How to Pray for Missionary Kids

An excerpt from...

How to Pray for MKs

By Tracy Dubois, Support Staff
October-December 2013

Missionary kids lead exciting, unique, and sometimes scary lives. They need our prayers as they walk the missions journey beside their parents.

Sunday: Salvation
MKs are open targets for the devil and his schemes. Pray that MKs will have personal relationships with Christ and that they will grow in His grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18).

Monday: Friendships
Missions involves lots of traveling and moving around, which makes it hard for MKs to build lasting friendships. May the Lord provide godly friendships that last a lifetime (Proverbs 17:17).

Tuesday: Transitions
MKs must learn new languages and customs, and many attend boarding school and college miles away from their families. Pray that God will grant them strength and peace as they adjust to new surroundings (Philippians 4:13).

Wednesday: Ministry
We are all called to share Christ’s love with those in need. Ask the Lord to present MKs with open doors for ministry and to give them clear guidance as to the path He wants them to take (Isaiah 30:21).

Thursday: Joy
Living in a strange place and being away from family and friends can lead to loneliness and discouragement for MKs. Bring encouragement to their hearts as you pray that the Holy Spirit will fill them with His joy (John 15:11).

Friday: Identity
Many MKs struggle to know who they are and where they fit in. Are they American, Bolivian, Kenyan, Japanese, or something else? Pray that MKs will find their identity as sons and daughters of Christ and that He will be their strength and courage (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Saturday: Protection
The Lord is our shepherd and wants us to find rest and refuge in Him. Please pray Psalm 23 for a specific MK each Saturday. Simply replace the words my, I, and me with the MK’s name.

PRAY: Go towww.wgm.org/praycal for a daily list of WGM missionary kids to pray for. Make an impact on the life of an MK on your knees.

ACT: Click here todownload, print, and share this praying for missionary kids checklist with others.

Prayer Calendar: Dec. 15-21, 2013

Your missions prayer point for Dec. 15-21 inspired by The Call magazine:

Pray that missionary kids will find strength and stability in the Father.

Download a free printable to help you weekly pray for missionary kids here: http://www.wgm.org/page.aspx?pid=7727

Yard Sales for Missions

An excerpt from...

Yard Sales for Missions

A checklist for your missions event
By Shelly McCollum, Support Staff
October-December 2013

Do you use a checklist or Post-it® notes as reminders of tasks you do not want to forget? If you do, you will love this checklist idea for a yard sale for missions. We all have things around our house that we do not use anymore. Why not have a yard sale and donate the proceeds to your favorite cause or missionary?

Weeks leading up to the sale:

• Pick a cause or missionary who will benefit from your sale.
• Gather unused items and sort into categories.
• Price each piece using pre-priced tags or masking tape (my favorite).
  • Keep prices in even amounts and price nothing under 25 cents to make giving back change easier.
• Decide on a location and gather tables, benches, and clothes racks.
• Check on deadlines for placing advertisements in newspapers and online.

Week of sale:

• Begin set-up.
• Work on wording for advertisements. Include key items such as “children’s clothes, baby bed, household items, sofa, fishing equipment, toys.” Don’t forget to include starting and ending times. Including the phrase “Proceeds go to missions” also helps draw people. Some will even tell you to keep the change.
• Place the advertisement in the newspaper and any online venues. Talk about it on Facebook.
• Pick up change from the bank—quarters, dollars, fives.
• Line up helpers for the day. If you have large pieces of furniture, having someone who can help lift and carry furniture is a big help.

Day of sale:

• Put signs up on your street directing customers to your location.
• Assign jobs to helpers—cashier, bagger, someone to answer questions, someone to straighten up clothes and other areas.
• Be prepared to open on time.

After sale:

• Consider donating whatever is left over to charity. Some charities will pick up your donations for free.
• Send in your gift to your cause or missionary. Mission accomplished!

MORE: If you need help choosing your cause or missionary, visit www.wgm.org/causes or www.wgm.org/missionaries for inspiration.

