7 1.5
SUMMER 2020
THE
M ISSION Issue
FOR YOU ARE MY HOPE, O LORD GOD. YOU ARE MY CONFIDENCE FROM MY YOUTH. PSALMS 71.5
Join the Movement
Adventist Christian Fellowship is about the mission of God through the Seventh-day Adventist Church on college and university campuses in the North America Division including Bermuda, Canada, GuamMicronesia and the United States. ACF is a ministry of students, by students and for students, supported by local Adventist churches and resourced by Adventist Conferences, Unions and the North American Division. It includes concerned parents, faculty, pastors, chaplains, church leaders, church members and hundreds of volunteers. All this because when we reach the campus we help change the world!
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From the Editor
My view of missionary work has morphed over the years. Back in the day, as necessary and noble as I knew it was to travel to distant lands for the betterment of others, the thought of going to a country where I didn’t speak the language freaked me out. It’s true that you can be a missionary anywhere. You can do mission work in a nearby town, a neighboring state, or even on your own street. Still, we remember what Christ mandated us to do in the great commission. “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
Emily Long
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them
Editor/Creative Director,
to obey everything I have commanded you.’ (Matthew 28:19-20)
71.5 magazine
Getting out of our comfort zones and to the furthest-most corners of the earth is essential to finishing the work that’ll lead to His return (Matthew 24:14). What I’ve learned through our amazing contributors in this issue is that as many roadblocks and challenges arise on our path to mission work, countless blessings and miracles come to meet them head on. So, friends, if you feel the calling, take action with unshakable, reckless faith, knowing that there is no obstacle too great for the King of Kings. Christ is behind you and He is always victorious. And who knows, maybe someday – when I gather enough of my own unshakable, reckless faith – you might see me out somewhere, way out of my comfort zone, hoping to have helped my God and His cause in some small, abstract way. Seize the day, friends. If God has placed a burden on your heart to engage in this vital form of evangelism, don’t hesitate. God is waiting for us to take that first step. And “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
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ADVISORY BOARD PASTOR KEN ROGERS Youth Director, Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists PASTOR DON KEELE, JR. Director of Young Adult and ACF Ministries, GeorgiaCumberland Conference PASTOR JONATHAN MONTES Youth Director Georgia-Cumberland Conference PASTOR DAVE KETELSEN Senior Pastor, Hamilton Community Church TAMARA WOLCOTT WATSON Communication Director, Georgia-Cumberland Conference
CONTENTS
TIMOTHY HULLQUIST Owner/CEO of TEACH Services, Inc.
06
WHAT MY FIRST GRADERS TAUGHT ME
BY ELIZABETH BUTIKOFER
JASON FOSTER Lay Member at Large The Well JODI STEELE Marketing and Recruiting Assistant, Georgia-Cumberland Academy
08 THE PURSUIT OF PURPOSE
BY NGORIIAKL COREY JOHNSON
12 MY LIFE IN MISSIONS
ANGI HOWELL Marketing / Recruiting, Collegedale Academy
BY CAMERON REEL
14 MISSION; MINDSET OR MAP
BY G. JOFFRE ST.HILAIRE
18
WHEN GOD CALLS
BY VICTORIA SOTO
Advertising Information: Go to 715youthmag.com/ advertising for prices and information, write to emily@715youthmag.com, or call 423.544.6816.
20 THE JUMP
BY REBECCA OROZCO
24
HE SAID GO
BY ANDREA KEELE
30
20 LESSONS I LEARNED AS A STUDENT MISSIONARY
BY AMANDA PÉREZ
34 THE FIELD NEGLECTED
BY JOSÉ JAVIER PÉREZ
We’re always looking for writers and photographers! If you’d like to be a part of our ministry, write to emily@715youthmag.com.
BY MELISSA MOORE
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Submission Information:
36 MISSIONS & POVERTY: WHAT’S YOUR ROLE?
Subscription Information:
SUMMER 2020
D E S T IN AT IO N:
Elizabeth Butikofer
MAJURO, MARSHALL ISLANDS
Age: 21 Occupation:
1st grade teacher., Junior Mechanical engineering student at Walla Walla University
Church family:
MY TESTIMONY
Palmer Seventh-day Adventist church in Palmer, AK
WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY FIRST GRADERS
From the moment I stepped off the plane, I knew that this new culture would take some adjusting to. Coming from Alaska where the temperatures are cold and the air dry, the hot and humid air in Majuro was drastically different. I teach 1st grade, and daily I am reminded of the Bible verse that says: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3) When it comes to religion, children generally have it figured out. By simplifying religion for my 1st graders, I have been challenged in my own faith. Often times we complicate our faith because we can’t understand why Jesus would die on the cross for our sins, when in reality it is just as simple as it seems. Even a child can understand it! The effects from sin is death, but Jesus died on the cross so that we can have everlasting life. A lesson that I’ve learned since being here is that being a Christian means giving up control.
During the first couple of weeks of school I would get frustrated and feel like I wasn’t good enough and wonder why God brought me here. My mindset changed completely when I realized that God doesn’t want me to try to be in control. God is powerful enough, He simply needs me to surrender to Him. Majuro has been a wonderful place to be a missionary. Sabbaths are filled with outreach programs, like playing music, telling stories to underprivileged children, or bringing the music team to the local hospital to pray over and play for patients. During our free time, the SM [student missionary] team has a great time spearfishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and enjoying each other’s company. I am still amazed at how 40,000 people can live on only four square miles of land! Something I’ve noticed since being here is that the people seem very happy. Although many of them have far from ideal living conditions – with many sleeping outside – they are so
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What was your most powerful experience? The most powerful thing was really how welcoming the kids were. A local family invited me to a nearby church. On the day that I went, everyone was so friendly! They even announced my name at church, saying how happy they were that I was there. There were two adorable kids at the church that I had never seen before, yet they came over to the pew where I was sitting and sat on my lap for the full service. They never talked to me, they didn’t even speak English, but their trust and openness to me, a stranger, was incredible. At a time when I felt so far from home, the locals didn’t just treat me like family, I was their family. Sabbath and midweek services were my favorite times of the week when all of the kids would come over by the missionaries and fall asleep in our laps. My heart still hurts when I think about saying goodbye to them. The faith and trust the children had in us made a big impact on me. What advice would you give someone interested in Mission work? If you’re wondering if you should be a missionary, with zero hesitation I would say go for it. It doesn’t matter where you go, you will make a big difference and learn to trust God more. God will never leave us, He will never put us in a situation that is harder for us to bear. If things are difficult, sometimes God has to break you in order to build you. It’s when we give up all control that God can use us the most. God made you for a special purpose. He will use you in ways you never imagined possible.
