Multnomah recently held it's annual Global Ministries Conference (aka Missions Week). It was cool this year because they brought in a drama team who re-inacted the lives of 4 missionaries, including:
>Jim and Elizabeth Elliot - missionaries to the Auca indians in South America. Jim and a few other men were speared to death by the indians they were trying to reach out to. Following their deaths, Elizabeth and a few other wives returned to the Aucas to share Jesus. The entire tribe eventually came to trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Pretty amazing story! (check out the movie End of the Spear if you haven't already)
>Lottie Moon - a single gal who ministered in China during the Boxer Rebellion. One of my favorite Lottie quotes was, "I have been in love, but the will of my heart & the will of God were at odds with one another. There was no question who would win." I was super encouraged and challenged by her selfless attitude and heart for reaching the hurting. She was a fiesty lady and a real prankster. During her time in China she became really respected by the Chinese she was serving, and was known as the "honorable one." She developed such a love and passion for Chinese people, that she came to call China her homeland. At a very old age, she died in China of brain cancer.
>William Borden - a young man who ministered to the least while attending Princeton, and then went overseas to share Jesus. He died at age 25 from an unforeseen sickness while in Cairo. His life motto was No reserves. No retreats. No regrets. He came from a wealthy family, yet gave away all his money. He didn't want a car, even though he could afford one, because he thought that was just too outlandish - there were better things to spend money on. He never backed down from a task. He sought to ministery whole-heartedly and never let up.
>Fanny Crosby - a blind lady whose love and passion for Jesus and poetry resulted in the writing of uncountable hymns. (Next time you're at church, thumb through the hymnal and look for her name, it won't be long before you see it). I was really challenged by her joy for the Lord and life, despite her disability. She wasn't born blind, but lost her site as an infant when a home remedy for an illness left her blind. She never played the victim card or let bitterness brew. She sought to love the Lord and serve Him and others however she could.
It was pretty encouraging to hear about these believers who were so driven to share Jesus with others. What I really liked was seeing how "human" they were. I often paint missionaries up to be these super smart, adventurous, highly spiritual people who I just can't begin to measure up to. But through the dramas, I saw that they were all "normal" people, who just had a tremendous love for Jesus, and they trusted and purused Him with great passion. They prayed, "God, make my heart break for the things that break your heart." Their faith and willingness to go where He pointed, is what made them awesome missionaries. I pray that I would have the faith and willingness, to ask God to break my heart with the things that break His, and that I would have the trust and passion to step out and go.
>Jim and Elizabeth Elliot - missionaries to the Auca indians in South America. Jim and a few other men were speared to death by the indians they were trying to reach out to. Following their deaths, Elizabeth and a few other wives returned to the Aucas to share Jesus. The entire tribe eventually came to trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Pretty amazing story! (check out the movie End of the Spear if you haven't already)
>Lottie Moon - a single gal who ministered in China during the Boxer Rebellion. One of my favorite Lottie quotes was, "I have been in love, but the will of my heart & the will of God were at odds with one another. There was no question who would win." I was super encouraged and challenged by her selfless attitude and heart for reaching the hurting. She was a fiesty lady and a real prankster. During her time in China she became really respected by the Chinese she was serving, and was known as the "honorable one." She developed such a love and passion for Chinese people, that she came to call China her homeland. At a very old age, she died in China of brain cancer.
>William Borden - a young man who ministered to the least while attending Princeton, and then went overseas to share Jesus. He died at age 25 from an unforeseen sickness while in Cairo. His life motto was No reserves. No retreats. No regrets. He came from a wealthy family, yet gave away all his money. He didn't want a car, even though he could afford one, because he thought that was just too outlandish - there were better things to spend money on. He never backed down from a task. He sought to ministery whole-heartedly and never let up.
>Fanny Crosby - a blind lady whose love and passion for Jesus and poetry resulted in the writing of uncountable hymns. (Next time you're at church, thumb through the hymnal and look for her name, it won't be long before you see it). I was really challenged by her joy for the Lord and life, despite her disability. She wasn't born blind, but lost her site as an infant when a home remedy for an illness left her blind. She never played the victim card or let bitterness brew. She sought to love the Lord and serve Him and others however she could.
It was pretty encouraging to hear about these believers who were so driven to share Jesus with others. What I really liked was seeing how "human" they were. I often paint missionaries up to be these super smart, adventurous, highly spiritual people who I just can't begin to measure up to. But through the dramas, I saw that they were all "normal" people, who just had a tremendous love for Jesus, and they trusted and purused Him with great passion. They prayed, "God, make my heart break for the things that break your heart." Their faith and willingness to go where He pointed, is what made them awesome missionaries. I pray that I would have the faith and willingness, to ask God to break my heart with the things that break His, and that I would have the trust and passion to step out and go.
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