ACT: Click here to download, print, and share this yard sale checklist with others.

Go Green for Good

An excerpt from...

Go Green for Good

Love Jesus AND the Planet!
By Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
October-December 2013

There are lots of reasons to “go green.” Here’s a new spin: let’s make eco-friendly choices in order to have more financial resources to give to missions.

Without question, many green practices will save money. But what do we do with the money we’ve saved? What if we used our energy savings and frugal measures as a way to have more money to give back to the Lord?

Here are a few things you can do to have more money to give to missions—and you’ll be doing your part to help the planet as well.

First, two practically no-brainer ideas:

• Set a goal of a week to refrain from spending money on nonessentials. Drive less. Use up items in your pantry and freezer instead of running to the store. Use your things longer before you replace them. Resist advertising that tells you your life will be fulfilled if you just buy this one thing for $39.99. (Trust me, it won’t.)
• Switch out your incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent. These bulbs come in a range of light shades besides office-glare bright. Because they use about 75 percent less energy, last up to 10 times longer, and emit less heat, one bulb will save you up to $80 over the life of the bulb.

These next items take a little more time and effort, but are very worthwhile:

• Change your car habits. Get your car tuned up. Make sure the tires are fully inflated. Combine errands around town and carpool to events and work. 
• Get your kids involved. Train them to turn off the water when they brush their teeth, turn off lights when they leave a room, and play outside instead of watching TV.
• Do an energy audit of your home. Think creatively about changes you can do to make your house more energy efficient. Get your furnace and air-conditioning checked out. 

Then, pick a missionary or a project to donate your saved “green” to! That $80 from changing your light bulbs will buy eight Bibles in Kenya, give school supplies to 11 kids in Uganda, or send six teens to youth camp in Peru.

MORE: Need more ideas? Check out www.wgm.org/catalog orwww.wgm.org/missionaries.

Prayer Calendar: Dec. 8-14, 2013

The Call prayer calendar offers us this missions prayer point for this week:

PRAISE God for the blessing of creation, and ask Him to help you care for this gift.

"Without question, many green practices will save money, but what do we do with the money we’ve saved? What if we used our energy savings and frugal measures as a way to have more money to give back to the Lord?" 

>>Read Go Green for Good for some mission minded ideas.

Returning Home

An excerpt from...

Returning Home

An outreach checklist from a packing missionary
By Carolyn Wade, Kenya
October-December 2013

Transitioning from one’s home country back to the field of service is a major process, and the checklists vary from one missionary to the next. Having just experienced this for the sixth time, here is our checklist for this eventful, exciting, essential experience!

1. Pray and Partner with Others in Prayer
   As missionaries, we can begin sensing the time frame and items needed for packing when we begin bathing this process in prayer. Sufficient time is required to pack, so it must be part of the initial homeland ministry assignment schedule.
   
   We share updates often on Facebook. Frequent updates help partners pray.
   
   PRAY: Take some time each day to pray for a WGM missionary and for the people’s lives they are touching. Commit to this prayer routine for at least a month.
   
2. Plan and Pack
   Listing what needs to be done and when provides much-needed organization. My husband, Ken, is the master organizer and packer. I make my own list of what I need to do before we pack, and then we build the master list together.
   
   I construct a packing list as Ken packs so we know what is in each piece of luggage in case a customs officer may request it.
   
   Carolyn’s Packing Tips: I find it helpful to wrap any liquid in paper towels secured with tape and placed in a reclosable bag. I also put gelatin and pudding in reclosable bags. One experience of having lemon pudding granules penetrating all the items in the box was a valuable learning experience.
   
   ACT: Do you know someone going through a time of transition? Create a plan today to babysit, take them a meal, mow their yard, etc. Do something that will help lift their burden.
   
3. Purchase
   The Holy Spirit will remind you about something you need that was not on the “items to purchase” list or to add an item you had not planned on. We praise God for this discernment.
   