joyful. Most of the people where I am from in the States have more than they need, yet there is an overarching sadness and stress that fills their eyes with gloom. I began to ask myself questions like, “Could it be that we completely missed what is important? What is it that’s important?” I still don’t have it figured out, but my experience here tells me that the key to contentedness lies in being happy with little and sharing with others. I am amazed by how the people here have so little, yet never have a problem sharing. Only four out of my 20 students have a box of crayons, yet that’s not a problem for them. When I hand them a worksheet to color, the students with the crayons share without hesitation. I can’t help but feel stricken with guilt when I remember myself as a child. I struggled so much with sharing. I still do. The kids here know that relationships are more important than having nice things. I’m also amazed at how the students love to adopt each other into their families. I was teaching a segment of social studies that involved families. I went around the classroom, asking the students how many siblings they had. Most of them would say that they had a number between 8-13 of siblings. I got frustrated, thinking that it was impossible and that they were lying. Later I realized that when they have a close friend they automatically call them a sister/brother. On a couple instances I had students come into class sobbing with tears streaming downs their cheeks. When I asked them what the matter was, they replied: “(Blank) doesn’t want to be my sister!” After talking to the students and resolving the argument, I can’t help but smile at the strong bond that they have with each other. I feel very loved whenever I am walking on campus. When I walk to go home for lunch, I can’t help but be swarmed with children grabbing onto me. It makes it impossible to walk! I feel very blessed to be called constantly “teacher!” I still can’t fully grasp what it means to be a teacher. I have never had the desire to be a teacher. But God placed me here and I have followed His calling. Daily I feel completely unqualified to be a teacher, but God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
God gave me peace when I felt unsure. I chose to be a missionary because it felt right, but I still had doubts that Majuro was where God was leading me. Before leaving my home in Alaska, I started getting nervous and it was beginning to hit me hard that I would be leaving everything that I knew to go to Majuro, an atoll located in the Marshall Islands. I prayed for a sign that if God was truly leading me to Majuro, he would let me find a four-leaf clover. I opened my eyes, and there right before me was a four-leaf clover. All my life I have searched to find one of these, and God knew when to show me my first one. I was overjoyed! During the rest of the process of leaving for a year, I never once felt worried because I knew that God had a purpose for me in Majuro. I have currently been in Majuro for three months. I still haven’t felt like I’ve made a great difference, but I know that God led me here. I teach first grade to 20 adorable students. Teaching has had its struggles, daily I pray that God will give me the patience I need. I know that I am far from qualified for teaching, however, the most important thing at the end of the day is for them to know that God loves them. I think this type of work can help people who are discouraged, and feel that they’re not making an impact, to feel valuable and chosen. You don’t have to be perfect to make a difference. God has
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a special purpose that only you can fulfill. For those who are considering being an SM, my advice to you is: without a doubt being a missionary will be a chance to learn about a new way of life, hear God’s voice clearer, and grow spiritually and mentally. It won’t always be easy. Depending on the location, it may be hot, and you will have your share of challenges, but knowing that you are where God wants you is the best feeling in the world. Nothing causes a better sleep than a clear conscience knowing that God has me right where He wants me.
D E S T IN AT IO N:
PALAU
THE PURSUIT OF PURPOSE My five years of missionary service have had a profound impact on me. Simply put, the love, knowledge, and life lessons I received far exceeded anything that I gave in all my time in Palau. The best years of my life were those spent among the people, the culture, and the nature there. I feel more at home in Palau than I do even here in America. There’s just more amplified about the way you feel God’s presence and love when you’re dedicated to His service in a place where relying on Him is your first and best option.
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NAME: Ngoriiakl Corey Johnson Age: 32 Occupation: Master of Divinity student, Andrews University Podcast: Go: The Mission: Available on YouTube, Spotify, Google, Apple, and many more.
What was your most powerful experience? This is a tough one... there are so many! As the chaplain in Palau, I tried to do all I could to show Jesus to the kids. In a school where less than 10% are Adventist Christian, it was a great challenge. In my last two years, all glory and thanks to God, there were more than 15 baptisms. Students from all different cultural and religious backgrounds seeing Jesus in such a powerful way. During one service, I was privileged to be able to baptize three of my students in the same place (by the bridge!) that I had been baptized during my first year in Palau! To see God bring the experience full circle 7 years later will forever be a reminder of the incredible things He can do through someone who is willing to serve. 715YOUTHMAG.COM
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MY TESTIMONY
From the elementary school to the high school, from PE teacher to Bible teacher and chaplain, being able to have just a small impact on my students was a great joy, but what I got in return was priceless. On the outside looking in, our first thought might be, “Oh, I’m going out there to change the world,” but I learned even while being there that I was the one being changed for the better. I could have stayed another five years, but I knew that God had another field for me to grow in. I left with the intention of attending the seminary at Andrews University so I could pursue military chaplaincy. Interestingly enough, I didn’t even realize it when I left in 2019, but something had been awakened in me that was just waiting to express itself upon my return home. My first semester in the seminary was tough, not because the classes were difficult, but because I couldn’t fully see my purpose in chaplaincy. After five years of knowing exactly what my purpose was out in the mission field, I felt a bit lost back here at home. I started to pray that God would open and close the doors of opportunity as He saw fit, but I told Him that I
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What advice would you give someone interested in Mission work?
1
Think less! If the thought is already in your mind, it’s not because of you – God is speaking to you. Often times the more we think about something, the more we let doubts creep in. Trust God and go!
“ On the outside looking in, our first thought might be, ‘I’m going out there to change the world,’ but I learned that I was the one being changed for the better.” was going to continue to give my best effort in pursuit of chaplaincy. When it came time for student missions emphasis week, I was asked to help with a booth displaying Palau. I had brought a lot of Palau back home with me and had plenty to display. I remember looking through my yearbooks and seeing the faces of the kids again, and I thought to myself, “This is where I knew who I was, and exactly what I wanted to be.” Ironically, while I was still in Palau I had joked that I could be a missionary forever, but who really does that? Those thoughts came back to me, and I just asked God to let His will be done. I didn’t want to change anything for myself.
