International Ministries

The Life of an International Ministries Missionary

What does the life of an International Ministries (IM) missionary entail? When one thinks “US-based foreign missionary,” it may seem an unusual label. Yet it is far from an ordinary life.  It is a life filled with mobility, diversity, jet lag… and a great deal of fulfillment.

Speaking as an IM missionary, I can attest that part of global outreach is crisscrossing the world to bring the training and resources requested by our field missionaries and nationals.  It means that in one month I may be on several different continents.  For example, I just returned from Turkey and will turn around and head to Africa.  Just prior to that I was in Haiti. After Africa I’ll head to Europe. Mobility. It is a necessary part being an IM missionary.

The upside? Well, you certainly see the world!  After recent meetings near Ephesus, I walked through the ruins of that once great city where Paul walked and where John was supposedly buried. I get to shop in all sorts of wonderful places, sampling some of the best coffee in the world and eating all sorts of wonderful delicacies.  I meet amazing people all the time and experience rich and diverse cultures. I love seeing the body of Christ worshiping and serving all over the world.

The downside? Travel is expensive, so that means raising quite a lot of money to do our ministries.  With all of the travel restrictions these days, it means long security lines and lots of waiting in airports. It means sitting through meetings half awake, or, as I often say, living in a constant state of jet lag (which excuses a lot of my absent mindedness, if nothing else). When things like volcanic ash “happen,” travel plans can be completely upended, with cancelled flights or being stranded somewhere for many days.  For married persons with kids, it means a lot of time away from family, often with more nights logged in hotels and on overseas flights then at home.  And then there’s the people; we meet so many wonderful people where we minister, but we often don’t get to see them again after helping to connect them to a church in their land.

I believe it’s a wonderful privilege to be an IM missionary! The upsides far outweigh the downsides! (But if you want to know how to pray for me and other IM missionaries… well, just read the paragraph above; it will give you a few ideas.)  We get to provide tools and training that help a young minister become more effective; assist with mobilizing an entire community toward better health; bring needed medical care or preventative training on HIV/AIDS; minister to persons with addictions; train individuals to use media for evangelism and reaching the unreached; provide insights and skills to improve agriculture and feed a community….  All are wonderful resources offered by the various International Ministries!  

Any small inconvenience is worth the effort in seeing the Kingdom of God advanced.

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What is an International Ministry?

What is an International Ministry anyway? It could mean a lot of things, but for Assemblies of God World Missions it has a specific meaning related to how we serve our missionaries, nationals and those who need the Lord. 

A military person once told me that it takes about eleven services to fully equip a soldier for active duty. If you can visualize a fully dressed sergeant on the front lines of battle, think about all the gear he would have—the boots and uniform, the helmet, the belt with all the bullets, grenades, the water canteen, flashlight, utility instrument, GPS, communications piece and the gun. Well, I’ve probably missed some, but that gives an idea of all that goes into making sure that this person has all that he or she needs to be effective on the front line of battle.

I think this analogy fits well for the services offered by the International Ministries of AGWM. HealthCare Ministries, the Center for Ministry to Muslims, Life Publishers, Global Teen Challenge, Global University, International Media Ministries, Royal Rangers International, and Network211 are examples of these ministries. Other more specialized ministries are Global AIDS Partnership, Pediatric Rehabilitation for Children with Disabilities, Collegians in Third Culture Transitions, Sustainable Community Development, and partner ministries like Convoy of Hope and OneHope.

All of these ministries offer to come alongside our missionaries, national churches and nationals to equip them where they may need assistance—compassion ministries outreach, evangelism through media or Internet, discipleship training, theological training, drug rehabilitation, campus ministries, children’s ministries and training to equip the church to reach the Muslim world.

None of us possess all the tools, gifts and talents needed to touch the world for Christ and to minister with complete effectiveness. With International Ministries being ready to assist, we don’t have to do it all on our own. As a team, putting hands and hearts together, the world can more effectively be won for Christ.

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Giving up my small ambitions

I sat and watched young people streaming to the altar during the recent World Mission’s Summit* in Cincinnati, committing to give a year of their lives to missions, and I couldn’t keep the tears from flowing down my cheeks. Funny how, after all these years of being a missionary, I am always moved to tears when I see someone respond just as I did so many years ago…. “Yes, Lord! I’ll go. I’ll give up my own ambitions and lay everything on the altar to follow You.”   

That’s what I thought I was saying, anyway—but, really, what does that mean? Laying down my ambitions? When I answer that question now, my one and only ambition is to be what He wants me to be.   

I am single and, yes, the idea of a husband might have been an ambition… but would it have been a profitable one if it were “my ambition” and not His? I might have preferred to be a city girl and not live those many years in the jungles of northeast Congo, but the irony is that I thrived there; I learned so much that I never could have if I’d not been out of my comfort zone.   

Laying it all down isn’t sacrifice; it is, in fact, gain.  It is the only secure place to be.  It is where joy and fulfillment are found.  I am so glad that I followed my Lord and His plan rather than taking some self-idealized journey that never could have perfectly suited for me. How well He knows me! 

While in Cincinnati I looked at those young lives, so full of energy and passion, with so many dreams and so much potential… and all I could say was, “Thank you Jesus!”  Just as He knew what I needed for my life and had a roadmap laid out in front of me, the Psalmist say He began that for each of them while they were still in the womb.   

Wow. Over 800 young lives ready to impact the world for the Kingdom…and I say, “Look out, lost world…. Here they come! The darkness and demons should be trembling!”

*Check it out: http://worldmissions.ag.org/details3.cfm     http://theworldmissionssummit.ag.org/media.cfm 

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Christmas…for those who have not heard

I was sitting at a traffic light the other night, admiring the Christmas decorations on the old court house in our town, and I thought of the far-reaching effects Christ’s birth and resurrection on my life–spiritually, emotionally, physically, politically, and socially.  I remembered witnessing God’s amazing impact on a life while recently teaching in the war-torn Republic of Congo; there I saw that, through the pain, heartache and struggle of all of these horrible years, the believers’ faith and hope in God sustains and strengthens them, and His joy is evident in their lives.

Reflecting on the love, grace and strength that knowing Christ can bring, I have to wonder what insights, creativity, and Holy Spirit-led direction we will possess in the coming year,  allowing us to reach those who have never even heard the name of Jesus. Knowing what I do about His amazing ability to affect every aspect of my life, I really want that for “everyone… everywhere.”

With over 3 billion who have not yet received an adequate witness of the Gospel, it will take some wide-open thinking, Spirit-led strategies and pioneer volunteers who are willing to lay it all down.

I believe the year ahead will be the most exciting yet as God takes us to a new level in reaching the world for Him, seeing His far-reaching impact on more men, women and children.  Hey, if you want to be a part, give us a call! 

Have a wonderful Christmas!

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