   GIVE: Contact the missionary you prayed for in the Pray section and ask them what you can purchase for those they are ministering to.

And at the end of the trip, of course, there is jetlag, but returning to your beloved country of residence where you fulfill God’s calling on your life makes all the praying, planning, and packing worth it.

Prayer Calendar: December 1-7, 2013

Your missions prayer point this week from The Call:

PRAY that God will open your eyes to someone who needs to hear from Him today.

The Path is Waiting

An excerpt from...

The Path is Waiting

By Billy Coppedge, Uganda/South Sudan
October-December 2013

A story* is told about a man who left his village for many years. He returned after accumulating great wealth. While everyone welcomed him, he wanted to know who were his real friends.

After calling together the village, he said, “I have hidden treasures for you along the path down to the river. Whatever you find, you may keep.”

Some of the villagers began racing down the path. “We know this path well,” they said. When they reached the water’s edge, they saw nothing. “There are no treasures; he lied,” they said as they walked away.

A second group became fixated on the soil making up the path. Discussing among themselves, they decided to return to the village and analyze the makeup of the soil. They never continued down the path.

A third group began to slowly move down the path. “We can trust this man,” they said. Sure enough, someone quickly pointed out an overgrown thorn bush had been cut back. They came to where a huge tree had fallen across the way, but it, too, had been removed.

Commenting on how their friend had made the path itself a gift, suddenly there was a shout. Sitting just off the path were several new cooking pots. Then a bag of sugar was discovered, followed shortly by several bags of rice.

By moving slowly and trusting the generosity of their friend, the third group discovered the true gifts the path had to offer.

In Bible Storytelling training, this parable illustrates how every story in the Bible is a path. Many of us race down these familiar stories or get sidetracked. We often miss the gifts waiting to be discovered.

The joy of our work is sharing these paths with African leaders, together discovering the gifts of our Good Friend. Our prayer is that as they share these biblical pathways, their communities will be enabled to discover the treasures that are waiting.

This week in your own walk, what gifts are waiting to be revealed along the pathways of scripture? Or with whom could you walk down a biblical path, enabling them to discover some of God’s awaiting treasures?

As always, the Path awaits.

*The Path Is Waiting story is an illustration taken from the Simply the Story Training. For more information, go to www.simplythestory.org.

Follow the pathway of scripture from the Word and Deed sections of the World GO! Manual this week. And if you have already checked the World GO! Manual off your missions study list, share this article with someone who needs to discover God’s awaiting treasure for them.

Prayer Calendar: November 24-30, 2013

As we enter the week of thanksgiving here is a missions praise point to use in your prayer time:

PRAISE God for His endless provision.

Missions Book Recommendations

An excerpt from...

Missions Book Recommendations

Titles to add to your reading list
October-December 2013

Muslims, Christians, and Jesus
Recommended by Mike Chupp, Kenya

Recommended to me by a fellow WGM missionary working in the Middle East,Muslims, Christians, and Jesus by Carl Medearis has opened my eyes and revolutionized my thinking. This book is the most succinct and informative book I have ever read on Islam and Muslims. As an American missionary from the Midwest who has had little contact with Muslims (even while serving in Africa), this book was a tremendous challenge to me. It is a powerful help to any follower of Christ who desires friendship and fellowship with Muslims in his or her life. Reading this book has made me realize the huge “black hole” that exists in my knowledge base and experience in relation to what Muslims believe and who they are as a people and culture. I challenge you to get a copy and ask God’s Spirit to open your heart and mind to Carl’s message of reaching a huge population in our world that God loves and Jesus died for.

Western Christians in Global Missions: What’s the Role of the North American Church?
Recommended by Todd Eckhardt, Support Staff

If you have a heart for the Great Commission, here’s a book to add your must-read list—Western Christians in Global Missions: What’s the Role of the North American Church? by Paul Borthwick. Don’t let the long, complicated title fool you. The book is not complicated. In fact, it is one of the most helpful books I’ve read in identifying the role you and I play in this changing world.

