Mission Awareness

Dear Family,

It seems I have another way to communicate with you what goes on in my head…. & my heart!  Like Bulah I have a love for missions & a burning desire to communicate it with everyone!  This will be like letting a toddler run the show after seasoned maturity with all the wisdom & grace that entails steps out of the room!  I trust you love me & love the Lord even more, so I am not afraid of being set in time-out too long because of my eagerness!J  Although just knowing how big the shoes are that I am growing into sets me wobbling a bit…  Thank you Bulah for loving the Lord, pursuing His heart for missions, perseverance in His calling on you, & a job well done!  I feel like Joshua when faced with leading after Moses!  We love you!!

We tend to be afraid of what we don’t know about.  Sometimes we recognize it literally; sometimes it’s as simple as just avoiding whatever it is.  Relating to other cultures can be like this.  For so long in this country we have operated in a manner that everyone is just like us.  We can ‘get away’ with this mentality to a certain degree when we outnumber everyone else but as others come into this country we lose opportunities if we continue in this way. 

When a missionary goes out into the field time is taken to not only learn the language but to understand the culture.  It would be a waste of time otherwise, right?!  That field is coming to America whether we chose to recognize it or not.  Right now in our community, county, state, country there is a smorgasbord being laid out!  We do not have to leave the United States to be a ‘foreign’ missionary J 

An opportunity to hear a converted Muslim give his testimony is available right here in Culpeper.  What an opportunity!!!  Your next neighbor, employer, employee, doctor, etc. could be Muslim.  In this country there already is a city which is predominately Muslim….and it operates just as if it were in the Middle East.  There this ‘religion’ rules and it is growing in numbers.  We can choose to be scared of what we don’t know or we can become educated & equipped by the Lover of Our Souls who desires a relationship with those who are His enemy!  Praise God that included me!!!!  I will be updating you with all the information for your consideration as I receive it.  Just last week I did not know where or what Dearborn, Michigan is.  In a matter of a few days I have not only learned of this upcoming Conference & Dearborn but also Mission Network News carried the following news article - http://www.mnnonline.org/article/14385 .  I encourage you to read it.

I will update you with all the details to hear our brother give testimony as I get them.

Who is my neighbor anyway?

Serving the King with you!!!  Hugs,

Gay