The next week, after all the paperwork, meetings, appointments, resumes, and effort that went into pursuing the chaplaincy route, I got a call that it wasn’t going to work out. That’s a crazy story in itself, but I knew that I was being called to serve in a way I never thought I ever really would. Within days I changed my emphasis to youth and young adult ministry and, since there wasn’t a missions emphasis for the M.Div., I decided to commit to pursuing the doctorate degree in missions whenever I finish. It wasn’t long after making the switch that the podcast, Go: The Mission, was born. In my many conversations with not only former missionaries but also the students who have been impacted by missionaries, I knew that I had found my purpose once again. Classes are tougher, yet easier, because now I know exactly where I am headed. God works in wonderful and mysterious ways. I went my first year in the mission field because I felt I didn’t know purpose after graduating university, and yet it was in that very place, and under those specific circumstances, where He began to guide me towards what He wanted me to do for the rest of my life. I owe it all to Him, and I’m looking forward to giving my all in pursuit of the mission: Go.
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2
The mission experience isn’t always about what you receive but what you can give. There is tremendous potential for a powerful impact you might have on just one life out there, and that potential is worth letting God use you. It is more blessed to give than to receive!
3
A wider perspective and better understanding of people is something everyone could use more of – and that’s best found outside your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to go and to grow.
EBEYE, MARSHALL ISLANDS
MY TESTIMONY
D E S T IN AT IO N:
MY LI F E IN M ISSION This past year I made a big decision. I felt called to serve as a student missionary and that calling led me to the small island of Ebeye in the Marshall Islands. Let’s back up. When I was growing up, my parents were missionaries in Guam. Because of this, I had a chance to visit a few of the outer islands, such as Palau, Ebeye, Pohnpei, and Saipan. Ever since I visited Ebeye as a middle-schooler, I felt a sense of connection to that specific island. I felt at home with the people and their simplistic lifestyle. Eleven years later, after finishing two years of college, I decided to become an overseas student missionary. After much prayer and consideration, I was on my way to Ebeye. After arriving in Ebeye, the school administration and staff soon learned that the Marshall Islands were experiencing an outbreak of Dengue fever, a fever spread by mosquitoes. Much to our dismay, school was postponed for two weeks. This was not what we had planned, but, as a missionary, you must learn to be flexible. Shortly before school was supposed to start, a couple student missionaries, 715YOUTHMAG.COM
including myself, contracted the fever. This was definitely not how my missionary year was supposed to start! After a week of lying in bed with a fever, I was finally able to start working as the sixth-grade teacher. After many failed attempts, I soon learned that controlling 26 students in a classroom is far more difficult than it sounds, but, with God’s help and lots of support from my friends and family, I was able to grasp the concept. The beginning was a little rough, yet, over time, things got better. I was reminded, again, a missionary must be flexible. I soon learned that being a sixth-grade teacher was just the first of my jobs while serving. In addition to that responsibility, I was the school photographer, as well as the yearbook coordinator and editor. Sometimes you go expecting one thing, but God has other plans for you. With lots of responsibility came lots of stress. The other missionaries and I found ourselves beyond our comfort zones, overstressed, and sometimes unprepared. We had to each find new ways to de-stress. Some took up reading |
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See Cameron’s video series about his experience in mission at hesaidgo.com/media!
Cameron Reel Age: 21
and quiet time, some took up learning new instruments, while others used exercise in the outdoors as their relief. During my time there, I tried all those things, but my favorite was learning to play a new instrument: the ukulele. We had a church group that met and practiced each week to learn new songs to perform. At first, it was difficult, it hurt my fingers and it seemed impossible. I wanted to quit many times and considered dropping out, but for some reason I never did. Over time, I improved. My fingers started hurting less and it was becoming easier to learn the songs. As I look back on this experience, I realize that learning how to play the ukulele is like becoming a missionary. At first, you are out of your comfort zone, it is difficult, it hurts, and you want to quit a lot. But if you trust in God and stick to it, it becomes easier. It still hurts sometimes, but you notice it less and, soon, you enjoy it so much you could never even think of quitting. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, most of the student missionaries were called out of their locations and had to return home earlier
than expected. After much thought and prayer, I arrived home two months early. Looking back on the experience I can see how much I have grown as a person and would go and serve as a missionary again in a heartbeat. I’ve made life-long friends with whom I shared a common journey. I was given many opportunities to be involved in church services and outreach in the mission field. Through this opportunity, I have been able to share my journey through photos and videos on social media and to my fellow peers at school. I have been able to share my story and encourage others to start their own journey as well. I wouldn’t change my experience even if I had the opportunity. God sends us each on our own journey and that helps us grow and understand Him better. Even though the journey was not perfect, I learned a lot and grew closer to God. As missionaries, we are told to be flexible no matter what, and being sent home early, even though it was not part of my plan, is a perfect example of being flexible and remembering that God is in control.
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Occupation:
Mass Communication/Media Production Major, Southern Adventist University
Church Family:
Collegedale University Church
What was your most powerful experience? The most powerful thing that happened to me was finally understanding that my students care for me even though they just met me. I felt a sense of connection even though I thought I was so different from them. All in all, I learned that we aren’t so different.
What advice would you give someone interested in Mission work? I would say pray and ask for God’s guidance! If you feel His calling, go for it! Plus, you don’t have to travel thousands of miles to do mission work. You can do mission work in your own neighborhood!
D E S T IN AT IO N:
MULTIPLE
MISSION:
MY TESTIMONY
M I NDSE T OR MAP? The missionary field has had a profound impact on my life. I credit much of who I am today to what I’ve learned while serving in overseas missions. Having been home for a few years, I have come to understand what actual missionary work is all about. Being a missionary is more about one’s mindset than a map. It’s more about who you are than where you go. By going to a place that is not familiar to you, the person you were at the start inevitably changes, and that change is something that never leaves you.
