Gifts, Accounting, and Mr. Potato Head

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By Heidi Buell, Missionary, Honduras
July-September 2015

“Okay, kids, what’s wrong with this Mr. Potato Head?” I asked the after-school Good News Club as I held up the toy.

Giggling, the kids pointed to the nose part where his arm part should have been, and his arm was where his mouth should have been. As I put the body parts into their proper places, I explained to the kids how God made each of us with individual gifts and abilities and how we are all needed in the body of Christ.

Growing up, I’d had limited exposure to missionaries. The only stories I had heard were of preachers, teachers, or medical workers, but I had no interest in those things as my career. So, when I was called to missions after high school, I wondered how God was going to use me on the mission field.

I started at Asbury University (Kentucky), majoring in missions and Spanish. Then, someone gave me some great advice about how it’s really helpful when missionaries have a practical skill to offer. I looked into education, but God quickly closed that door. I’d always liked math and numbers, so after some thought and prayer, I declared accounting as my major. Just three weeks later, a speaker came to campus and talked about the need for accountants and businessmen on the mission field. They support the ministries and other missionaries and enable the field to function well. This was confirmation to me that my calling to missions and my gifts in organization, logic, and math were not mutually exclusive. We are one body, and we all have to work together as our various parts.

Back at the Good News Club, Mr. Potato Head helped the kids understand this. We talked about that no matter what your gift is, God can use it on the mission field. We can’t all be mouths or feet or hands or ears; that’s not a good representation of the body of Christ. If God gives us skills in a particular area, it often doesn’t work right when we try to use them someplace else. And when we try to fit into a role that we’re not supposed to fill, it’s exhausting.

When called to missions, I felt like I was supposed to be an arm and help in practical ways; yet, I thought I had to be the mouth (preacher). But how can an arm work in the place where the mouth is supposed to be?

If we live out a biblical worldview, we see how everything can be used by God to draw people to Him. It matters how we plant crops, treat diseases, administer funds, organize ministry, steward our money, and, yes, preach the Word. I’m just a few months in to my first term in Honduras, serving in accounting, and I can’t wait to see how God will work in the months and years ahead.

GO: Treasurers and accountants are a vital part of the mission field team. Opportunities to serve in this capacity are available in multiple locations. To find out more, contact Jared Gleason at recruiting@wgm.org or 765.671.7226.

Prayer Calendar: September 6 – 12

God creates each of us uniquely skilled for the purpose He calls us to. That's the reminder this week in our missions prayer point. Please join The Call readers in praying this request for the week of September 6 – 12: 

PRAY that those who God has called to missions will understand how their skills and abilities can be used uniquely for Him. 

Support Ministries Are the Foundation

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By Lisa Fish, Missionary, Argentina
July-September 2015

When you think of support roles, you think of accountants, field leadership, those doing printing or writing ministries, donors, and many more. They really do support and are foundational to “front line” ministries. How on earth could we do missions without these humble servants?

Where would the money come from if not for ministry partners? As a missionary, I can’t get to the field without those who donate. Because of their obedience and generosity, I have seen firsthand the fruit of their sacrifices—in souls saved and lives transformed, including my own.

Where would we be without prayer warriors? People who commit to pray diligently are the soul of the foundation. Not only do they bring prayer concerns and praises to the throne, but they also call, send notes and emails, and offer encouragement.

Where would I be without my leaders? WGM leaders keep people like me in line and on task. They have helped me see that I may be in a certain circumstance “for such a time as this,” and they remind me to not run ahead of Jesus but to walk faithfully beside Him. They challenge me to grow in my faith and in knowledge and experience, and they support me so kindly and lovingly when I fail. They hold me accountable. If not for our servant-leaders, ministries would be flailing and falling everywhere.

I was called out of Uganda last year and into a year of unknowns and “Where to next, Jesus?” It’s been a difficult transition. I love Uganda, its people, and our ministries there. Yet now I am called, at least temporarily, into a support role ministry myself. I get to participate in training Latin American missionaries by helping direct an accelerated English learning program in Argentina. I will be working with other missionaries to help grow the next generation of missionaries, some of them coming from the very places we used to consider the front lines of missions. They have heard the call themselves and are now seeking to follow the Lord as He continues to expand His kingdom.

It reminds me of the backwardness of the kingdom of God. In order to lead, you follow. In order to gain, you give. In missions, we are a picture of the backwardness of Christ’s kingdom. We start out in what the world perceives as a frontline ministry, but really, in order to grow His kingdom, we work until we are seen no more. Only His hands and feet are seen, and that is how it ought to be.

GO: Do you have a particular skill set that needs to be passed on to others on the mission field? A variety of training positions are available. Visit www.wgm.org/go for more information.

Prayer Calendar: August 30 - September 5

Support ministries are the backbone of the mission. They are the people who find purpose in paying the bills, maintaining the properties, printing newsletters, praying and encouraging the staff, etc. What they do day in and day out keeps everyone focused on the cause of missions. This week we pause to remember those who joyfully serve in this capacity through our missions prayer point: 

PRAY for all missionaries and volunteers who serve behind the scenes in support roles in missions.

An excerpt from....

Investing in Leaders

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By Mark Dunbar, Missionary, Mexico
July-September 2015

For several years, Serena and I have had 2 Timothy 2:2 as our life verse: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (NIV).

While serving as missionaries in Honduras, we filled many roles—board members, teachers, field director, field treasurer, etc. We always felt most fulfilled, however, when we directly trained Hondurans with the skills and knowledge that God so freely gave to us.

