Sharp Darts of Longing Love

The key to relationships in ministry
By Nathan Metz, Missionary, Uganda
April-June 2015

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t remember what I’m about to share with you. Shortly after we arrived in Uganda, I was discussing my family with a local man. He said, “Your mother. What does she do in America?”

I told him that she has a degree in marriage and family counseling, which is something she used frequently in her role as a pastor’s wife. He squinted his eyes with curiosity.

“What?” I asked, “Don’t you have counselors here?”

He shook his head and replied, “We are all counselors.”

As we continued speaking, I realized that my understanding and expectations of relationships and community fell far short of his. Africans have earned a worldwide reputation for being a community-minded people. Now that I live among them, I can tell you that the reputation is well deserved. My friend concluded our conversation with a note of encouragement, “You will find that friendships come quite naturally to us.”

I remember times during our preparation to leave the States when I considered the “ice” that would need to be broken here in Uganda so that I could begin developing relationships. What I had failed to consider was that Ugandans would desire a relationship with me even more than I with them. In fact, I have found that if there is a wrench in the relationship growth, I am usually the one who put it there! So I’ve begun asking myself the question: If up to me, how do I move this friendship forward?

This morning I was reading from a book that referred to the distance between man and God as a “cloud of unknowing.” The author challenged his readers to “beat on that thick cloud of unknowing with a sharp dart of longing love.”

What a great example for our relationship with God and man. A “cloud of unknowing” hangs in our communities like a heavy curtain, slowing or stopping our attempts to come together in friendship.

We wonder: “What will they think of me?” or “What if I accidentally offend them?” In our unknowing, we can choose to become isolated from anyone different from us or we can muster up the courage to beat on that thick cloud with a sharp dart of longing love. May we all choose courageous love.

ACT: Is there a people group you are called to reach out to, but have fallen short of developing meaningful relationships? This month, pray that God will give you the courageous love you need, and then ask your new friend to coffee.

Becoming Again: Incarnation and Language Learning

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Becoming Again: Incarnation and Language Learning

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The key to language learning in ministry
By Andy Bowen, Missionary, Paraguay
April-June 2015

My students had been studying the Guaraní language with me in Escobar, Paraguay, for about five months. One afternoon, they went as a family to the grocery store in the nearby town of Paraguarí, taking their children—Micah and his two younger sisters. As they moved up and down the aisles, Micah caught sight of a disabled man and, like most 5-year-olds, started asking his parents questions. The conversation turned to heaven, which they had talked about a few days before. His parents, missionaries with Serving In Mission, reminded their son that in heaven there would be no sickness, no pain, and no sadness. With astonishing speed typical of little boys, Micah’s mind made a connection, and he looked up hopefully into the eyes of his dad and suggested, “And no more Spanish?”

Do you feel the pain behind his question? In the year that he had been in Paraguay, Micah had had many opportunities to regret that Spanish was a part of his new life. When playing with the kids in his neighborhood, he often felt that he was on the outside—missing a lot of the conversation, feeling foolish and disconnected. Even a 5-year-old suspects that people laughing at jokes in another language might be referencing him! His little heart had already begun to long for a place and time where language would not divide him from others and where all the words would be clear and would be his to command.

It’s the curse of Babel. God’s antidote to the arrogance of man was to confuse their language. Little will bring you face to face with your own pride like the complete inability to understand and to make yourself understood.

But it’s also the genius of God’s ways. That’s because the fallout from Babel ensured that one day, when God’s people began to take His incomparable good news across cultural barriers, they would be forced to do it humbly. They would have to enter as learners, needy and ignorant, like children starting all over.

For 14 years, I’ve been helping missionaries from Christian organizations learn the Guaraní language. Paraguay’s unique history has preserved not one national language but two—Guaraní, the language of the loose confederation of Indian communities the Spanish conquistadores found when they arrived in the early 1500s; and Spanish, the language of the colonizers. The great majority of Paraguayans today are bilingual, whether or not they actually have any Guaraní ancestry.

Most missionaries working cross-culturally have to learn a new language. Few missionaries study language for less than nine months. For many of these messengers of the gospel, it’s among the most difficult tasks they will ever face in their ministry, and it’s right at the beginning! It’s obvious to us that language learning and missions go hand in hand.

