Wetaskiwin
I’m actually home for a brief interlude before we head to Ontario tomorrow. Yesterday afternoon I drove the 2 1/2 hours to Wetaskiwin, Alberta (near Edmonton). After some delicious chicken pot pie with my friends the Farrs, I got to meet up with their Bible study group. They’ve been doing a Bible study on missions, based on a study by Helmuth Graewe at VTI. So I came as the “real live missionary”, and shared a bit about our ministry and about missions in general. It’s so great to see a group of people really interested in serving God at home and around the world. I was inspired!
One of the questions that was asked that I really need to add to our Missionary FAQ revolved around the qualifications for being a missionary. I have thought about it before from various angles – such as, why are we missionaries, why should other people be missionaries, why do missionaries succeed and fail, and so on. I was reminded of several things last night. For one thing, there is a place for all types of people with all types of skills on the mission field. Another important thing is God’s call. This is actually a simple and yet complicated topic. I think we waver between two extremes – (1) Oh, I haven’t been called, so I don’t need to be involved in missions (oops – read the Bible – we’ve all been called already!), and (2) I’m so convinced that God has called me to this specific ministry that I refuse to listen to any counsel (some people think they’ve been called for all the wrong reasons, and with all the wrong motives, and no one can make them see it!). Somewhere in the middle is a solid conviction of God’s leading, and a teachability as He leads you forward.
I got home late late last night, crammed in a few hours of sleep, and now I’m getting ready to fly in the morning. Hannah’s looking forward to the airplane trip. We’re not looking forward to the cold Ontario weather (it’s 18C or 64F here right now, but about 1C or 34F down there). Ok, it could be colder! 😉
It will be good to see family and friends. Keep us in your prayers as we travel, and remember the family as we attend the funeral on Monday.