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NAME: G. Joffre St.Hilaire Age: 31 Occupation: Student, Theological Seminary at Andrews University Church Family: Voice of Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church
What advice would you give someone interested in mission work? Go! And ask God to give you a heart that is open to what He will do through, for, and in you while you are in the mission field. By doing so, I guarantee that you will not regret it and that your life will be profoundly impacted!
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I want to share with you some of the things that I’ve learned while serving in the mission field and also how I’ve tried to allow those principles to follow me while serving in the place I call home. •••
The mission field gave me a new lens for how to see God, others, and myself. It was in the mission field where I found God and decided to begin living for Him truly. There in the hustle and bustle of Cheonan, Korea is where I encountered the God who fearfully and wonderfully made me and who had a plan for my life. Jeremiah 29:13 became my anchor for that year as I
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began my quest to find not only my Creator, but my best friend.
Principle: He is a God who wants to be found and wants to be in oneness with us. •••
MY TESTIMONY
But what happens when you are in the place that you call home or a place that is familiar to you? Are you still considered a missionary? God wants each of us to be missionaries no matter where we are. However, I posit that through the unique work of intercultural missions, one will never be the same. God has a different type of access to you when you give yourself in service to Him in a foreign land. Though now I’ve come to an understanding that being a missionary is not a term that’s exclusively used for people doing work in a foreign land, I think there are some things that God can only do in and through you once you are fully immersed in a context outside of your own.
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It was in the mission field where God gave me a love for His children and His work. A fallacy of thought common among missionaries is that we have something within us that we’re bringing to the people we are going to serve. We seldom consider the experience in the mission field as one that is of an equal exchange. The truth is, we can learn as much from the people we’re going to serve as they
can learn from us, if not more. Everyone has something to bring to the table, and everyone should be heard.
Principle: His children are precious to Him, and it is humbling that He would trust us with imparting precious truths to them. Seeing people as God sees them is beneficial to growth.
were imposed upon me from outside sources, not only for me but for those I worked with and served. Though it can be an arduous process, allowing God to affirm the very being of who you are, is life-changing.
Principle: You are unique and special to God, regardless of what you think of yourself or what the world ascribes to you. •••
•••
It was in the mission field where I learned of how wide-spread the social construct of race is and how far the system of white supremacy extends. In the jungle of Peru is where I began to understand what it really means to be black in this world in a very visceral way. I had to learn and unlearn many ideas about who I was that
These principles or lessons have followed me back to America. The mission continues no matter where you are. God continues to show me that He is my best friend, how much He needs me to commune with His children, and how I’m supposed to see myself. He wants to do the same for you.
What was the most powerful thing that happened to you on your mission trip?
On my mission trips, I got to experience God in a very vivid way. I came to understand that God is real and that He hears our prayers, so much so that there is nothing that He cannot do! God went from being someone that I knew of and did things for to being someone that I know and do life with. I don’t think I would have found and encountered God the way I did if not for the mission field. A real sense of purpose did not begin for me until I wrestled with God like Jacob did when on the mission that prepared him to meet Esau.
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D E S T IN AT IO N:
Victoria Soto
KOŁOBRZEG, POLAND
Age: 24 Occupation:
Student, Elementary Education, Southern Adventist University
Church family:
MY TESTIMONY
Lady Lake Seventh-day Adventist Church, Apison Seventh-day Adventist Church
WHEN GOD CALLS When you think of being a student missionary (SM), you probably think of pictures that your friends or relatives have shown you from their SM experiences. In these pictures, there’s usually smiling kids in exotic locations, or food and buildings that look foreign compared to the luxuries we experience in our first world country. At least, this had always been my experience. I knew many people who had been SMs and I couldn’t wait to start my own SM journey. I saw myself visiting exotic locations and meeting smiling children, too, but God’s plan for my mission experience looked a little different than my own. After some providential events, I was called to serve in Poland as an ESL teacher at a language school in Kołobrzeg. At first, I was surprised to be called to Europe. I thought to mysel, “Doesn’t Europe already have the Gospel? How can I help there?” However, as I began to research, I found that Europe is a huge mission field as it’s one of the most secular places in the
world. Poland is especially in need of missionaries. The country is stuck between coming into the modern era and leaving behind communist oppression (from which they’re only 30-40 years removed). In a country of nearly 38 million, there are only 6,000 Adventists, and they are spread out into small congregations of 20-50 members. With this new knowledge and renewed zeal for serving, I packed my bags and began my journey. I was excited, and, after a week of brief training, I started teaching. Each week I had two group lessons and several one-on-one lessons. My students ranged in age from 6 to the late 30s. I tutored high school students preparing for the Matura exam (an end-of-high school exam that determines if they’re able to attend college), younger children who hardly spoke English, businessmen who wanted to learn for professional reasons, and English teachers who wanted to keep one step ahead of their students.
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What was your most powerful experience? One of my students, a girl I’ll call Anusia, that I had private lessons with was a devout Catholic. Most of the population of Poland are professed Catholics, but Anusia was committed. She faithfully went to mass, was involved in Catholic youth campaigns, and went on youth campouts and pilgrimages. During our lessons we often talked about Jesus. The school building doubled as the local Adventist church, so she knew that I was not Catholic. We became very comfortable talking about our faith during our time together, and, in our last lesson together, Anusia asked me about Adventists and what makes us unique. With a quick prayer for guidance, I shared with her the things that we have in common (like the Trinity) and the ways in which we are different (like Sabbath and baptism). It was a powerful experience to share my faith in such a candid way with my student. What advice would you give someone interested in Mission work? It’s ok if the idea of leaving home for months at a time absolutely terrifies you. As excited as I was to be a student missionary, I was also totally freaked out. As I prepared to go to Poland, I told God that if He didn’t want me to go that He would close the doors and bar the windows. But at every step, He held my hand and brought me forward in faith. And you know what? I have never regretted going. When God calls, He sustains. Keep your eyes on Him during the journey. Think about when Jesus called Peter out onto the waves – Peter could’ve never done it alone, but with his eyes fixed on Jesus, he made it through the storm in spite of his fears.
