How would I filter a candidate who was telling me, he had felt called to be a “preacher” just a few days after he became a Christian? Would I smile patiently, understanding his new found passion, wondering how long it would last? Would I advise him to take a few years to learn the Word of God before he applied again? 

Probably.

I’m certain the pastor meant well, but it didn’t make it less awkward. My husband Troy and I were sitting in the congregation feeling our cheeks burn hot with embarrassment as the pastor preached on

The phone rang only minutes before midnight. Even though we were sitting right there waiting for this important call, my husband Troy and I allowed another ring before answering, an attempt to not appear as desperate as we felt. I went to reach for it and felt my stomach turn on second thought. What if it was the news we would rather not hear? What if the decision to send our family overseas had been a firm no?

“Hello.” Troy answered

“Did the Bibles get printed yet?” I asked. “No…still no Bibles.” Came the disappointed reply of the shop worker. We had been waiting on Bibles for over a month now. A donation had been made for us to purchase up to fifty Bibles. The trouble was

I quickly got to work telling the story of missions and attempting to speak with various Church leaders and missions committees. What I didn’t expect were the closed doors, the blank looks, the lack of luster or passion to SEND. It seemed these days, sending had become old fashioned, out dated, misunderstood and dare I say…weird.

But I lied.I didn’t mean to lie, I once believed it was true, believed it with all my heart. But I see the fault lines in that thinking. It just can’t hold up to the scrutiny of what really takes place on the mission field vs