My church recently held its annual missions conference. We were privileged to have a pastor-turned missionary as our main speaker, a young lady and accomplished musician who will use her talents to serve God in France, and a young couple on their way to Poland where they will plant new churches and serve in existing ones. All through the conference, I was impressed with how “ordinary” these people are. Yet, their incredible desire to share the Gospel and serve God has made them incredible powerhouses of potential. I could see them, like the disciples of Christ, literally turning their part of the world upside down!
The Family Vision has many missionary biographies and they make great reads. If you’ve ever listened to a missionary or entertained one in your home, you know they tell fascinating stories. Missionaries’ lives almost always involve adventure as they go to the unknown, humor as they learn new cultures, danger as they encounter enemies of God, and much more. These servants of God have a relationship with Him that many Christians never experience. Reading their insights about their spiritual lives can inspire others to strive for the same fellowship with God.
Read about Jim Elliott, Adoniram Judson, David Livingstone, or Nate Saint. These were all men who greatly impacted the world.
Ladies, be challenged by Jim Elliott’s wife, Elizabeth, who later went back to the very people who killed her husband. Little girls may enjoy Heroines of Missionary Adventure. This is a collection of women and their “intrepid bravery and patient endurance” as they faced hardships in all parts of the world. The Story of Helen Roseveare is about a lady who served as a missionary and doctor in the Congo, even ending up a captive.
For a collection of stories on various missionaries, read Heaven’s Heroes, by David Shibley. This book “honors almost two dozen men and women who have met danger, frustration, daily hardships and personal grief with a joyful heart.” The Adventure of Missionary Heroism, by John C. Lambert, says these accounts of missionaries should be passed to future generations, not to praise these people, “but to give glory to the cause and name of Jesus Christ”.
Reading about missionaries may very well inspire you to get involved yourself. We can’t all go to the field, but we can all pray. In our consignment shop, find Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation, which breaks every country down by geography, politics, and demographics, and then gives guidance on how to pray for it. Use as an aid for specific praying while also learning about the nations of the world.
Plan a summer “Missions Project”. As a family, choose a country. Through a mission board (search on-line or through your church), choose a missionary or family serving there. Learn about your missionaries and their country and pray daily for them. Perhaps save money from allowances and spare change to give them a financial gift. Kids can make birthday cards or even become pen pals with any children in the family. A summer activity like this could open your family’s or child’s heart to missionary work, build lasting friendships, and help bring someone in a foreign country to Christ. It’s a great opportunity to learn, give, and grow.
I hope you get a chance to read about one or more “ordinary” heroes! I hope you are able to help a missionary turn some part of the world upside down!
Reading is Rewarding!
Katie
Request the following titles from the Family Vision Library here:
PHeroines of Missionary Adventure, by Canon Dawson
The Story of Helen Roseveare, by Mary Beth Lagerborg
Heaven’s Heroes, by David Shibley
The Adventure of Missionary Heroism, by John C. Lambert
Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation, by Jason Mandryk
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