What may be less obvious is why missionaries learn language. Clearly if you can’t communicate, you can’t get around—buy groceries, get your government documents, or find the post office. If you don’t have a language in common with people, you can’t share with them the propositional information—the facts—of the gospel. But it goes far beyond that. If this is all language learning is, then it’s easy to view it as a hurdle that must be jumped so that missionaries can get to the real ministry. They have to get through language study, and then they can start really being missionaries.

The worker who thinks like this misses the key truth that language learning itself is ministry. And more than that, it’s an occasion to become what God has sent her to become—to become incarnate to the people of her host culture. Paul talks about this becoming in 1 Corinthians 9, where he speaks of becoming “all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (9:22 NIV). Paul doesn’t advocate pretending or faking it by putting on a mask. Becoming is hard work. It requires time and effort. “I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave” (1 Corinthians 9:27 NIV). The missionary going through language learning knows exactly what Paul means. It’s a struggle, day in and day out—vocabulary lists and verb conjugations, memorized monologues, and routes through the community to practice and grow.

Meanwhile, life still goes on. Missionaries interact with their neighbors, feeling like fools, inarticulate, not able to present themselves as they long to: as an educated person with experiences, relationships, status, and a life. They start from nothing, rebuilding their world from scratch, learning new names for every single item in it. Their neighbors’ 3-year-olds are better communicators than they are. Children sometimes giggle at the comical things they unintentionally say. The missionary language-learner either learns to laugh at himself or spends every day frustrated by his lack of status and dignity. As missionaries make the effort (and it is an effort!) to learn the language of the heart, a subtle, unspoken, but very powerful message is communicated: “I don’t look down on you. I value your culture. Who you are as a Paraguayan is unique, and it’s worth taking the time to invest in.” So often, Paraguayans, prepared by long experience with foreigners to be considered inferior, are disarmed when the outsider asks admittance to their world in this humble way. And they welcome the stranger in.

ACT: Has someone in your neighborhood or church moved from another culture? Take time this month to get to know them. Ask intentional questions: What’s your favorite color? What’s the common greeting in your culture? What do they like to do for fun? Using their answers, love this person in very practical ways—buy them a small gift in their favorite color, practice greeting them using your new language acquisition, ask to take part in their favorite activity, etc. Be creative and see what God teaches you through this new friendship.

An excerpt from...

Remember Whose Keys You Are Holding

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By Hubert Harriman, President
April-June 2015

Every household has keys lying around. One of the most exasperating things that happens with them is to forget what they were made for. We’re not certain if someone gave us one for some specific purpose or if those keys just wandered into the house. But there they are—useless until discovered what their purpose is.

When my middle daughter, Maria, was in college, she went to Kenya under the Volunteers In Action program with WGM. As part of that venture, she ended up on the campus of what was then called Kenya Highlands Bible College. Among many activities, she and another VIA girl were asked to take a bundle of keys that had been delegated to “the tomb of the unknown” and try to find where they fit. Someone needed to do it because that’s what keys are made for—to fit a purpose.

It’s amazing to witness how God fits willing Christians to His divine intention. It’s that moment when we know “He made me and prepared me for this.” Unbelievably, He made us an important key to something He wants to accomplish in other peoples’ lives and, in order for any key to work, it must fit the object of its purpose.

God has entrusted each of us with important keys for kingdom work, but all too often, we simply don’t mark it down in our hearts and have long forgotten what use they have. Perhaps someone asked us to pray for an open door of opportunity and we just laid it aside and forgot about it. That key was essential to opening doors, but we didn’t remember—and doors remained shut. Maybe someone shared with us a ministry crisis and asked us to get involved by giving. We felt the need at the time, but we let it slip by—and doors were locked. It might be that the Holy Spirit cut us out as a key to someone’s soul. We heard His voice to use the key—to go and speak a word of hope—and we let it pass—and doors were closed.

To have the right key and not offer it for its intended purpose is sinful. There is too much at stake for us to be holding vital keys and not putting them to their intended use. Jesus said, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” Oh Christian friend, use them!

Are you trying the wrong doors to find what you want? Remember Whose keys you’re holding! They will work only as they should when used with the right purpose. God knows where you fit! Let Him put your life to His good use.

ACT: If your key to missions involvement has gotten rusty and you’re not quite sure how to get started, WGM can help. Commit to completing the World Go! Manual study.

An excerpt from...