My first time teaching the class of 14-year-olds was quite memorable! They say to be flexible in the mission field, and I thought I was – but God had so much to teach me. The director of the school told me that most of the kids in my class of 12 were returning students and that they’d have textbooks. I took my copy of the textbook and nervously planned for a 90-minute lesson. I decided to cover several pages from the middle of the book, where I had been told they left off. When I arrived to teach, I was greeted by five expectant faces. I said hello and tried to make small talk while waiting for the rest of the class. They never came. Finally, I had to start class with the five, and found out that they were all new students, and only one boy had the textbook. Within a matter of minutes, my entire 90-minute lesson plan had gone up in flames and I still had 85 minutes to fill with content! I sent up a desperate prayer for guidance, and dove in. The Lord will always come through when we call, and He blessed me that day – and every day – in the classroom. Oh, how I grew to love that group of 12 students (eventually the full class came!),
and the 15-20 students that I had in my other lessons. There is great peace in serving where God has called you. My time in Poland was full of ups and downs. Sometimes I wanted to quit and give up, but regardless of how I felt in those brief moments of frustration, the whole experience was filled with the blessing of following God’s call. When Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, He didn’t tell us to reach a certain level of Christianity before serving Him. He knows who we are and our shortcomings and still invites us to serve Him. I’m just a college student trying to follow Jesus and pass my classes, but He chose to use me. In the book Acts of the Apostles, Ellen White tells us, “God could have proclaimed His truth through sinless angels, but this is not His plan. He chooses human beings, men compassed with infirmity, as instruments in the working out of His designs…Through them His glory is to shine forth into the darkness of sin. In loving ministry they are to meet the sinful and the needy, and lead them to the cross” (AA 330.2). That is why I am a student missionary.
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“Sometimes I wanted to quit and give up, but regardless of how I felt in those brief moments of frustration, the whole experience was filled with the blessing of following God’s call.”
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D E S T IN AT IO N:
YAP, MICRONESIA
MY TESTIMONY
THE JUMP In Yap, most of my time was spent on the Seventh-day Adventist school campus, where I lived and worked. Each week was pretty predictable and consisted of teaching, our weekly town trips, prayer meetings, and Sabbath worship services. The island is beautiful, but most land, including beaches, are privately owned so there weren’t many places for us to go. Of course, we found ways to stay entertained, like having game and movie nights, painting parties, playing sports in the school’s outdoor gym, etc. When we were feeling extra spontaneous and really wanted to spice things up, though, we would sometimes set out to town and visit Manta Ray (aka Manta), a restaurant/hotel where scuba diving tourists could often be found. The Manta restaurant is high up on a ship which is three levels tall and has a hull that stretches out over the ocean. The interior space of Manta is decorated by old U.S. dollar bills and t-shirts signed by visitors who have come throughout the restaurant’s history, amongst
them being other student missionaries who have served in Yap in prior years. In my book, the ideal time of day to go to Manta Ray was late in the evening, when most other places were closed and when we would usually be wrapping up for the night. Around this time, the stars blanketed the darkening sky and small boats turned into silhouettes bobbing in the sea. Looking from the top floor of the restaurant, the bright sign of a nearby grocery store, and the festive fairy lights wrapped around tall coconut trees in the surrounding area, created a whimsical mood to accompany the Manta experience. The first time I was told about Manta Ray, I learned that one of the traditions that previous SMs had held was that of jumping off the ship into the water at least once in the school year. Even my students would jump off the ship, many of them proudly informing me that when their birthday came around, they would finally be old enough to be trusted to partake in it. And I, having been a summer camp staff
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who found any excuse to jump into the lake during the summertime, liked the sound of this tradition very much. Every time we would take a trip to Manta Ray, I had the urge to jump in, but always found an excuse not to. Eventually, however, this changed. We had all exhausted our time at Manta Ray and were headed off the ship when I turned to a fellow SM, who was walking with me, and asked if he would be up for a swim. This offer had only received rejections during other visits to the restaurant, so I was delighted when Isaac agreed to the small caper. We weren’t clothed properly for a swim and were well aware that we’d be faced with a very chilly ride home afterwards, but all I needed was a “yes” and I knew that the time would be right to jump. And so we did. We jumped right into the cool blackness of the night sea, coming out shivering and laughing as our other friends shook their heads at our antics. This school year, the carefree jump at Manta Ray was one of numerous jumps that I took.
Rebecca Orozco hesaidgoblog.org Some of these jumps were entirely out of my comfort zone. I jumped when I decided to tutor students after school, even though I was afraid that my efforts wouldn’t be enough to help them succeed academically. I jumped when I agreed to be a coach for the volleyball and basketball teams on campus, even though I was inexperienced as a coach and had never even played on a basketball team before. I jumped when I had necessary conversations with my housemates that were difficult, but were important to nurturing our friendships. I jumped when I decided to trust God with who I was and who He was creating me to be. And, more than anything, I jumped when I followed God’s call to the tiny island of Yap, despite several uncertainties. The summer before I went to Yap, I worked as a counselor at a summer camp called Big Lake Youth Camp. That summer, there were four other counselors who had just gotten back from their own experiences as student missionaries. Having worked with them the summer before as well, I could tell that they had all changed in their year of service. At the start of the summer, the girls’ counselors had an evening of vulnerability where we opened up about the highs and lows we were experiencing in our personal lives. Each one of the four returned SMs had tears welled up in their eyes while they shared with us how, in each of their own ways, the transition home was very difficult for them. I already had my own worries about leaving home for ten months
so seeing how distraught these girls felt upon returning caused my anxieties to resurface. I also broke down. I began to think, “What am I getting myself into?” I wasn’t in a place in my relationship with God where I felt that I was worthy or equipped to be His vessel and, in addition, I had no earthly idea of how I was going to fool anyone into believing that I knew how to be a teacher. Later that night, I talked with all four of those girls. They reassured me that God knew what He was doing by sending me to Yap. One of them hugged me and reminded me of something that I had heard before, but had not fully absorbed until then: “God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” Another told me that the night before she had left home the year prior, she sobbed in the face of the uncertainties and questioned her calling. I suppose it is a recurring theme: God calls the unqualified to be His fishers-of-men only to have us crumble into doubt when we realize the vastness of the unknown that He’s calling us into. What I keep discovering about life, though, is that it will always be full of vast unknowns and that we cannot live freely if we choose to stay stuck in fear of them. When God calls us to follow Him, He calls us to jump – over and over and over again – into the void. We will rarely feel prepared, equipped, or qualified, but all we really need is to be sure that He’s jumping with us. All He needs to carry us to victory is a “yes.”