Today, the Church of Jesus Christ is exploding in Asia, Africa, and South America. Meanwhile, churches in Europe and the United States are closing at an alarming rate. Borthwick honestly identifies the role of the North American Church in this well-written book. Here’s a hint: it is wrapped up in discipleship. After all, isn’t the Great Commission all about making disciples? Grab this book and allow God to redefine your role in your local church and in God’s global Church. 

Woman to Woman: Sharing Jesus with a Muslim Friend
Recommended by Rachel Elwood, Support Staff

You don’t have to go to Saudi Arabia or wear a burka. You don’t have to know the Qur’an inside and out. Ladies, all you have to do to share Jesus with a woman of the Muslim faith is be willing to listen, let down your defenses and fears, and allow the Holy Spirit to move. Author Joy Loewan shares her story openly and honestly, guiding US-based readers to a better understanding of the unique culture of Muslim women. You’ll come away filled with compassion for Muslim women, and you’ll be equipped with practical ideas to engage them in friendship in your own community.

ACT: These books are available for purchase at www.amazon.com.

What to Do to Be a Missionary

An excerpt from...

What to Do to Be a Missionary

By Jared Gleason, Mobilizer
October-December 2013

World Gospel Mission has a great program called Missionary Discipleship for those wanting to serve in long-term missions. This three-year program includes one year of training and fundraising in the U.S. and two years at your ministry location.

Just like the name implies, the MD program intentionally focuses on mentorship and discipleship. Our goal is to give you tools and support so you can have a successful ministry.

How do you get started?  Here’s a quick list:

1. Talk to your family, friends, and pastor. These individuals are essential in helping you pursue your calling into missions.
2. Apply with World Gospel Mission. Fill out the preliminary application available at www.wgm.org/md. We’ll then help you through the rest of the application process.
3. Attend a Candidate Review Weekend at WGM headquarters. We’ll meet with you face-to-face and talk about your calling and vision for ministry.
4. Be approved as a missionary disciple. A formal interview is held at the end of the Candidate Review Weekend. You are assigned a staff “coach” to help you the rest of the way.
5. Attend training sessions. Training events focus on mentoring ministry partners, fundraising, cross-cultural ministry and living, language acquisition, and more.
6. Develop your sending team. Talk with friends, family, your church, and others about how God has called you into missions. Help them become more missions-active. We’re all in this together!
7. Receive language training. Language is key in ministry. This usually takes place at your ministry location after you are fully funded.
8. Serve. Do what God has called you to do. You will not be alone; veteran missionaries will be with you to help and encourage you along the way.

I would love to speak with you and hear about how you’d like to use your gifts and talents to make an impact for Christ around the world. Contact me at recruiting@wgm.org or call 765.671.7226.

ACT: Click here to download, print, and share this becoming a missionary checklist with others.

Prayer Calendar: November 17-23, 2013

Your missions prayer point for this week is:

PRAY for men and women who are in the process of following God’s call to become missionaries.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:19-20

Checklist for Estate Planning

An excerpt from...

Checklist for Estate Planning

By Mark Moore, Support Staff
October-December 2013

The first step in estate planning is to have a will or living trust agreement that meets your current needs. If you’ve already done that, you can put a big check mark on your list. If it’s been a few years since you had those documents prepared, the next step will be to have your attorney bring those documents up to date. Can you check off the following items?

• My choice for executor (or successor trustee), guardians, and trustees for my minor children, and any alternates, are the best choices under my present circumstances.
• I’ve designated the distribution of any specific property, accounts, or personal items I wish to go to particular family members or friends.
• I’ve stated how the balance of my estate is to be distributed and I’ve considered the inclusion of charitable organizations, such as my church and missions organizations.

So far, so good. Now you need to make sure your documents are stored in a safe place and that you’ve notified your family where they can be located. Keep a current list of assets with your important papers, including bank accounts, investments, property deeds, car titles, etc. That will save your family time and aggravation. We’re making progress!