A Lineman by Trade

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Communication is a key to creating a support network
By John Neihof, WGM Board Member
April-June 2015

I love investing in missionaries. Successful missionary ministry involves raising a network of champions. Communication is a key to creating that network.

A few years ago, Bill Ryan, WGM missionary to Honduras, was in my public speaking class at Kentucky Mountain Bible College. Bill had been a lineman (constructing and maintaining electric lines) by trade in his home state of Vermont. Bill and Beth sensed God’s call to missions, but Bill’s idea was that he would simply use his lineman and electrical skills to serve Escuela El Sembrador. God had bigger ideas.

The semester had reached the halfway point and it was time for persuasive speeches. I challenged Bill to develop his missionary appeal message as his persuasive speech for the class assignment. I emphasized that he focus on presenting the need for prayer and financial support and seek to raise both from his Bible college classmates. I sweetened the challenge by offering to become his first supporter from the class!

Bill has a natural warmth and sincerity in front of an audience. His speech was very good, and my wife and I kept our promise to become part of the Ryans’ support team.

A year or two later, I was on the road and met up with Bill and Beth at Mooers Camp in upstate New York. Mooers Camp is near the Ryans’ home area in Vermont, and they have a lot of supporters there. It was missionary day, and Bill and Beth were the speakers. Their presentation was fantastic. The camp president, Steve Drown, approached me with a request that I offer the commissioning prayer over Bill and Beth as they headed toward the place of their calling in Honduras. I sensed God’s blessing and anointing as I prayed over this precious couple.

Bill’s stint as an electrician at El Sembrador was successful, but short lived. He and Beth sensed God’s call to church planting in a pioneer work to an indigenous community in La Mosqitia. Bill never saw himself as a public speaker, teacher, or preacher, but that is exactly what he does as a frontier missionary. God put the key, public speaking, in Bill’s hand, and he is crafting and using the key to advance God’s Divine mandate.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV)

ACT: Practice your communication skills. WGM provides a variety of speaker outlines that you can use to share a ministry need with your church, small group, etc.

An excerpt from...

Recognizing the Image of God

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The key to respecting others in ministry
By Matt Burke, Missionary, Uganda
April-June 2015

It’s amazing how a comment can affect you. When I was a high school student, my principal casually said, “...when you are in college....” I don’t remember the conversation, only that phrase. High school was a struggle for me, and college was just a dream. I wanted to go, but seriously doubted my abilities. But something about the way he said those words spoke volumes to me. He believes in me. And he said it with all of the cool confidence of someone who knows!

This idea of respect is vastly important in ministry—in missions here at home or abroad. We unconsciously convey varying levels of respect to those we interact with every day. If our expectations are low, that might be exactly what we get. But Scripture does not allow us to operate this way. Genesis tells us: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (1:27 ESV). How amazing it is that God designed us to be image bearers. All of His creation was good, but when He made humans, His model was Himself!

Of course, as we minister to people, we are confronted with the ugly effects of sin. The image that we see is marred, often beyond recognition. Everywhere we turn, we see people living in poverty and people struggling with addictions and sin cycles. Low self-esteem touches every level of society. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that they bear the image of God, even to the point where we write them off. We engage in practices that create dependency. But that is not the way of Jesus. To a group of fishermen who were caught in a great storm, Jesus asked, “Why are you so afraid?” The implication was you don’t need to be afraid. He expected more from them. Throughout Scripture, we see God and His ministers calling people to a higher level. We see Jesus inviting us to live the abundant life.

This is why we love serving as trainers in Community Health Empowerment in Uganda. CHE is discipleship within impoverished communities. Respect is a central building block of the training as it recognizes the image of God in people who have been written off. It offers hope. It fights to break cycles of dependency. Participants are challenged to view themselves and their communities with God’s eyes. With newfound hope, people are discovering God-given local resources and solutions to the problems they face. The transformation is remarkable and very satisfying. Ministry success hinges on recognizing and respecting the image of God in all people.

PRAY: Pray that Jesus will be lifted up and glorified through Community Health Empowerment initiatives. Pray that national CHE workers will be equipped to reach out to their communities and spread the gospel.