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THE
M I SSION Issue
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HE SA By Andrea Keele
Processing and Communications Coordinator Office of Volunteer Ministries – North American Division
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AID GO Who is the most courageous person that you know?
What motivated them? Maybe Alex Honnold climbing El Capitan with no ropes. Maybe protestors putting their lives on the line for long-overdue justice and equality. Maybe a relative or friend on the frontlines of fighting coronavirus as a healthcare worker.
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“THE BEST PLACE TO START IS ON YOUR KNEES. YOU
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AND GOD, ALONE WITH THE WORD. YOU AND GOD WITH OTHERS. ASK HIM WHAT HIS MISSION IS FOR YOU.”
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Perhaps the more you have to lose, the more courage is required. If that is true, then Jesus is probably the top contender for the world’s most courageous person. We can’t fully comprehend everything He risked on His earth-saving mission, but let’s start with the basics: • His Home in Heaven — a perfect, safe
place to live.
• The presence and connection with
His Father.
• Angel friends He’d known for ages. • Guaranteed eternal life. • Being loved, respected and known for who He really was in the universe. Why would Jesus risk all that to enter our very dangerous, uncomfortable, unsanitary, chaotic world? Because He loved us. And His Father loved us. (John 3:16) It was a daring mission, and would have been totally impossible for anyone except God Himself. But despite the massive risks, Jesus courageously stepped up to the challenge to advance the Kingdom of Love, and to ensure a future of hope and abundant life for anyone who wanted to be a part of that Kingdom. But it involves a cross—that’s the place where we accept Jesus’ sacrifice for us, and give control of our lives back to Him. And when that happens…you become the most courageous person others may know. It’s not really you, of course, it’s Jesus in you, leading you to a mission of love, inviting people back into His kingdom--one cup of water, one day in a classroom, one Bible study, or social media post, or grant proposal, or intentional conversation--at a time.
Where do I start? The best place to start is on your knees. You and God, alone with the Word. You and God with others. Ask Him what His mission is for you. Ask Him to guide you as you look for opportunities to serve. Start at home. Practice an attitude of service and humility with your family, friends, and co-workers. Check on your neighbors. Find out what the needs are in your community and how you can be involved. Join your church or school in community service projects. These are excellent places for courageous missions. However, many of you have done this, but you’re ready for a little more. You’ll read in this issue the stories of those whose lives have been changed as they let God lead them to serve as a student missionary. They would be the first to admit that it’s a sacrifice. It’s not easy to leave home and risk safety and even a secure future. But they will also tell you that what God gives in return is so much more. You may also notice that many student missionaries return home with eyes and hearts even more open to the needs in their communities, ready and motivated to make a difference.
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What’s the cost?
How can I become a student missionary?
The opportunities in the U.S. and Guam-Micronesia Mission take care of accommodations, insurance (travel/ accident and illness coverage), a living allowance to cover food and personal expenses, and sometimes travel to and from the location. The main cost is usually the travel expenses, if it is required. We encourage fundraising to cover this expense if you are not able to pay for it on your own. Also, the Sammy Gurule Memorial Missions fund can provide up to $1,500 reimbursement for travel expenses for approved volunteers of Latino or Native American heritage. (You can find out how to apply on our website or call us.)
If you are a student at an Adventist university, contact your Campus Ministries and they can go on this journey with you to help you explore your options and prepare to serve. If you are a student at a public university or have graduated, or maybe not in school right now, you’re still in good hands! There is a ministry in the North American Division that exists to serve you—the Office of Volunteer Ministries. You can find the steps for the application process and how to contact the staff for more information at hesaidgo.org.*
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Where can I go? What about COVID-19?
There is a great list of world-wide volunteer opportunities posted through Adventist VolHow long are these unteer Service. (To find them, go to opportunities? hesaidgo.org, Long-Term Missions, Most of these mission opporand choose Opportunities.) You tunities are for about a school Office of can check them out any time, but year—9-12 months. What?! Why Volunteer Ministries right now, there are no guarantees would someone take all that time on Social Media: about the timing for many parts of off to serve? Glad you asked. Hopethe world because of the pandemic. FACEBOOK: fully what you read in this issue Even with the major health confacebook.com/VolunteerMinistriesNAD cerns and travel limitations, we are can help answer that question, but INSTAGRAM: @nadvolunteers excited to give some extra love and one of the best reasons is that God YOUTUBE: mission-attention to Guam-Microworks best through relationships. Volunteer Ministries nesia Mission, as well as the United That’s why Jesus spent 33 years on North American Division of SDA States and Canada—all here in the our planet instead of a few days BLOG: hesaidgoblog.org territory of our home Division of or weeks. When you allow God to the Seventh-day Adventist church use you and your time to develop (North American Division). intentional relationships in the Guam-Micronesia Mission role in which you’re serving, you’re includes Northern Mariana Islands, more likely to make a long-term impact. It also gives Federates States of Micronesia, Republic of Marshall you time to experience and learn a little more about the Islands, Republic of Palau, and Guam. You can impact culture and community, grow your relationship with God the next generation of these Pacific island leaders as outside of your comfort zone, and develop new skills and an elementary or high school teacher, office assistant, confidence in leadership. maintenance worker, or even videographer. Most of these I pray that as you experience the transforming love of positions require two years of college, and there is a speJesus and are open to His call, you will become more coucial orientation given once you arrive to help prepare you. rageous than you ever thought you could be—wherever These opportunities are posted on Adventist Volunteer He may lead you to serve. Service, but the quickest way to check them out is to visit www.gmmsda.org. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, bapThe United States currently has around 60 positions tizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and for volunteer missionaries, from a youth internship in the of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Rocky Mountains to urban missions in Spokane to teachthat I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you ing assistants in Hawaii, and several task force assistant dean positions. always, to the end of the age.” – Matt. 28:19-20 (NRSV)
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SEE THE WORLD. EXPERIENCE GOD. FULFILL YOUR MISSION.
Scan this code FOR A SPECIAL VIDEO FROM THE OFFICE OF VOLUNTEER MINISTRIES!
