ABWE - Association of Baptists for World Evangelism

I sat nervously as the missionary flipped through her slideshow presentation. There was the picture of her son, posing with the giant snake he had killed in the yard. Or the photo of her house, complete with a thatched roof, dirt floor, and flies buzzing about. Being a missionary is amazing; there is nothing better in the world, she explained cheerfully to my young peers and I during our Vacation Bible School. Maybe God is calling you to be a missionary…

I felt a strange tugging in my heart. God? Are you calling me? With great fear and some guilt, I remember quickly praying, please don’t make me be a missionary. I’ll do anything else for you, just not that!

Missionary Henry Martyn once said, “The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missional we become.”

Fortunately, as I matured in my faith, my understanding of God’s call and the importance of missions has become extremely clear. You may understand, however, why I am always moved by the testimonies of missionary candidates who come to ABWE—they are so ready and eager to serve God wherever He calls them. They come from a variety of backgrounds, careers, and nationalities. But they are joined by one important commonality: Obedience.

This issue of the Message features the profiles of the newest members of our missionary family, as well as stories from those already laboring in the fields. These servants have put God’s will above their own comfort, desires, and sometimes, safety. They understand the truth behind the famous quote by Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” May we all be willing to follow their example and faithfully follow Christ wherever He asks us to go!

« Back to News Index

Recent Stories