Hanging Out

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Hanging Out—Connection

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Community is a key to effective ministry
By WGM Missionaries serving in Mexico
April-June 2015

MARK AND SERENA DUNBAR, serving in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico

Our Google Hangouts this last year have made us a family. We served in Honduras for over 20 years in established areas where we were constantly with other missionaries. We now live six hours north of our closest WGM missionary. In Honduras, we felt as though the field was family because missionaries were always there to help us celebrate our kids’ birthdays, discuss a ministry issue, or just visit. Now in Mexico, we also feel as though the missionaries are our family because of Hangout. When we meet together, we always find time to visit.

BILL AND LYDIA ALLSHOUSE, serving in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

When we wake up on Tuesday mornings, no matter where we are, we know we’ll be in touch with our missionaries at 9:00 a.m. It’s a time we look forward to as we get to see each other face to face and share in one another’s victories and burdens. Phone calls are nice, but it’s even better when we can see the other missionaries as they share their joys and concerns. We used to connect through emails and phone calls, but communicating through visual and audio makes a world of difference. I (Bill) enjoy the laughter, and it gives me the chance to hear the heart of each missionary, which encourages a spirit of unity. Hangout has helped us to be of one accord when we’ve had to tackle difficult challenges here on the Mexico Field.

CHRISSY GREENWELL, serving in Villa Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico

I’m thankful for the time we can Hangout. Moving from Saltillo to start a new work in Central Mexico has presented several challenges. As I work “alone” to grow this ministry, knowing the other missionaries are praying for me and supporting the ministry here is a great encouragement. Being able to share what God is doing and celebrate together gives that little push we all need at times in order to keep on.

PRAY: Form your own Hangout. Set up a time once a month or once a week when you hang out with others to pray for missions.

Keep Praying

An excerpt from...

Keep Praying

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The Church is the key to spiritual growth
By Twana Johnson, Missionary, Mexico
April-June 2015

She was only 14, but she found our church and started coming regularly. We loved her big smile and willingness to stand and give God the glory during praise and worship time.

She started to bring her grandmother who lived just down the street from the church. At first, Grandma wasn’t too sure about coming. She was from an established religion and felt it was being a traitor to that faith. Unfortunately, the granddaughter quit coming, but to our surprise, Grandma kept coming! She loved the worship music and even had one of our young people put praise music on her phone so she could listen during the week. Her favorite is “The Power of His Love” by Hillsong (in Spanish, of course).

One of the ladies from the congregation went to her home and led her to the Lord. She joined the new converts’ class and grew spiritually. She moved in with her daughter and granddaughter to save money, but suffered persecution from them. As she sought advice, she learned to “be quiet and pray” and to respond in love. The church body prayed as well.

Recently, just before Grandma was to be baptized, the daughter talked to the lady who led her mother to the Lord. She confessed that she had seen such a change in her mother and wanted what her mother had! Praise the Lord, she confessed Him as her Savior. How exciting it was to hear Grandma, the daughter, and the granddaughter give their testimonies and watch them be baptized! I heard someone comment: “Grandma looks so much younger than when she first started coming!” That’s what happens when Jesus shines!

We were tempted to be discouraged because the granddaughter had quit coming, but we kept praying for her. God was working, not through us, but her grandma. What a lesson in faith.

Are you discouraged because you are not seeing a change in the situation or the person you are praying for? Don’t give up. God is working.

PRAY: Father, I pray for those who have been praying for years for a loved one to find Christ. Remind them that You are working and You have a plan. Encourage them to keep praying and assure them that You are listening. Amen.

An excerpt from...

Does It Matter that I’m Not a Preacher?

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The key to using your talents in missions
By Jared Gleason, Support Staff
April-June 2015

When you think about missions and missionaries, people like William Carey, Amy Carmichael, and even the apostle Paul come to mind. They were great missionaries, and God used them in amazing ways. But fast forward a few years, and it’s clear that missions has changed—dare I say, it’s always evolving.

As I work with individuals interested in missionary service, I sometimes get asked the question, “Does it matter that I’m not a preacher?” A good question. The short answer is “No, it doesn’t matter.” Yes, missions does include preaching and evangelism, but it can also include teaching English, performing surgery, and fixing cars.

It’s exciting to see how God uses key people with different skills and talents to expand his global Church. I think of a photographer who provides family portraits to families in Albania, a mechanic who teaches young boys how to maintain vehicles in Honduras, and a young adult who plays soccer and Ultimate Frisbee with atheist and agnostic college students in Argentina. Some awesome ministries, right? God never ceases to amaze me in the ways He connects people and provides opportunities to speak into their lives.