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Lessons I Learned as a Student Missionary by Amanda Pérez
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1 There really is a peace that passes all understanding. There were a few major things going on in my life the year I was applying to go to Palau. My mind and heart were so unsteady about leaving all of that behind I almost didn’t go. I asked God to give me peace about each of those situations if he really wanted me to go to Palau. Immediately I was welcomed with this overwhelming peace that everything was going to be okay. Ask God for His peace. He is a gracious Father, eager for us to go to Him with our worries.
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Look at and treat people as if they were Jesus.
The immensity of God's love for us. One day while my kids were at P.E. class, I was sitting at my desk overlooking the 13 empty desks. I started reflecting about how much I love each and every one of those kids even when they are disrespectful, make a mistake, or don’t reciprocate my love. A flood of realization came over me that God loves me significantly more than I love those kids, even when I don’t prioritize time with Him, walk away from Him, and make mistakes. The love of God is something our human minds can never fully grasp, but in that moment I felt the depth and reality of God’s love and grace for each of us.
This idea comes from Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love. One day I decided to put this mentality to the test in English class with one of my most distracted students. Each time I went over to his desk to help him, instead of getting mad or frustrated that he was not doing his work, before I approached him, I said to myself, “Alright Jesus, let’s do English.” In order for this student to finish his assignment I probably had to say this to myself five or six times, but with each time I did, I became more patient with him. Imagine how much better you would treat people if you intentionally treated them as if they were Jesus.
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4
Daily Dependence on God
If you think you are going to get through one year of teaching just on your own strength, think again. If you are not plugged into a life-giving Source, what will you
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have to take from to give to your kids?
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Be excited to go to church... and don't be afraid to invite people!
God cares about our regrets and desires.
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Never stop reading, especially your Bible.
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If a human's capacity to love is so great, just imagine God's.
Don't compare your journey (or your impact) to anyone else's.
Too often I wondered if I was making an impact at the academy or just even on one person. I measured my “missionariness” by comparing my efforts and talents to those around me. God needs different types of people in the mission field to witness to the different types of people
One of my fears about working at the academy was that I wouldn’t be able to love those students as deeply as my 3rd graders. There was more than enough room in my heart
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Life is not a series of random events.
My Palauan sponsor my first year, Ms. Vicky, would often be caught reading throughout the entire sermon instead of paying attention to the preacher. She grew up Catholic and told me what convicted her to become Adventist was the simple act of reading the entire Bible. Each Sabbath she would share with me what she learned through her reading from the week.
After my first year, two of my biggest regrets were not getting to know the high school students and not being very involved with the dorm. When I came back to Palau, God placed me at the high school and during my last year placed me in the dorm.
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Each responsibility you hold in a season of your life prepares you for the future. Each season is a puzzle piece. In the moment you might not know how that piece fits into the puzzle that is your life, but it does, and the picture it creates is a significantly better one than you could ever imagine.
One day after school I invited one of my girls to Sabbath School. I’m not sure why it took me until the third quarter to invite my students, but better late than never. Immediately after I invited her, she went to two other girls and invited them. Her face was radiating with excitement so contagious that by the end of the conversation all three girls were ecstatic to come to church. That excitement did not diminish once they came to church. Always be excited to learn new things about God.
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for all of them. One of my dorm girls asked me this year how can God love all of the people in the world? When I thought of that answer, I couldn’t help but think about how my imperfect human heart could love so many so deeply.
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He created. You are there because someone there needs you. Only if it is just one person, that’s one more person that will know Christ.
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know when you will have to say goodbye. Never take a day for granted.
One of the best things about being at the academy was being able to be there for students that were struggling with various issues. My past pain was able to help students in their current struggles. Be vulnerable with people and open to share what God has brought you through.
Turn the doorknob.
Spending quality time with people is invaluable.
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You can learn something from everyone who crosses your path.
When I think back to my time spent in Palau, I learned something from my 3rd graders, other elementary students, the high schoolers, three different groups of missionaries, and the locals. There’s lessons to be learned in how different people live, their perspectives, their past, and the skills and talents God has gifted them. Be open to learn from those around you, no matter how young!
Gaining a life with Christ is truly the greatest thing.
I never had to give up anything when I got baptized. I was raised Seventh-day Adventist so I never had to go against my family’s wishes or not have both my parents’ support. For some of the students who got baptized, that was not the case. For them, the benefits outweighed the cost and that was truly inspiring.
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This takes a lot of time and effort to actually commit to and I failed with that so many times. However, try and make it a daily habit and pray for a few students each day. It’s amazing the change God can bring. Try praying Colossians 1:9-14 over those you are serving and don’t stop once you leave!
Find the good in each day.
Do not let your day or week be turned sour by one bad moment. Make the most of the time you are with the people you are serving, because you don’t
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Be consistent in praying for those you are serving.
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We all want to be remembered, especially by people who you have invested so much time in. But at the end of the day, what matters most is that they remember who God is, and then you because that is why you are serving. It’s not about you.
The best way to connect with your students is to hang out with them outside of the classroom. Some of my best memories of my time at the academy were the times spent with students and alumni after school. Whether we went out to eat, swim at the bridge, play basketball, or got lost while off-roading, those are some of my most treasured moments.
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It’s ok if you're not remembered.
Selflessness vs. self-care was something I struggled to find the balance of. It is okay to say no to some things. If you are drained, be it mentally or physically, you will have nothing left to give to those that you are serving. It is not selfish to take care of yourself.
When I was debating whether or not to come back for a third time, my principal told me that sometimes the door God places in our lives is clearly opened or clearly shut. But sometimes, the door He places in our lives requires us to take a leap of faith and turn the doorknob. If it opens, it’s ours to walk through. If not, then we keep praying for His guidance.
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The importance of boundaries.
You were not meant to do everything by yourself. Galatians 6:2 calls us to bear each other’s burdens and your fellow missionaries are there to help you when you need it. Just don’t forget to return the favor when you can!
God has a purpose for your pain.
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Ask for help when you need it.
