Adventures in Russia and Beyond: On the Road with Jesus Christ

The Gift We Bring
Missionaries in Itineration

I think God was very pleased with this state of affairs. I believe He finally had me exactly where He wanted me � in full submission. I learned some very valuable lessons during those first days on my knees, begging God to remove my fear and propel me forward for His cause. One of those lessons was about faith. I'd never quite understood what Jesus meant when He said all we needed was the faith of a mustard seed to move mountains (Luke 17:6). I needed to understand it at that very moment, because I faced a mountain I was sure could not be moved. God heard my cries and He taught me something about faith that has stood the test of time through all kinds of hardships both at home and abroad. What the Holy Spirit said to me is: "Faith is not fearlessness." How extraordinary! For some reason I'd come to believe that if you had enough faith you wouldn't be afraid. However, now that I faced a situation that truly demanded faith � after all, I'd already abandoned everything; job, apartment, possessions (I was in all the way!) � I didn't seem to have enough of it! I was really frightened. And here God was telling me that I had just enough � but I was not to confuse faith with fearlessness. Just because I was afraid didn't mean I lacked faith. Conversely, just because I had faith didn't mean I wouldn't experience fear. What God did want me to do is go forward anyway � in face of my fear! And so I ventured out, in faith and in fear � temporarily.

My surrender brought about immediate relief from a deep anxiety � at least enough relief to mobilize me. I made the first few calls, wrote a few letters to churches explaining my calling and mission, and soon had a few appointments and a number of pledges to show for my leap of faith. This is when I learned another invaluable lesson � I began to experience support-raising as a ministry, and my fear was soon replaced with excitement and anticipation.

The Ministry
If the missionary does not come to experience support-raising as a ministry, he risks being burdened with fear, rejection and impatience. The missionary must believe and accept that support-raising is her ministry to the Church in her own country and that it is just as vital and just as impactful as her ministry in a foreign field. Equally important is the value of the missionary's own spiritual preparation during this period to the success of his ministry in the field. As evidenced by my own experience, what God taught me about faith and surrender alone served to give me victory in my field assignment where failure would otherwise have been certain.

If Christ's people and His Church do not experience support-raising as a ministry, chances are they will either not support the missionary or will do so without understanding the full impact of what it is they are doing. One of the great blessings of this particular ministry to God's people is that they get to meet and talk with the missionary. They know who's out in the field and get a first-hand account of his activities, burdens, celebrations, dangers and adventures. More important, they have a direct line to God's miraculous works wherever the missionary is serving. Why is this important? I can think of two reasons right off hand.

First, when we refer to The Church, we are talking about the Body of Christ � and that Body is comprised of Christians throughout the world, not just in the building we call "church" at home. People were designed to be in relationship with one another. God's people need to fellowship with Him and with each other in all circumstances�to behave as a Church�one Body with many parts (1 Cor. 12-30). The missionary and God's people in our churches at home need each other. This is why we not only ask for financial support, but also prayer support. Prayer links us together through the Holy Spirit, it is participative, and intercessory prayer directly impacts the lives and the ministries of the missionaries and the Church.

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