What is your skill? What is your passion? Have you asked God how He can use you in missions? Here are some current opportunities/positions in which you or someone you know can serve in missions and be a part of what God is doing around the world:

• Food Service Director (Arizona)
• Family Counselor (Mexico)
• School Teachers (Uganda, Bolivia, Paraguay, and more)
• Small Business Facilitator (Honduras)
• Radio and TV Personnel (Haiti, Kenya)

These are just a few specific positions currently needed around the world. For a larger list, visit www.wgm.org/go. However, it is impossible to list all the ways God can use people to bring others into relationship with Him. I ask that you pray and ask God how He wants to use you in missions. You and your talent may be the key to someone else discovering Jesus and entering into a personal relationship with Him.

MORE: If you feel as if your interests or skills can’t be used in missions, get in touch with Jared. He shares, “I’m always up for a challenge. I’d love to help you find that ministry God has in mind for you.” Email Jared at recruiting@wgm.org.

An excerpt from...

Keys from Retirees

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Lessons from the trenches
By Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
April-June 2015

“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.”(Deuteronomy 32:7 NIV)

On this website, we’ve created a section called Heroes of the Faith to honor retired missionaries. As we’ve been gathering these stories over the last few years, we’ve stumbled across some wonderful words of wisdom from these incredible faith-filled men and women. Some of these saints have gone to be with the Lord since our conversations with them, and we’re thankful we had the chance to capture their stories.

Louisa Ammerman (1913-2011), served in Burundi: “Be willing to make the adjustments cheerfully and joyfully. Don’t be depressing or despondent. Try to see the best in everyone. Try to live in the right relationship always, both with others and with God.”

O. Carl Brown (1918-2010), served in Haiti with his wife, Martha: “Be in the Word and see where God’s heart is. When you go forth in the call, you’ll have a real love and desire to follow through. You’ll have continued enthusiasm about the Word. In doing so, God opens doors.”

Edna Dewey, 108, served in India with her late husband, Clifford: “Be sure you’re called [to missions]. Don’t go on your own. The work is hard enough that you need the Lord’s help constantly. There are disappointing times, but you pray through it, and get over it.”

Evelyn Harriman, 90, served in Bolivia and Paraguay with her husband, Harold: “A new missionary in Bolivia once asked me for some advice about adapting to the culture. I said, ‘Don’t speak English in front of Bolivians!’ You’ve got to love and respect them, and it’s not nice to speak a language they don’t understand in front of them. The land needs to become your land.”

Tim Hawk, 68, served in Honduras and at headquarters with his wife, Sharon: “From the very beginning, realize building relationships is the most important part of your ministry. Learn to invest yourself in people, not in busy work.”

Sue Martin, 74, served in Haiti and Haitian American Ministries: “Have a consistent devotional life. God is in control of what’s happening; be submissive to what He leads. Obedience—if you have that, you can adapt to any situation.”

Ellen Pfirman, 77, served in Burundi, on the American Indian Field, and in Kenya: “As a new missionary, I was as green as I could be. We had to trust the Lord through all the different circumstances, and I saw that He was faithful in all the problems we faced. He didn’t abandon us. The fact that we didn’t live in fear was a miracle.”

Paul Shingledecker, 68, served in Burundi and Haiti and at headquarters with his wife, Pat: “My prayer for every new missionary who came to Haiti or to one of our fields when we were regional directors was that within the first six months, and preferably within the first six weeks, they would find one close national friend. When that happened, it almost always changed their whole outlook on the culture, country, and language learning. All of a sudden the differences were no longer bad, just different! Deep national friendships make a missionary and nearly always assure his/her success.”

Caroline Heater Smith (1936-2014), served on the American Indian Field: “There are traits a person needs to be a missionary: getting up on time, going to bed at a decent time, learning to eat things you don’t want, having your devotions, and a sense of humor. Always be able to see the funny side of things.”

Mary Smith (1912-2010), served in Kenya and at headquarters with her late husband, “Hack”: “It’s the safest place in the world: being in the will of God. The most fulfilling life you can have is working for the Lord on the mission field or in His service.”

MORE: Want to hear the rest of these retired missionaries’ stories? View the Heroes of the Faith section.

