The Challenge of Change

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Billie Sue Dunn, Missionary, American Indian Field
October-December 2015

Let me make it clear from the beginning: I do not like change. However, flexibility is very important in a missionary’s life.

Change in ministry can be a challenge. God gives the courage to face each change and the assurance that He is with us. In Jeremiah 29:11, God tells us, “I know the plans I have for you.”

When God called me to be a missionary teacher, I believed that I would go to the mission field and teach first-grade missionary kids until I retired. Little did I know that God had a better plan. That plan included teaching MKs in a one-room school, teaching kindergarten in the morning and high school classes in the afternoon, becoming a school principal, and, now, serving as the field treasurer on the American Indian Field.

Not only did I have to be flexible with my assignments, but also with my field of service. Moving from Bolivia, South America, to Phoenix, Arizona, was a big change. Moving from a humid, tropical climate to a hot, dry climate was interesting to say the least. Did God change His mind with His plans for my life? No, I don’t think so. Instead, He used each task as a step to help me become a willing, obedient servant. The challenge of change was all part of His plan. I wish I could say that there was no reluctance on my part in each change. Still, with prayer and His Word as my guide, I have faced each challenge with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Has changing from being a teacher to a treasurer been a trial? I have felt that way at times. After training to be an educator and not an accountant, I have seen God as the Master Teacher. Depending on Him shows me that He is in control all the time. God does not waste what we learn. Many of the leadership skills that I gained as a teacher and principal also apply to the office of treasurer.

Change has challenges, but we serve a God who gives us the grace to handle them. There is no greater joy than being in the center of His will.

GO: Is God calling you to serve outside your comfort zone? The American Indian Field has several short-term opportunities. It doesn’t matter if you are a teacher, a bookkeeper, or something else. God can use you to impact His kingdom. Join a team at www.wgm.org/teams.

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.

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...

The Print Shop

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By Kenneth Hopson, Missionary, Uganda
July-September 2015

It’s a normal name for a printing ministry, but there is definitely more going on at this place than putting ink on paper. Take a short tour with me of this one-car garage turned into The Print Shop and you’ll discover what I’m talking about.

It started out as a dream; I want to have a place where I could help World Gospel Mission and other ministries in Uganda with their printing needs. I knew that literature was very valuable and hoped that God could use my printing experience that began in a printing class in high school. When God called me to serve Him in Africa, my dream began. Little did I know that long ago, my God could use a printer.

When my family arrived in Uganda in 2004, the ministry started out slowly, printing pastors’ lessons and prayer letters for missionaries. There wasn’t enough printing to keep me busy full time, so I also helped by teaching a little in the pastors’ training ministry. I longed to use my skills in running machines and putting books together, and I waited to see what would happen. Then, one of those God-ordained moments came. You know, when something you never expected to happen, happened. I attended, in place of someone who couldn’t attend, a meeting of several missions agencies. I told the group what we were doing in Uganda. That day, my God, my best friend, opened the door to print for another missions organization. That put in motion a journey that has led me to print for many missions organizations in Uganda and East Africa, reaching to countries well beyond.

In 2014 alone, we printed in many different languages, including Mitto, Collo, Fur, Baka, Lugwere, Tennet, Lubwisi, Lugungu, Madi’ Okollo, Ik, and Thur. The Gospel of Luke and the book of Ruth were printed in the last three languages listed, making them the first books of God’s Word ever printed in these languages! God has been so good to The Print Shop, to be used in such a small way for His glory.

I have enough work now to have a helper, a young Ugandan man named Leonard. Together, we print words on sheets of paper that disciple and bring people to Jesus; many of these people we can’t communicate with or may never know, and it’s all for Jesus. The profits that are received from The Print Shop go to purchase supplies and maintain equipment and also help to financially support vital WGM ministries, such as pastors’ training, Community Health Empowerment, university ministries, scholarships for higher education for Ugandan pastors, and more. That’s one of the best parts of serving in The Print Shop.

PRAY: Have you asked God how He can use your dreams and skills in missions? Take time this month to pray for God to reveal His plan for your life.

MORE: God used Kenneth’s experience as a printer on the mission field. There’s a good chance we are looking for someone willing to serve with your skill set. Learn more about WGM’s ministry opportunities at www.wgm.org/go.

An excerpt from...

Purposeful Responsibilities

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By Ann Seaney, Missionary, Bolivia
July-September 2015

Aren’t you glad God gave us purposeful responsibilities that He has gifted us to fulfill? After finishing my teaching career, the Lord gave me the opportunity to learn how to be an accountant. It began as on-the-job training while I was part of the missionary team in Cusco, Peru. The training continued when I returned to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to serve as treasurer for both Peru and Bolivia. It hasn’t always been easy, but I have enjoyed the opportunity and am grateful for colleagues who have been patient and kind in the process.

Routine and clear expectations are part of my comfort zone. These characteristics also fit well in the treasurer’s office. (Not that the unexpected never happens!) The normal routine includes paying the bills, disbursing money to missionaries and nationals, processing expense reports, and compiling financial reports at the end of the month. It could all sound very mundane except for the people behind the receipts. People like:

• Matilde, a faithful Christian lady whose suffering was eased by the gift of an oxygen machine
• A local pastor who received funds to pay for his young children’s schooling
• University students whose lives will be enriched by living in the new university residence under construction in Sucre
• Hundreds of individuals in northern Bolivia who were comforted as they received food and other staples following a devastating flood
• Teenagers whose lives have been changed after attending youth camp in Tarija
• Lawyers and accountants from whom we seek counsel so we may honor our host country by faithfully complying with the laws for non-profit organizations

What a joy it is to see what God is doing through the money that has been entrusted to us to administer.

I thoroughly enjoy my routine time in the office, but I also enjoy times “outside the walls” to keep my life in balance. It brings me great pleasure to make home visits to the elderly and to visit ladies in their homes, encouraging them in their walks with Jesus. Participating in the women’s ministry at church gives me an opportunity to both serve Jesus and grow in my relationship with Him.

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.