Next, consider having a durable power of attorney. This will allow your spouse, trusted friend, or family member to sign financial and legal papers on your behalf during your lifetime. That will come in handy if you become incapacitated or if you’re away from home and need someone to care for your financial affairs.

Finally, it would be good to have an advance directive for healthcare, stating your desires regarding important healthcare decisions should you become incapacitated. If you don’t wish for life support to be continued when the end is near, you will also want a living will to be included.

If you have questions about planned giving, please contact Mark Moore at stewardship@wgm.org or 765.661.2803.

Prayer Calendar: November 10-16, 2013

Your missions prayer point this week from The Call is:

ASK God for guidance as you determine how your earthly wealth can be used for Him after you are gone

This request is inspired by the article Checklists for Estate Planning.  If you have questions about planned giving, please contact Mark Moore at stewardship@wgm.org. 

Checklists are Vital

An excerpt from...

Checklists are Vital

By Barbara Pinkley, Kenya
October-December 2013

Nurses are busy! When we don’t want to forget important points in assessment or safety issues, checklists are vital. Checklists are used extensively by nursing instructors and students at Tenwek School of Nursing in Kenya.

Checklists are used to standardize what is done and evaluated during the following: student interviews, admissions procedures, patients’ clinical procedures and surgery preparation, surgery and post-surgery procedures, practical exams and assessments, community diagnoses, research, health teaching to clients and patients, post-birth procedures, home visits, well baby clinics, student and teacher evaluations, student progress reports, weekly clinical evaluations, and discipleship group accountability. Lots of lists!

Checklists are good, but they don’t replace common sense and critical thinking and following God’s promptings to reach out and touch a life. A nurse must be prepared to function without checklists. They must be able to see something and realize that it isn’t what it should be and be able to take action in order to save a life.

PRAY: Discover your part in missions at Tenwek School of Nursing by using the following prayer checklist:

Sunday: Pray for the nursing school staff, students, and graduates—for daily spiritual growth preparing them to be ready to “Care in Christ’s Name.”

Monday: Pray for God’s guidance for our principal and assistant principal as they direct the day-by-day running of the school as well as plan for the future.

Tuesday: Pray for teachers as they teach and interact with students in the classroom and clinical areas—to maintain high standards of excellence in their professional and spiritual lives.

Wednesday: Pray for patients and clients whose lives are touched by our students, teachers, and graduates.

Thursday: Pray for wisdom, strength, and perseverance for our nursing students during their busy three-and-a-half-year course to become triple qualified as nurses, midwives, and community nurses.

Friday: Pray for the nursing school staff as they balance time with family, community, church, and further education along with their teaching responsibilities.

Saturday: Pray for the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of the nursing school staff, students, graduates, and their families.

Prayer Calendar: November 3-9, 2013

This week, The Call magazine offers another missions prayer point inspired by an article in the October/November/December issue:

PRAY that the students and staff at Tenwek School of Nursing will reach out to patients with the love of Jesus.

There are more prayer points available for the Tenwek School of Nursing ministry in the Checklists are Vital article here: http://www.wgm.org/checklistsarevital.

Prayer Calendar: October 27 - November 2, 2013

On Friday, Missions? That's a Given was posted. This article inspired the missions prayer point The Call offers this week:

PRAY that God will fill your heart with a desire to minister to those who need Him.

Thank you for praying.

Missions? That's a Given.

An excerpt from...

Missions? That's a Given

By Hubert Harriman, President
October-December 2013

When I was just out of college, I worked in the packaging department of a trailer factory. Our job was to package the right nuts, bolts, screws, and other essentials that would make possible a full assembly. I had to know the list of items that had to go in those packages. To miss something would cause a breakdown in the final assembly of the trailer. We would render it useless just by missing one vital item.