Prayer Calendar: May 10-16, 2015

Your missions praise inspired by The Call magazine is this:

PRAISE God for the godly heritage of retired missionaries and support staff.


On the WGM website, we’ve created a section called Heroes of the Faith to honor retired missionaries. You can read more about their stories there.  

What's in your Hand?

An excerpt from...

What Is in Your Hand?

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The key to starting ministry where God has put you
By Meg Dul, Missionary, Hungary
April-June 2015

How can I still be involved in ministry when my time is fully taken up by my two active little ones? They are 4 and 2, and every day they challenge me to grow in God’s grace and rely on His strength. Often I contemplate how to balance my calling as a mom and my calling as a missionary when it comes to how I spend my time.

When God called Moses from the burning bush, Moses had his doubts. “What if they don’t believe me?” God’s answer was also in the form of a question: “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” Moses replied (Exodus 4:1-2). God had already given Moses the resources he needed to fulfill his calling—of course, not in Moses’ strength, but in his weakness and God’s power. So I look at what God has put in my hand: two darling children, a language people want to learn, experience in teaching English, and a welcoming home.

Here in Hungary, mothers get three years of maternity leave. Once their kids are 3 years old, the mothers go back to work and the kids go to a 3-year preschool. This year we started our 4-year-old in the local preschool. We prayed that through this, God would open doors for ministry for our family. The first week of school, parents were allowed to stay with their kids to help them adjust. Many moms asked if I could help them improve the English they’d learned but didn’t have the chance to practice. An idea began to form.

I asked another missionary mom to join me in starting a baba-mama group (moms and kids) in my home. One morning a week, Hungarian young mothers come with their kids aged 3 and younger. The kids play and we moms talk in English. We purposefully guide the discussion to spiritual things and pray for each mom every time we’re together. We are at the very beginning of this new outreach, but I am so encouraged by how God is weaving together the two callings He has put on my heart.

Will you take a moment to pray for us? Pray that God will use this time to draw people to Himself. And if you’re wondering where to start plugging into ministry where God has put you, take a look: what is in your hand?

GO: What do you have in your hand, and how can you use that to further the kingdom? Ministry opportunities are open on nearly every WGM field. Find your fit.

Prayer Calendar: May 3-9, 2015

Your missions prayer point inspired by The Call magazine this week requires some personal reflection:

ASK God to reveal to you "what is in your hand" to serve Him.

When God gives you direction on this prayer, drop us a line in the comments. We would love to hear how God is directing the lives of our readers.

An excerpt from...

Serve by Understanding

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The key to living among those to whom you minister
By Bill Ryan, Missionary, Honduras
April-June 2015

The rain was coming down in sheets. By the time we reached the small hill overlooking the huge mile-wide swamp below, we had been peddling our bikes in the pouring rain for over three hours. We were soaked to the bone. On the other side of the swamp was a small village of 10 to 12 wooden shacks called Tapanlai. It was there, hopefully, a truck would be waiting for me and the group I was traveling with to take us home to Puerto Lempira.

We were about halfway through the swamp when we caught up with a young mother carrying her small baby. Her name was Veronica and she was from Kayo Sirpi, the village where I taught English. Her 3-month-old baby had a high fever, and she was on her way to Puerto Lempira to get medicine. She had been walking for over five hours by the time we met up with her. She had no money for the truck ride. She was counting on the mercy of the driver to take her and her baby to town for free. The layers of rags that covered the baby were completely soaked. We dug through our packs. I had a dirty, but dry, t-shirt; someone else had a small towel; and my friend Jorge had a plastic bag, which we used as a raincoat for the baby.

We were late now, and the truck would not wait much longer, if it was there at all. If we missed the truck, we were faced with another five hours on our bikes, and Veronica and her baby would be in serious trouble. We waded through the swiftly moving river that meandered through the swamp, carrying our bicycles as the water deepened. Veronica held her baby high, as the water was chest deep on her. We pushed our bikes along a slippery muddy path, through the last small creek. Finally we could see the end of the swamp. The truck was there! I thanked the Lord.

We all shivered from the cold, as the half-drunk driver sped down the road. Seven adults and four kids were packed into the back of the small Toyota pickup. At times, the truck fish-tailed on the loose gravel road. We held onto each other and to a big piece of dirty red plastic that kept us somewhat sheltered from the pouring rain.

