A Ministry to Missionaries

An excerpt from:

A Ministry to Missionaries

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By Hillarie Hazelton, Volunteer, with Ned and Marlene McGrady, Member Health
July-September 2015

“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.

An excerpt from...

Prayers Answered before Even Spoken

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By Jennifer Bennett, Missionary, Nigeria
January-March 2015

“For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:8 NKJV)

God answered prayers even before I knew to ask. This has never been clearer to me since the night of July 17, 2014, when my co-missionary, Shelley Chapman, and I were assaulted and robbed at gunpoint. While locked in a room, not knowing the fate of Shelley, I felt an indescribable peace. “I wonder who is praying for us right now,” I pondered. Since that traumatic evening, we have become aware of how unspoken prayers have been answered:

• Ikenna Izoke, chief protocol officer at West Africa Theological Seminary, drove up right in front of Shelley as she drove to the campus to find help. He immediately contacted the police and found me locked in a room.
• God provided a safe shelter for us even before we knew of the need. Weeks before the robbery, we had made arrangements to stay the weekend with Edmond and Becky Poon, friends from our church in Nigeria.
• The day after the robbery, Wally Adeleye, friend and church member, immediately left his home and drove to us (about an hour and a half) as soon as he heard about our situation and provided transportation for us to Edmond and Becky’s. We were able to stay at his guesthouse while improved security measures were put into place by WATS.
• Dave and Susan Hackney, friends from church, provided an iPhone and tablet so we were able to connect with our families after the event.
• Ned and Marlene McGrady, Member Health counselors from World Gospel Mission, flew to minister to us in person. God provided them with a smooth entry through customs and immigration while carrying our replacement electronics.
• Pastors Gary and Emma Lou Maxey provided their home for us to use for debriefing with our WGM counselors and a computer to use while we waited for our replacements.
• Lynn Chapman, Shelley’s daughter, packed a suitcase of goodies from our families, and Ned and Marlene brought it with them. She even included several bottles of hand sanitizer for the clinic, not knowing it would be needed later as precautionary measures against Ebola.
• New Beginnings International Church raised the funds needed to replace our electronics.
• Jon and Vera Steury, Africa regional directors, arrived two weeks after the McGradys. This trip had been planned even before our arrival in Nigeria.

God hears and continues to answer our prayers.

“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2 NKJV)

MORE: God has answered many prayers on WGM’s behalf through the years. Burnis Bushong has written some of those accounts in his book The Best of the Story. Purchase this book at www.wgm.org/thebestofthestory.

Where Will You Put Your Faith?

An excerpt from...

Where Will You Put Your Faith?

By Mike Banks, Member Health
October-December 2014

In speaking with another adult PK (preacher's kid) recently, it was confirmed that one of my greatest challenges is shared by many PKs and others raised in the church: making my faith my own and not the faith of my parents or my church! If I choose not to put my faith in Christ, I will be putting my faith in someone or something else. This realization helped me greatly in youth ministries in Bolivia and now in the United States.

As the MK (Missionary Kid) Ministries coordinator for World Gospel Mission, I am privileged to work with young people who have had incredible life experiences. Whether raised in the wilds of Africa, a large city in South America, near a Native American reservation here in the United States, or in another one of our many world cultures, their worldview has been greatly influenced.

Assisting and encouraging missionary kids in transition is a vital aspect of my ministry. While each person goes through various life transitions, MKs can go through major cultural transitions several times before their late teens. They define “home” very differently than their parents and might even have difficulty in that very definition. In other words, when a missionary family returns from their place of service, Mom and Dad may be “home” while their children just left what they may consider their home.

Although I cannot write about their specific struggles, a recurring theme comes to the forefront: their personal faith or lack thereof. Even if they’ve had incredibly positive life experiences or study on a Christian campus, they’re still searching for where to put their faith. One young lady told me that even though she sees her parents’ great faith and has no doubt in that, she struggles to see or feel a loving God. Even though my heart aches when I hear about their struggles, I have the privilege of sharing the only hope I’ve found, and that’s in Christ.