Discipleship is really all about the right listing in our lives, learning and discovering what matters and what doesn’t matter, and giving full attention to the more important. The Bible gives us many “lists” of essentials:

• Paul gives us the list of the fruit of the Spirit, essential for spiritual life (Galatians 5:22).
• Paul also speaks to the list of “The full armor of God,” essential for spiritual victory (Ephesians 6:14-18).
• Peter gives the list of “qualities,” essential for spiritual growth (2 Peter 1:5-6).

To miss anything on the list is detrimental to our spiritual lives.

One American company makes a point of excluding the obvious in its public statements about itself. Some organizational values are considered so basic that there is no need to point them out. They are what some would call a given. For instance, the expectations of food quality and employee integrity are givens. Likewise, when we talk about missions as presented in the Bible and expected in the Christian life, we ought to say, “Missions? Of course! That’s a given.”

God very clearly speaks to lists of Christian involvement that should flow easily and quickly out of our lives simply because we know the work of His Spirit in our lives. Missions is on that list. “It’s a given!” But His work in us changes the list from something we might force ourselves to do to something we want to do and have the ability to do because of His very nature and power in us.

So how’s that going in your life? I pray God will quicken in each of us the very heart of God for a lost world. Ask God to lead you in making a list of ways He wants you to be involved in this great enterprise called missions. 

ACT: Get in the Word. Hubert offers four passages of scripture in this article. Take time this week to study this “list” of essentials.

Hakone Ekiden

An excerpt from...

Hakone Ekiden

Run the Race with Endurance
By Holly Muehleisen, Japan
October-December 2013

Tradition!
Japan is a country that loves traditions. No time is as full of traditions as the New Year for the Japanese. And just like Americans, Japanese people love a good sporting event over the holidays.

Is It a Marathon? Yes.
Every year, on January 2 and 3, 20 university teams race a course that stretches 60 miles from downtown Tokyo to a town called Hakone, close to Mount Fuji. This race is called the Hakone Ekiden. The runners race down to Hakone on the first day of the race and back on the second day.

Is It a Relay? Yes.
But this isn’t your usual marathon. Each day is split into five different legs and the runners pass on a sash to the next member of their team. With 10 runners per team, an overall total of 200 athletes push themselves to help their team run well.

Never Alone
As the leaders pull away from the pack, even if they get farther out, they are never truly alone. They have a police escort as well as the cheering spectators on the side of the road. But more importantly, a car follows them with someone shouting encouragement and advice through a loudspeaker. Also in the car is one of the coaches, trying to help each runner perform to the best of his ability.

Giving Their Best
As they reach the end of their leg of the race, many have pushed themselves so hard that as they come off the street, they collapse into the arms of their coaches and team members. Some of them don’t even make it off the street, as volunteers come to wrap them in a towel and give them a drink of water.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
One of the great things about living in daily contact with another culture is that I get a chance to see the gospel in a new and different light. I have always believed Paul’s example of a race to be an easily understood way of viewing the Christian walk. I have never pictured the Christian walk as a short 100-meter dash, but rather as a race of endurance. Still, in my mind, this race of endurance was more of a solo run. More like a regular marathon, with each runner on his or her own journey.

2 Timothy 4:7-8
But my view of “running the race” of faith has changed since starting to watch the Ekiden. As a Christian, and even more specifically as a missionary, I am not on a solo run. I have other teammates; I have people cheering for me and coaching me. There are people who have gone before whose efforts I need to remember and respect, as well as times when I will be the one coming off the course tired and weary.

Hebrews 12:1-3
Where are you in your own Christian faith and at which position in the race do you find yourself? Are you a runner starting out fresh? Are you pushing on through the pain? Are you weak and tired coming in at the end of your lap of the race? Maybe you are one of those cheering and supporting and encouraging those who are running or perhaps one of those who has a bottle of water and towel for another who is coming off the course tired and battered. Are you a coach who understands both the course and the running and can give advice to those doing the running?

Together We Can Run the Race of Endurance
Each one of us needs to encourage and lift one another up in prayer, as well as challenge and spur one another on as members of the body of Christ. Are you actively involved in the role God has called you to play?