One and a half hours later, we arrived at Puerto Lempira. Before Veronica left for the hospital, I gave her money to purchase her baby’s medicine and directed her to a skilled nurse I know personally. Fortunately, the baby is fully recovered.

Recently, I ran into Veronica during another visit to Kayo Sirpi. It was an especially humid day in the classroom and I had no water. Veronica noticed how uncomfortable I was feeling and came running over with two cups of water!

These trips to Kayo Sirpi were always an adventure, always different, and always a learning experience. With every trip, my understanding of the lives of the Miskito Indians has grown deeper and clearer.

Mother Teresa, a nun who lived her life within the slums of Calcutta, India, was asked why she lived with such poor people. She responded by saying, “You have to live with the poor to understand them; you have to understand them before you can love them; you have to love them before you can serve them.” Mother Teresa dedicated her life to the biblical principle found in John 1:15: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

Jesus left heaven to live among this poor, lost, and broken world. We have tried to incorporate these principles into what we do in La Moskitia: live with the people and serve them by understanding them. It may be Beth teaching English to a people group in Puerto Lempira who, although very wealthy, are spiritually needy. It may be Beth and me teaching biblical truths to neighborhood children each week in our home. Or it may be me, living two weeks a month in the remote village of Kayo Sirpi, listening to the needs of the people, encouraging them to develop projects among themselves, and sharing Christ with each one who comes my way.

PRAY: In La Moskitia, we, our ministry partners, and co-workers struggle with sickness, discouragement, safety concerns, and isolation. Proper medical care and medicine are lacking; and basic needs for formal education such as uniforms, notebooks, pencils, and books are hard to come by. Please pray that we will effectively share the gospel to hearts that have been prepared by acts of understanding, love, and service.

ACT: Are you aware of people who have needs in your community? How can you live out the John 1:15 principle of “living and dwelling among us”? Whether it is through your church, school, or community organization, take a practical step toward loving and serving people who need Jesus.

Prayer Calendar: April 26 - May 2, 2015

This week's mission prayer point has us reflecting on a ministry in Honduras:

PRAY that Bill and Beth Ryan will effectively share the gospel to hearts in La Moskatia, Honduras, that have been prepared by acts of understanding, love, and service.

You can read more about the ministry in La Moskatia in the "Serve by Understanding" article in this issue.

Have RV, Will Serve

An excerpt from...

Have RV, Will Serve: SOWERS for the Kingdom

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The key to partners in ministry
By Sandy Anderson, Missionary, American Indian Field with Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
April-June 2015

It’s 8:00 a.m. on a crisp December morning on the Southwest Indian Ministries Center campus in Peoria, Arizona, and Jerry and Tina shut the door to their RV and head to their worksite. Today, they’re tackling a new coat of paint on one of the buildings, and later, they’ll help prep a space for an open house for the local community.

Jerry and Tina are SOWERS—Servants On Wheels Ever Ready to Serve. These men and women are retired or semi-retired and travel around North America in RVs, helping Christian ministries, churches, schools, and camps with various work projects. Jerry is the current president of SOWERS. In the 11 years they have served with the organization, they have worked on approximately 50 projects.

“It blesses our hearts to hear how much money is saved by ministries when volunteers are able to care for much of the repairs and maintenance,” Tina said. “Knowing we’re making a difference makes it all worthwhile.”

SOWERS do a variety of things depending on their skills and the needs of each project. They help with painting, office work, sewing, teaching, tutoring, cooking, and lots and lots of maintenance, repair, and construction projects.

Most projects are a three-week assignment, and SOWERS have set work hours when they volunteer. In return, they are given free RV hook-ups for four weeks, with the last week to allow volunteers to sightsee or to rest and relax. Volunteers choose how many projects per year they do.

SOWERS have been volunteering at SIMC for many years and have greatly helped maintain the campus. We couldn’t reach out to Native Americans as effectively if we didn’t have these wonderful volunteers to help us out.

According to the team who stayed during December 2014, it’s so much better than sitting at home in retirement! One lady shared, “Don’t be afraid to try! Just go ahead and do it. You are able to travel and help out. There is a great need for more people to get involved and many ministries that need the help!”

MORE: Do you like traveling around in your RV? Want to do some good while you’re seeing the country? Go to www.sowerministry.org for more information about how you can join the SOWERS team.

An excerpt from...

