Missionaries Respond to ‘Year of the Missionary’ Actions
As part of the World Missions Year of the Missionary initiative, frequent Skype sessions with World Missions Director Dr. Tim Hill, Assistant Director John Childers, along with staff and personnel, are provided to interact and encourage missionaries on the field. It is a venue to literally reinforce “We are with you!”
While we go about our usual daily routines, we often fail to remember that career missionaries face lonely times away from family and friends, many times pressing onward and ending in exhaustion, which can create emotional weariness, as well. As Dr. Hill reminds us, “They are giving their all!”
Neil and Jennifer Lawrence serving in Eldoret, Kenya, Africa, were among the first to experience a Skype session with the department. What a wonderful occurrence it was! Being able to hear familiar voices and see well known faces made for memorable moments. Neil’s reaction encapsulated the emotion when he excitedly exclaimed, “I feel connected!” They further expressed their gratitude in recent correspondence with: “We want to say thanks again for all you are doing to bring more attention to us career missionaries.
WOW! We feel blessed by this initiative and look forward to more favor.”
Other remarks by missionaries include this from Paul Dyar serving in Honduras: “Praise the Lord, He has heard our plea and has answered our petition.” Kelly Myers in Czech Republic had these comments: “Thank you so much for sharing this with me. As a career missionary, I feel so supported by this initiative. I feel the current World Missions administration is God-ordained and being led by the Holy Spirit into this endeavor. Thank you for remembering us, supporting us, and promoting us within the Church of God. My heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you!” Marc Morris in the Philippines simply and emphatically stated, “Thank you!”
The intention to “hold the rope” for our missionaries is well on its way to being fulfilled in a grand way. Making a difference in long-term sustainability of missionary ministries around the world is at the heart of the emphasis. It is gratifying to realize the impact it is accomplishing.
(Source: Church of God World Missions. By Brian Raff)
