From Inspiration to Involvement

---

Jared Gleason, Support Staff
January-March 2016

As I browse social media or flip through a magazine, photos stick out to me the most. Most of the time I’m not even reading, but waiting for the next photo to catch my eye, prompting me to read whatever story or post accompanies it. Do you find yourself doing that?

Photos are fascinating because they can elicit so much emotion and inspiration, especially pictures that involve ministry and missions. You may think, “Wow, that’s an amazing ministry that is going on in Albania,” or “I would love to serve like that some day.” And that thought might be the last time you think of it. My prayer is that that would not be the case.

Are you brave enough to change your inspiration into involvement? I challenge you to actually respond. Don’t just click “Like” on Facebook and move on to the next photo. Don’t just flip the magazine page and read the next article. Take action. Ask questions. Learn more. Share with others what God is doing around the world and in your heart. Or, if you are up to a real faith challenge—go and be a part of it.

Going is a big step, but it is a step worth taking. Through Christ, people’s lives are being transformed and communities are being changed. You can be a part of what He is doing. And then you’ll be the one sharing photos, impacting others’ lives, and, Lord willing, inspiring them to be a part of missions as well.

As you are inspired by missions photos in this magazine, online, or wherever they may be, pray about how God may use those photos to prompt you to become involved. If He prompts you to seek out an opportunity to serve, WGM has many ways that you can do that. Maybe it’s going on your first team, maybe it’s serving for a summer, or maybe it’s beginning a career in missions. It could also mean being an advocate for missions in your small group, church, or community.

No matter what God is asking you to do, I’d love to talk with you and help your inspiration become a reality.

ACT: Connect with Jared today at recruiting@wgm.org to determine the best way God can use your skills and talents in missions.

Pray...

Pray…Then Just Stand Back and Behold What God Can Do

---

Linda Rogers, Team Leader
October-December 2015

It began in the winter of 2013 with a sign-up sheet for those interested in being on a work team to McAllen, Texas. But God began preparing hearts long before. The story of what He accomplished using our willing hands is nothing short of amazing. We watched what originally seemed an impossible task (to earn monies for 12 work team members) become “little is much if God is in it” as funds began to increase.

Providing all the needed funds was reason enough to praise God for His faithfulness, but other stories unfolded that can only be described as His amazing grace.

One of the signatures on the original sign-up sheet was a man who was fairly new to the church. His wife, under conviction, had gone to the altar one service after “putting out a fleece.” She basically said to God, that if a certain song is ever sung in that church, she will know she needed to go to the altar. It didn’t take long. One evening, the youth held a service with a special guest singer. You guessed it: that song was part of his program, and she was obedient.

Still her husband hadn’t gone to the altar as yet. As the preparation for the team began, God began working on his heart.

Originally, only the man had signed up for the team, but we kept praying about his wife. She really wanted to go but was unable to take the time off from work without pay. Then her place of employment offered her a new position that opened the door for her to go as well.

While on the mission field, we worked very hard. There seemed so much that we could put our hand to and so little time to do it. On the third day of the trip, the gentleman of our story received a telephone call that his father had suffered a major heart attack. We knew it was a struggle, but even though we offered to fly him back home immediately, he unselfishly decided to stay with the team, knowing he was needed. A few days later, he received a call that his father wasn’t expected to make it through the night. By this time, we were nearing our departure. Incredibly, he was able to speak to his father by phone. His family told him that his father was weakening by the minute and he most certainly would pass away before we could get back. We continued to pray and so did our church family at home and the missionaries in McAllen. Upon landing in Columbus, Ohio, this man and his wife drove to the hospital and were able to see his father. We praised the Lord and let our missionaries in McAllen know how God had worked. A full month after we returned from our missions trip, the man’s father recovered enough to go home!

Many of us from our work team from a small church in central Ohio have stories about the goodness of God. These experiences give us a deeper appreciation for the missionaries’ day-to-day lives. They not only deserve our admiration, but also our earnest prayers. After all, we know what prayer can do!

GO: Is God asking you to serve on a short-term team? Take time to pray over your concerns and then step out in faith. Join a team at www.wgm.org/teams.

It’s Not about Me

---

Lessons from a Ministry Team
Susan Knapp, Volunteer, with Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
October-December 2015

It took our medical team four days of solid traveling to get to the clinic in Papua New Guinea where we were volunteering. We were so excited to serve! But once we got there, the clinic staff didn’t seem very welcoming and we found ourselves with nothing to do.

That’s a hard blow to face after long plane rides, long layovers, months of planning and fundraising, and being away from family. After a day of just basically standing around and not doing much, I’ll admit it: I was angry.

I went to bed that night thinking to myself, “What will I tell everyone who helped me get here?” I prayed and told God that this was not what I had signed up for. (I know, it’s never a good idea to give God a talking-to!) I knew God had cleared the way for me to come; I knew I was supposed to be there. But in that moment, I felt cheated and I needed to clearly hear from Him.

The next morning, the first thing that came to mind was to open the Bible and read. My Bible fell to Ecclesiastes: “Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.” Basically, Solomon is saying that you can have everything in the world—all the work, all the power, all the importance—but unless you’re following God and doing what He has called you to do, everything is meaningless. And it hit me: even though I hadn’t done much in the clinic the day before, God was working.

And then, before I knew it, that week at the clinic ended up being a great week. We became friends with the clinicians, and the barriers started to come down. Our group did some teaching on Thursday, and I taught about infant resuscitation and infant assessment. Several staff shared that they really appreciated this information, which they had not gotten much training in before. This feedback seemed to be confirmation that I was supposed to be there.

I learned that my job is to be a servant, and servants do what they are told to do. We are called to do what God would have us to do, even if we don’t understand it. It solidified my purpose here on this earth. I don’t know all that my role was or what difference it made or didn’t make, but I learned a very big lesson that has stayed with me. It’s not about me, my expectations, or the money the trip cost; it’s about listening, trusting, and then doing what God has called me to do.

GO: Short-term medical teams, work teams, and prayer teams are available year round. Is God calling you to serve outside your comfort zone? Learn how you can go at www.wgm.org/teams.