It boils down to one thing: we are going to put our faith somewhere. Many of us will put our faith in work, church, a mentor, possessions, and even ministry; however, only One deserves our faith, belief, trust. We may not understand all of Christ’s ways in a fallen world, but He cannot fail, He cannot change, and He is faithful.

Please pray that I will be an encouragement to our missionary kids and other youth as God opens doors of sharing and as I am able to ask, “Where will you put your faith?”

GIVE: Partner with Mike Banks. He has asked you to pray regularly for him, but you can also show your support for this vital MK ministry through a gift to his ministry.

Member Health [May 25-31]

Mike Banks was in Oregon visiting missionary kid Chris Stanfield at college. God had timed the visit perfectly; Mike received a call that Chris’ aunt had died unexpectedly and took Chris to his parents’ house so they could process the tragedy as a family.

A missionary mom was worried that her child might have a learning disability. Frank and Sharon Martin, pastors to missionaries, were visiting and Sharon used her education background to assure the mom that her child was fine and just learned in a different way.

For the Member Health team, it’s a joy to serve as pastors and caregivers to people who are changing this world for Christ.

• Pray that WGM’s Member Health team will be God’s hands as they comfort, encourage, cry with, and laugh with missionaries and missionary kids around the globe.
• Pray for protection over the Member Health team as they travel.
• Please pray that the Lord will send people to minister to the Member Health team, equipping them to minister to others.

PRAY: Father, thank You for the work You are doing through WGM’s Member Health team. We praise You for Your perfect timing as you lead Mike, Frank, Sharon, Ned, and Marlene to the missionaries and missionary kids who need encouragement. Protect them as they travel many miles, and give them the strength they need to invest in the lives of Your workers around the world. Give them wisdom to counsel, ears to listen, and hearts to understand. Amen. 

PODCAST: Enjoy interviews with missionaries who serve in key missions causes. Listen to this week’s podcast!

CALL: Call WGM’s Prayer Lifeline at 671.7232 (Marion, Indiana, area) or 1.800.426.0846 (toll free) to join other concert-goers in hearing this week’s recorded prayer.

SHARE: Invite others to pray with you during the concert. We depend on your prayers! Email us at thecall@wgm.org and tell us who you are praying with so we can encourage our staff.

Spreading the Good News at Home and Around the World

An excerpt from...

Spreading the Good News at Home and Around the World

By Ned McGrady, Member Health
January-March 2014

Marion, Indiana, has been the home of World Gospel Mission now for more than 60 years. WGM is excited to be involved in transformational change through a unique partnership with Habitat for Missionaries.

Habitat for Missionaries is a nonprofit organization committed to providing building skill training and financial support for evangelical Christian missionaries via the rehabbing and building of homes across North America. It was founded by retired missionaries Rev. Bill and Daphne Foster.

In this partnership, Bill Bucher, WGM’s director of Men With Vision, has coordinated the efforts of WGM staff, Men With Vision chapters, and church volunteers to help rehab a home at 3727 Nebraska Street, Marion, Indiana. Remodeling this home will benefit the community as well as missions in many ways as volunteers provide the labor to restore this home to its intended value.

WGM benefits from the proceeds of the remodeling of this home. Due to the excellent leadership of Bill Bucher and many volunteers, the labor that was donated by skilled and nonskilled volunteers creates a profit margin that allows WGM’s Member Health Department to receive funds. The proceeds from this home can be used for travel to make pastoral visits, hold retreats, and provide support and encouragement to our missionaries serving around the world. As our missionaries are cared for and ministered to, the gospel of Jesus Christ continues to go forth and lives are transformed and changed by God’s amazing love.

Transformational change is what the gospel is really all about. We see that demonstrated from an abandoned house in Marion to the mission fields around the world. What a unique way to spread the Good News at home and abroad.

MORE: Your church can partner with Habitat for Missionaries, too. This may be the step of faith God is asking you to take to increase your missions giving as a community. Learn more about serving at www.habitatformissionaries.com.