Former Church of God General Overseer, Dr. R. Lamar Vest, who now serves as president and CEO of the American Bible Society, responded to the recent deaths of American missionaries killed by Somali pirates.
The following is a note to the staff and board of the American Bible Society from Dr. Vest:
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won’t you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it?” –Luke 14.28 (GNT)
February 23, 2011
Dear Friends,
Got a minute for a story about Somali pirates, missionary martyrs, ABS Bibles, and a reminder of mission’s privilege?
This story for us started in 2002 with a $1,434.77 order placed with Bibles.com. At the time, I imagine this request was processed as just one more bulk order among the hundreds of thousands of Bibles and portions sold each year.
The address for this shipment was Venice, California, but they didn’t stay there long. Within months, these Bibles and thematic portions were shipped out on a 58-foot sailing sloop called Quest, bound for Bible distribution around the globe in the possession of Scott and Jean Adam. Scott was a filmmaker; Jean was a dentist. But at a time when most of their friends were making plans for retirement, Scott and Jean Adam were making plans for far-flung kingdom impact. Supported by their local Catholic parish and numerous partners, they prayed for where God and a steady breeze would send them and they set sail to share the hope of God’s Word.
New Zealand, Mexico, El Salvador, Philippines, China, Malaysia, and Thailand. At each location, they looked for ways to resource local churches and individuals – anyone hungry for God’s Word.
“We seek fertile ground for the Word and homes for our Bibles.” reported their website. “Often, the ultimate homes are best found by people who are already living locally…. And even more extraordinary are the times when people have been praying for Bibles for their group or their schools and when we arrive we are often greeted by the attitude of, ‘We were expecting you.’”
This work continued until their most recent trip from Mumbai, India and a course charted for Oman. Though they had been purposefully sailing in the company of a larger community of ships, they got separated. And last Friday, the Adams and two other missionary companions aboard the ship Quest were intercepted by Somali pirates. Their vessel was hijacked, they were taken hostage, and yesterday, their lives were taken.
While I did not have the privilege of meeting these missionaries, all reports of their passion and lives speak powerfully of their love for Christ and a bold response to his calling in their lives. Fox News reached out to us for comment and it was our privilege to express our grief and commitment to remain in prayer for them and their families. But I’m also reminded of the honor to be any part of this work as well as the price that this mission soworthily carries.
Please join me to remain in prayer for these families and their loved ones. Their loving sacrifice speaks so powerfully to the importance of what we do everyday. And even more than that, they provide us a reminder to keep praying for the full reach of our Scripture publications, portions, and programs. Whether we get the privilege of seeing it or not, let’s pray that the work of our hands will impact lives exactly as God most deeply desires. Because in ways big and small, Scott and Jean’s story is a story about the hopes of our mission in action, and worth everything we’ve got.
Yours Gratefully,
R. Lamar Vest