Now that we are in northern Mexico, we see a real need for more leaders. The small churches consist of regular, everyday people who have families and need to work full time to live. Their best opportunity to learn more about God’s Word and the skills they need to share it is through our theological education program, PETE (Programa de Estudios Teologicos por Extension).

Under this program, students receive reading and homework assignments one month before the class. The eight-hour, once-a-month class is used to supplement the reading, answer questions, and dive deeper into God’s Word. A year ago, the mission set a goal to have four PETE centers open by the end of 2014. God blessed, and we now have six PETE centers with around 50 students, and five of our churches are pastored by PETE students or graduates.

Felipe and Maria came to know the Lord several years ago. Felipe was following his father’s example of alcoholism, while Maria was a strong community leader within the Catholic Church. When they heard the story of Christ’s sacrifice for them so that they could be free, they repented and were wonderfully saved. When we came to Mexico two years ago, they were leaders in a local church. Their pastor encouraged them to start a cell group, so they opened up their small home for a meeting once a week. They often have 50 people (both kids and adults) crowded into their small garage and living room where they teach what they have learned from their studies.

It is fun and fulfilling to have them, along with their daughter and son-in-law, in PETE. They ask questions that are not hypothetical but practical: “What does God mean when He says that…?” and “What do you suggest that I do in this situation?” They are the “reliable people” who are already teaching others, just as Paul mentioned.

GIVE: Do you want to invest in the life of one of these leaders? You can be a part of their training by giving to the PETE Scholarship Program at www.wgm.org/dunbar.

GO: A theological education professor is needed to teach classes on theological education and pastoral and leadership training. Learn more about this need at www.wgm.org/go.

Many Hats: the Ministry of a Field Director

By Kevin Zirkle, Missionary, Japan
July-September 2015

When someone wears many hats, they have different roles or tasks to perform. This expression often gets played out, usually with a comedic twist, on TV or in the movies. One person wears many hats and performs several different functions.

Actual hats aside, that phrase certainly describes the responsibilities that I have. I am the regional director of the Asia, Europe, and Pacific Rim region. But in addition, I am also the field director for Japan, Papua New Guinea, Hungary, and Ukraine. Wondering how all this came about?

I have been the field director in Japan since 1979. After becoming a regional director for most of WGM’s smaller fields, it became clear that having another voice/perspective at field meetings can be helpful. Each field is different, and I in no way understand the cultures as well as the missionaries serving there. But I serve as a sounding board for ideas and can give input.

Another way I help a small field is by handling some of the communication with WGM headquarters and writing reports. On a smaller field, everyone has a full-time ministry, so a field director’s responsibilities are added onto an otherwise full schedule. (On larger fields, the field director is a full-time job.) Becky and I visit each field in our region once a year, which gives me the chance to see the ministry and understand the challenges and opportunities the missionaries have.

Because of the Internet, it is possible for someone based in Tokyo (where Becky and I live) to lead field business meetings in Ukraine or Hungary. Skype allows free voice communication that a few years ago would have been cost prohibitive. One of the responsibilities of a regional director is to approve the annual budget of each field. Since I am the field director of several fields, it makes it easier to understand what needs to be in the budget.

It seems as if there is always something to respond to, but email makes it easy and quick to respond. I certainly do not direct fields the same way an in-country person may be able to, but I can give advice and direction as long as I have an Internet connection. I may have many different hats, but the goal is the same—to see God’s kingdom advance.

PRAY: Field leaders are called upon to make decisions and support the missionary staff daily. Please pray that God will grant them wisdom and direction as they serve in this capacity.

Prayer Calendar: July 26 - August 1, 2015

"I may have many different hats, but the goal is the same—to see God’s kingdom advance." - Kevin Zirkle, regional director for Asia, Europe, and the Pacific.

July 26 – August 1: Pray for WGM’s regional directors as they provide leadership and encouragement to their assigned areas of the world.

An excerpt from: 

Who’s Got Your Back?

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By Bonnie Gouge, Regional Director for South America
July-September 2015

Do you ever wish that someone would just listen to your heart and hear your concerns? Don’t you want to know that someone “has your back?” Do you wish you had a mentor?

Scripture gives us many examples of mentoring and of learning and gaining wisdom from others. For example, Elijah was a mentor to Elisha. Paul was a mentor to Timothy. These older men poured into younger men, shaping their lives and helping them mature spiritually so that they were better prepared for kingdom work.

World Gospel Mission believes in its missionaries and wants them to succeed. When our new missionaries go to the field, a mentor takes time to be with them, helping them in their transition to the new culture, place, and language. Many times, we just listen. Other times, we lend a helping hand. We are often called upon to share what we have learned as we have served.

My husband, Ron, and I have worked with new missionaries in Spain. And that has not been easy since we do not live there. Thanks to technology, we can still connect with new missionaries in Spain through Skype. We work with them through a written mentoring program, but also spend a lot of time just listening, helping them process their new life in a new place.

As a mentor, I am keenly aware of my own inadequacies. I realize that although I have served for many years in a “foreign” country, I do not have all the answers. In many ways, I just “press on” as Paul writes in Philippians 3:12: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on.…” Our hope is that in spite of our mistakes and inadequacies, our experiences can help someone else grow and mature and maybe even miss some of our pitfalls, helping prepare them to reach out to their world for Christ.

Perhaps you never had a mentor to help you along your life’s journey, but I imagine there are younger people around you who could use a helping hand. Will you “have their back?”

PRAY: Is mentorship the next step in your journey in helping you grow deeper in your walk? Take time this month to pray and ask God to direct your path to the right person who can help you with this process.