-4).

That’s what we need to do.

I recall a time when I was on an international mission trip and was casually speaking to a roomful of energetic young people. The Holy Spirit took my words and perked their ears. They wanted to hear every word I said. They viewed me as a strong, independent woman, asking lots of questions. I am still friends with a couple of them today.

The Challenge

I’d like to present a challenge to you. Have you considered going on a short-term mission trip next year? You should. You have something to give. God can use you. People need to know you and Who you represent. Do it, my friend. Take the time out of your busy schedule and just do it. God commands us to GO, not to convert. I promise you will be blessed.