Interview or Intervene?

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The key to following the Lord’s leading
By Michael Johnson, Missionary, Out of Nazareth (Pennsylvania)
April-June 2015

Michael and Kay Johnson followed the Lord’s leading to move from a significant ministry to the least of these in Kenya to the impoverished in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Many may view this change in ministry as risky. Critics and analysts alike will tell you that it is harder for a missionary to raise partners in stateside ministries, but the Johnsons don’t answer to others’ evaluations. They followed the call of the Lord, and this is where their journey is taking them….

He answered without hesitation: “I wash up with a bucket of water that someone brings to our house.”

He looked no older than 9 years of age. He was standing at the clinic door surrounded by his friends and was polite and very clear in his request, “We don’t have water at home. Could I have a bottle of your water, please?”

My wife, Kay, could not believe what she was hearing. “What do you mean, you don’t have any water?” she asked. “What do you drink? How do you wash?”

“I told you,” he repeated, “someone brings water to our house in a bucket. That is how we clean ourselves and get our water to cook.”

As Kay told me this story, we asked ourselves, “Have we left Kenya?”

We have been in Philadelphia for four years since our return from Kenya. We thought we had left the challenges of serving the underdeveloped, impoverished, malnourished, and resource poor. This boy standing at the door and staring at the bottles of water on our shelf tells us a different story.

The distance of 8,000 miles separates us from the culture of a tribal group, but not the culture of poverty.

Why don’t people have access to healthcare? The reasons are many and complex. However, we don’t have the luxury of interviewing. We must intervene. Miriam Medical Clinics is Christ’s work in Philadelphia to people who stare through the glass window separating them from the plenty, while living in poverty. The lack of resources starts with fear and ignorance of an ever-increasingly complex maze of healthcare options or finding help from an overburdened social service safety net.

Poverty looks like this: a mother working two part-time jobs, living in an apartment that has been condemned by the city. She is afraid to alert the city because the rent is so cheap and she doesn’t want to have to live on the streets again with her three children when the city inspectors come. Someone has rigged up electricity and gas for the coming winter and hopefully she can continue to get water from her neighbors. If the illegal faulty wiring and loose-fitting gas pipes hold, they can make it through the winter. If they get caught, they face fines. If they are not careful, they could perish in a fiery explosion.

Mom has already spent time in jail for not paying the truancy fines because of the kids missing school. The kids lived with their grandmother during those six weeks, and the mother thinks her teenage daughter was molested while she was away. The daughter missed even more school and contracted a sexually transmitted disease.

Her son is the child looking for water right now. When she shows up and tells us the whole story, we are certain we are in the right place.

“Just give my son a bottle of water so we can go.”

“Miss, would you care to see our social worker?” Kay asked. “I am sure she can help get your water turned on and deal with the landlord.”

Now she really opens up. “Would you do that for me? I don’t know how to deal with all of these forms and phone calls. I really do know I should get my medicines, and did I tell you about my blood pressure?”

“Yes, we can do that for you. It seems for sure that you are being cheated. This is especially true because you have shown us the inspector’s letter saying the building is condemned.”

I offered to check her blood pressure while I’m at it. It occurred to me that it is difficult to treat asthma for the households where kerosene heaters will be used, and we dare not talk about personal hygiene until we get the water turned back on.

Seeing the doctor is only part of the solution for the people we serve. Our social worker is on hand to help get electricity and gas restored so the kids don’t have to sit around the stove as the weather gets cold. She will deal with the city license and inspection to find safe, affordable housing.

We have determined that it makes as little sense in Kenya as it does here to tell someone to take this medicine on a full stomach, or drink a full glass of water afterward, if neither is available. Our calling is to serve, not determine who is deserving.

At the end of the day, as they say in Kenya, we got her water turned on. Now we can address her health: diabetes, hypertension, and probable electrolyte imbalance caused by her diuretic.

We intervene, then interview. We do so in Christ’s name. We care because He cares. Miriam Medical Clinics is ready to help. We invite you to join with us.

GIVE: Help Miriam Medical Clinics provide patient care in Christ’s name. The clinic needs at least $80,000 for electronic medical records software and retrofitting and outfitting the building. Give online or send a check payable to World Gospel Mission with account #35262 on the memo line, to:

World Gospel Mission
P.O. Box 948
Marion, IN 46952-0948