PRAY: Here’s a spiritual fitness plan that may help you encourage and lift missionaries in prayer.

Sunday: Relationship with God
Monday: Witness
Tuesday: Service
Wednesday:  Love
Thursday: Renewal
Friday: Partners
Saturday: Teach

ACT: Click here to download, print, and share the complete praying for missionaries checklist with others.

Prayer Calendar: October 20-26, 2013

Your missions prayer point this week from The Call magazine is:

PRAY for someone you know in full-time ministry who is weary of the race and needs encouragement.

Our Walk Around Inspection

An excerpt from...

Our Walk Around Inspection

By John Kunkle, Hispanic Ministries USA and former pilot withWings of Peace, Bolivia
October-December 2013

When I was in training for service with Wings of Peace in Bolivia, I was privileged to have flown with a man named Paul Dye, an instructor serving with the New Tribes Mission Aviation training center in McNeal, Arizona. One day during my training, Paul said, “Today you are going to make an electronic checklist.” Paul showed me the necessary tools and I quickly finished the project. It was one of the highlights of my training because I had a means of keeping a checklist of critical procedures that needed to be accomplished for the safe take-off and landing phases of each flight.

As Christians, we can also follow a checklist prior to boarding each day. Here is an abbreviated checklist from an average airplane preflight “walk-around” and how it resembles our Christian walk.

1. Engine: How do we maintain that quality oil in our spiritual engines for maximum power and efficiency? By prayerfully seeking the renewal and cleansing of the Holy Spirit and reading the Bible.
   
2. Wings: They are the main source of lift and contain the ailerons and flaps.
   a. The ailerons (the narrow, hinged panels near the wing tips) roll the plane from side to side. Do we have our spiritual controls moving freely and correctly to keep us on course?
   b. The flaps are large, adjustable panels that lower at the back of the main wing on each side to provide drag for slower flight upon landing. In spiritual terms, we need self-control and patience in our lives to help us slow down and be able to see what God is doing around us.
   
3. Tail: The tail is made up of the rudder and elevators which help keep the plane in stable flight.
   a. Rudder: This panel at the back of the vertical stabilizer rotates the plane from side to side, providing correct turning forces that coordinate with the roll of the plane in a turn. In other words, the rudder keeps the passengers from feeling like they are on a roller coaster! In our spiritual lives, without proper coordination with God, we can be out of control and at times feel like we are in a spiritual “slip!” (The term “slip” refers to the lack of rudder pressure applied by the pilot in the direction of the turn in coordination with the ailerons.)
   b. Elevator: Possibly the most important control on the airplane—it determines the up or down “attitude” of the airplane. If you don’t have the elevator “trimmed” just right, you can be fighting the controls to exhaustion and possible loss of control. Spiritually speaking, if you don’t have your life trimmed with the right attitude, you will be in a constant battle to reach the levels to which God wants to take your life. You’ll need to “adjust your attitude to gain proper altitude.”
   
4. Global Positioning System: This modern marvel has saved many lives, including my own. GPS instrumentation has allowed pilots (and their wives) the peace of mind to relieve much of the extra stress encountered when flying over rugged jungle terrain.
   
   We also depended on what my dad, Joe Kunkle, referred to as God’s Prayer System for our safety while flying; the vast network of praying people like you who kept our lives and ministry before God’s throne. Prayer is vital to our existence as missionaries.
   
5. Fuel tanks, fuel, and filters: The only way to get the engine to run right is to have the right kind and amount of fuel for the flight.
   
   Our spiritual fuel tanks must also be kept filled and ready for flight. Any sin condensation or worldly dirt in our tanks that is not removed will cause our lives to come to a complete stop, resulting in a very hard landing or crash.
   
6. Weight and balance: We must make sure the plane is within its proper weight and balance limits for safe flight. If not, you won’t be able to lift off the ground. We also need to keep our lives balanced with family, church, work, and rest to be able to stay within the operating limits that God has set for us.
   
