Rebecca is a missionary in the church I attend. I have been praying for her on the last few trips she has taken and was so blessed by how hard she works to be able to do what the Lord has called her to do. She faithfully lives by the words of Jesus in Matthew 28 that tell us to: "Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you; and be sure of this-that I am with you always, even to the end of the world." I think she may be an inspiration to you as well. Here is her story.
"I was raised in the church. When I was 11 years old, our church was planning a mission trip to Mexico for Jr. High students. My mom wanted my brothers and I to see and experience how other people in the world live, so we all ended up going together as a family: my mom, dad, two brothers and myself. It was only for a weekend, but ever since then, we continued to do Mexico missions trips on a regular basis. I think that I have always had the gift of helping people, and I enjoyed helping with various outreaches that ranged from making and serving kids peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, to building as outhouse for a family. Oddly enough, my favorite thing to do was construction work, and I actually took the skills that I learned and turned it into a business later on in my life. Currently, I am a house flipper. I buy a house, fix it up, then sell it. I am so grateful to God that He has given me a job where I can have the flexibility to do short term mission trips."
"When I was 20 years old, I felt called to go to Africa, and began to pray about going. The following year, I stepped out and went. That first overseas trip stretched me in areas where I was not comfortable, such as teaching children and dealing with a culture that was foreign to me, but I loved the whole experience. God really does place us in ministries where we can use both our strengths and weaknesses. For me, I love the travel and working as a team, and I don't mind hard work or going without the comforts most of us are used to, yet sometimes I struggle when it comes to teaching a Bible study or even sharing the Gospel with someone. However, I know that it is though my weakness, that Gods strength becomes evident. The most important thing, is that I am obedient and available to be used by Him. My favorite verse is Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It is so simple, but the idea is so powerful."
"Because I knew that I loved doing missions so much, and God provided me with the means to pursue that ministry, I decided to take advantage of every opportunity for as long as God allows. Since then, I have been blessed to go back to Africa several times and have also traveled to Haiti and the Philippines multiple times. Each trip is unique, and every country is unique, but for me, it is amazing to worship with other believers, knowing that we serve the same God, even if we don't speak the same language. It blows my mind to think that some day we will be together in heaven with no barriers such as language or culture."
"I don't really know what God holds for my future, but I know that He is using this time to prepare me for whatever it is. Whether God wants me to continue working and just do short term missions, or He calls me to get married and do missions full time, I want to remain faithful to His great commission. The way I see it, He chose His final words before leaving the earth to give His disciples
the great commission, so it must be important. And I am blessed to be one of the few to actually go out in the world and make disciples."
"I realize that not everyone is called to be a missionary overseas, but as believers, our goal should be to see the great commission fulfilled. Anyone can be involved in missions through prayer, encouragement, or financial support. One important thing to remember is that missionaries are just the tip of the spear, but the encouragement and support from others is necessary for any missionary to be effective."
"My goal in sharing my story is to get believers more involved in missions, because there are many needs in the ministry. Prayer groups for mission trips are often deficient. In addition, there is always a need for financial support for both long and short term missionaries. And of course, there is the opportunity to serve in the mission field, whether it is at home or abroad. I would encourage anyone who has the desire to participate in a missions trip to just take the first steps: pray, attend an interest meeting, and talk to someone who has already done a trip. It truly is an amazing experience. I find that I am not only able to bless others, but I always end up being blessed myself."
If you are interested in being a part of the missions team, follow Rebecca's advice and take those first steps. Obedience to God always brings blessings.
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