A Ministry to Missionaries
“As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” (Exodus 17:11-12, NIV)
This passage explains how Ned McGrady views his work as director of the WGM Member Health team. He and his wife, Marlene, minister to missionaries, and their goal is to be Aaron and Hur when missionaries face conflict and crisis. Much of what they do is confidential, for privacy reasons, but their work is essential to keep WGM’s missionaries strong and healthy. Their tasks include leading retreats, communicating with college-aged missionary kids, and keeping lines of communication open for WGM’s missionaries.
Three times a year, Ned and Marlene help lead Renewal, a three-day session with the intent of helping missionaries to refresh, revitalize, and renew as they return to the U.S. on homeland ministry assignment. This allows missionaries to reflect, share, and look ahead.
Ned and Marlene also contribute to the twice-annual Orientation Camp, which prepares new missionaries to enter the mission field. At Orientation Camp, Ned and Marlene lead seminars on maintaining a healthy marriage on the field. They also hold seminars on child safety and protection.
The two travel frequently to respond to or prevent crisis situations. In August 2014, they traveled to Nigeria to minister to Shelley Chapman and Jennifer Bennett, missionaries in Nigeria who were assaulted and robbed at gunpoint. Immediately after the July 17 incident, they communicated with Shelley and Jennifer through the Internet to ease the situation. Both Shelley and Jennifer were dealing with post-traumatic stress and Marlene’s counseling experience immediately came into play. Although the quick response to the situation through the Internet helped, face-to-face counseling and sharing are always best in traumatic events.
When they arrived in Nigeria, Ned and Marlene walked Shelley and Jennifer through the healing process. With prayer, God’s love, and hard work, Shelley and Jennifer were prepared to continue their ministry in Nigeria. Ned and Marlene were an integral part of this success.
PRAY: This year, partner in prayer with Ned, Marlene, and the entire Member Health team. This support ministry is very much behind the scenes, so ask God to keep them encouraged and pray that they will continue to grow in their spiritual walks as they pour into the lives of others.
GIVE: Support Ned and Marlene McGrady’s ministry through a financial gift at www.wgm.org/mcgrady.
No comments:
Post a Comment