As I already wrote, we kicked off the missions conference Wednesday night with a video from BIMI called "Open Their Eyes Dear Lord," but the conference started weeks before as we started making preparations in Missions Committee meetings. We organized several dinners, arranged for decorations, and planned on special events throughout the week.
Thursday featured a video from the Troy Lewis family regarding their mission to Belize, they shared their testimony of how God had called them to the mission field in the middle of their life as a family. They had stable jobs, a home, and their kids are reaching their teenage years. When God called them, they left it all and have not looked back. It took an amazing step of faith to leave everything you know. It reminds me of Abraham whom God called and said, "Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:" (Gen. 12:1). Just as Abraham followed God by faith (Heb. 11:8), so the Lewis's will do the same. Following the Lewis's presentation, BIMI Caribbean Director Gary Sprunger gave a challenge from the Word of God.
Friday was time for Amy and I to share our presentation. We had already shown our video to the church about a month before when we asked them to pray and support us for our short term summer missions trip. This time, we showed slides and talked through them to give the church folk a better understanding of exactly what we will be doing this summer. We also had a special treat planned when we brought in Missionary Steven Maldoff live from Australia through Skype video technology. At the conclusion of my presentation, I gave a brief challenge to everyone, asking them to all be willing to go to the mission field. Not everyone is called to a foreign field, but certainly everyone ought be willing to go wherever God may lead them.
Following my presentation, Gary Sprunger spoke on Faith Promise giving. If more churches operated on faith promise, their missions budget and missionary numbers could increase. Through this system, members of the church place their faith in God to supply their needs and they promise to give a certain amount each month to missions that they hadn't been giving before. We were given two days to pray about what God would have us pledge to give before making a decision on Sunday during the morning service.
Saturday began with a church work day in preparation for our Homecoming service next Sunday, however, that didn't stop the missionaries from getting involved. Both the Lewis's and the Liedtke's were there helping us work hand in hand to accomplish the tasks we had planned. We pulled a fence out of the ground, filled in the holes, and raked up most of the leaves on about 2 acres of the property. There were enough leaves for about 4-5 truck beds full. Saturday evening was our International Dinner and Missionary Panel. There were over 100 in attendance and the food was amazing. Amy prepared an authentic Australian Meat Pie thanks to Andrew and Sarah Budimir who gave us the recipe! Everyone loved it, and I'm thinking we might start making that more often.
Sunday was the final day of our Conference and it was a very busy day. It began with me teaching Sunday School to our Life Action Class (I have to watch myself, but they are the grandparents). Amy and I shared little bit more about the Australia culture with them, and then I gave a lesson on Faith. We looked at Mark 11 and Matthew 14 as we examined why we should have faith and how to exercise that faith. I challenged them that the only way to please God is through faith (Heb. 11:6) and that by showing faith they could experience the almighty power of God in their lives (Mk. 11:23, Matt 14:29). I concluded with another challenge to be willing to go to the mission field if it was God's call on their lives. I used missionary John Allen to Papua New Guinea as an example of someone their age who was willing and accepted God's call to missions only a few years ago.
During the morning service we had a Children's International Parade where all the children dressed up into clothes from around the world. Afterwards, Gary Sprunger spoke again and we took up our Faith Promise offering where we turned in cards pledging, between ourselves and God, to give a certain amount a month toward missions. Following the morning service, we (the missionaries) had lunch at the church. We had also had dinner provided for us by the Sunday School classes on Wednesday through Friday.
Sunday Night was the final service. Our children's Sunday School gave their Faith Promise which was a penny offering we had taken all month. They raised over $100 for the missionaries. The Mark Liedtke family then showed their missions video and Mark preached afterwards. He used his talents as an artist during his message by giving a chalk talk. At the end of the night, Pastor presented each of the missionaries with gifts from the church for being there this week. After the service, we all packed up, said our goodbyes, and everyone headed home or to wherever they were going next.
We will miss Missions Conference. It was great getting to know the Lewis's and Liedtke's better and we will miss them. Hopefully, Lord willing, we will see the Lewis's again in June at Candidate School (we are eagerly awaiting a letter let us know if we are invited to Candidate School). Our lives have been busy these past few days, and now we can take some time to slow down a bit. But not for long! Finals are just around the corner (a little over 1 week away). Continue to pray for us as we finish out the semester.
I finished the last post with this verse, and I wanted to list it again. It's the title of this post, and it is so true. It's not an option, it's a command, and if more people prayed and obeyed it, we would have a lot more missionaries like the Lewis's and the Liedtke's. Luke 10:2 "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."
Traver Freeman
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