7. Instruments: We need to keep our instruments set to the correct settings for critical phases of the flight. Hebrews 11:2 reminds us: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”(NIV).

Still, the Christian walk is not simply a checklist. Our walk with Christ is a product of the reconciliation of God to man through Jesus Christ, and a growing, living relationship with our heavenly Father by the power of the Holy Spirit living within us. Let’s make every walk-around inspection of our spiritual airplane consistent every day.

Prayer Calendar: October 13-19, 2013

Your mission's prayer point this week from The Call is:

ASK God to help you make a “walk-around” inspection of your spiritual practices.

This request is inspired by John Kunkle's story Our Walk Around Inspection where he shares about his ministry with Wings of Peace in Bolivia. Read the article here: http://www.wgm.org/walk-around-inspection

God has Blessed Us

An excerpt from...

God has Blessed Us

By Debbie McKelvey, Texas/Mexico Border Ministries
October-December 2013

During one of my training meetings at World Gospel Mission, the group was asked to think of a champion who took real ownership in our ministry. My head began to spin because so many people have played an important role in what I did on the Tohono O’odham Reservation on the American Indian Field and in what I am currently doing on the Texas/Mexico border.

(The) one I thought of was Mary Jane Richards. At the time of the meeting, Mary Jane (she’s on my left in the picture) had not only been a prayer and financial supporter but also one who had scheduled three church services and one AWANA group and tried to get me into a high school social studies class. She also provided a place for me to stay with Ruth (the lady to my right).

Thank you to WGM’s many champions who have done so much, from mailing used clothes to visiting our mission fields. When you get to heaven, you’re going to be so surprised at how God has used you to bring others to heaven with you!

Debbie McKelvey mentions several practical missions-active ideas that her ministry partners have done to encourage her in ministry. Learning by their example, here is a monthly checklist that you and your family can do this year to be more intentional about your missions activities.

January: Spend this month praying for your missionary partner.

February: Encourage a missionary partner by sending a handwritten note to them, letting them know you have been thinking of them.

March: Planning an upcoming family vacation? Think about using this time to serve on the mission field together. Contact Noritta Carter at wgmteams@wgm.org or 765.671.7204 to find out what teams would be available for you to join.

April: In the article “The Path Is Waiting,” you are challenged to consider completing the World GO! Manual Bible study. Ask someone to do the study with you and complete chapter one on prayer this month.

May: A new Kids’ World article is released bimonthly, offering ways you can help kids get involved in missions. As you begin to plan your summer activities, visit the Kids’ World page to print out a few of the fun activities your family can do together for missions at www.wgm.org/kidsworld.

June: It’s Vacation Bible School time for many churches. How does your church plan to use the offering they receive from these boys and girls? Perhaps your church could donate a percentage of that offering to help children in need around the world. Find projects for kids at www.wgm.org/kidscatalog.

July: Take this month to put your “Yard Sale for Missions” checklist to good work and clean out some items you have in storage.

August: Consider sending a little piece of home to a missionary serving overseas. Many simple everyday items are not available in all areas of the world. Write to your missionary partner this month asking them for a wish list of items. Then go shopping! Mail this to your missionary family as a special care package.

September: This time of year often brings drought and famine to our brothers and sisters in Africa. WGM assists with caring for the physical and spiritual needs of others in crisis through the President’s Crisis Relief fund. Join this team by giving a financial gift at www.wgm.org/crisisrelief.

October: The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Pray over the list of ministry opportunities WGM has globally (www.wgm.org/go) and ask God to call more workers to the mission field.

November: This month reminds us of God’s richest blessings on our lives. Have you been blessed by The Call magazine? You can share this resource with others. Sign them up for a free subscription at www.wgm.org/callsubscribe.

December: It’s the season of giving! Consider a special gift to WGM as a year-end gift. You can donate online at www.wgm.org/donate.