The Field Neglected
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By Jose Javier Pérez
I’ll admit it. Sometimes in the past, when I thought about missionary work, I had a tendency to picture third world countries. Places with significant limitations in infrastructure and the basic comforts we have grown accustomed to in most places in the United States. Places without running water, well-paved roads, electricity, or insulated, temperature controlled buildings. Can you relate? When thinking of mission work, have you ever conjured up an image of a world very different from your own? Are distant places really the only places where missionary work can happen? It can be comfortable to think so, especially if the thought of sharing your faith with others makes you nervous. After a seminar on identifying one’s spiritual gifts, I was once told by a sister in the church that she just did not have the “gift” of sharing her faith. “I can’t do that. I can support missionary work through my financial contributions. That’s my gift.” Now, I’m going to risk stating what you may consider to be the obvious. While missionaries overseas truly do need our support in the form of prayers as well as financial contributions, the work of personal ministry, or witnessing for Christ, is not limited to working in distant lands. In fact, it is a fruit of one’s genuine relation-
ship with Christ rather than a spiritual gift. Spiritual gifts are diverse and distributed variably; not every person has every gift (see 1 Corinthians 12). On the contrary, sharing Christ is not a special gift, but rather a natural outgrowth of conversion (1 Corinthians 9:16). In the book Ministry of Healing, Ellen White declares that “every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary” (MH 47.5). Let’s examine our initial premise more closely. Even when missionaries go to foreign fields to evangelize, don’t they first need to do some groundwork to establish relationships with the people there? How could they win souls for Jesus without first winning their trust? Further, if trust is a prerequisite to effective soul-winning, does that not necessitate proximity to the people they’re trying to reach? The work of expanding God’s kingdom is personal at it’s core. Sister White said that “Christ’s method alone” would be successful in reaching people. His method involved first mingling with people, showing them He cared for them, working to meet their temporal needs, winning them over, and then bidding them, “Follow me” (MH 143). None of these things can be done from a distance; they all must be done up close. And if that’s true, then the mission field
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is not “over there” - it can only ever be right where the missionary is. Moreover, if you’re a true disciple, and you’ve been born into the kingdom of God, then by God’s grace, you are already a missionary, right where you are. I’ll say to you a variation of what God said to Abraham. Look around you, as far as you can see in every direction. That is your mission field. Consider the Shema. In Deuteronomy chapter six, Moses utters those famous words: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, emphasis supplied). Notice that the religion of Christ is to take root first in the heart, and then to permeate every corner of the life. He is first to be the centerpiece of our internal lives; then, we are to make Him the centerpiece
of our home and family; then, we share Him through the course of daily life. We are to speak of Jesus in the town where we live, and be so transformed into His likeness that the indescribable beauty of His character can be seen in our actions. The Shema was no mere commission to the priests of ancient Israel; it was a commission to the entirety of the people of God. In truth, the whole world is a mission field. Even in parts of the world where it seems everyone has already been exposed to some knowledge of Christianity, there are still people waiting to be invited into the family of God. In fact, a large study conducted in 2018 and 2019 showed that the number of people who identify as Christian in the United States has been rapidly declining over the last several decades, with a 12% decline over the ten year period preceding the study. The percentage of respondents who identified as non-religious increased from 17% to 26% over the same time period. What’s more, even among those who identify as Christian, some subset of them may be Christian in name only, painfully unaware that they have yet to experience conversion; “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). Even in places where there isn’t rampant poverty, where everyone seems to have everything they need, there are still deeper, unseen needs that only God can satisfy. There is still much to do all around each one of us. In the words of Jesus, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35). If we only consider far-away places as fields for God’s work, even on a subconscious level, we may be more likely to neglect the most critically important mission field of all. Before the wave of gospel transformation can reach those far flung fields that we see with our mind’s eye, the ripples of God’s redeeming love must first disrupt the waters of our own hearts. The waves of His grace will then expand in concentric circles, first to our homes, then in our day to day lives, then to our churches, and then to our communities. Even as you pray for and financially support those who can go serve in distant places, remember your responsibility to those you are nearest to. As in the days of ancient Israel, the imperative of the Shema binds upon every member
of the family of God today. We need to disabuse ourselves of the notion that mission work is only done in foreign fields. The Lord didn’t say that pastors or global mission pioneers are the light of the world; He said you are. He didn’t say the elders or conference administrators are the salt of the earth; He said you are. He gave us all a positive command: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). He commanded through the prophet Isaiah, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:1-3). We need to start seeing ourselves as the light. It’s our job to illuminate the darkness that surrounds us with the flame of Christ. We need to start seeing our lives, our towns, our streets, our jobs, our recreational activities, everywhere we go and everything we do, as the field in which God has called us to labor for His kingdom. Most importantly, we must not neglect the home as the first and most important mission field in our lives. Consider the following passages from Ellen White’s tome titled “The Adventist Home” (AH): “Home religion is fearfully neglected. Men and women show much interest in foreign missions. They give liberally to them and thus seek to satisfy their conscience, thinking that giving to the cause of God will atone for their neglect to set a right example in the home. But the home is their special field, and no excuse is accepted by God for neglecting this field… If religion is to influence society, it must first influence the home circle” (AH 318). Sister White also says the following when expanding upon the apostle Paul’s admonition in 2 Timothy 4:2 to be ready “in season and out of season”: “… to be instant ‘out of season’ is to be ready, when at the fireside, in the field, by the wayside, in the market, to turn the minds of men, in a suitable manner, to the great themes of the Bible, with tender, fervent spirit urging upon them the claims of God. Many, many such opportunities are allowed to slip by unimproved, because men are persuad715YOUTHMAG.COM
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ed that it is out of season. But who knows what might be the effect of a wise appeal to the conscience?—Gospel Workers, 186187(1915)” (Evangelism, 430.6). Our lives are to be an enacted sermon. Jesus, living in us, incarnated in the moment by moment of daily life. Our light is to “shine before others, so that they may see [our] good works and give glory to [our] Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). So let your light shine in your home, in the grocery store, on the sidewalks of your streets, in the cafe, and everywhere in between. Then the “nations will come to your light” (Isaiah 60:3), and no more precious opportunities will go unmet. If the question is stirring in your heart as to how to begin, consider these verses as a starting point: “’With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’ He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:6-8 ESV). “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV). Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Be hospitable to strangers. Visit the sick and imprisoned (Matthew 25:35-40; James 2:1415). Study how Jesus loved and seek ways to bless others in the same way. Most importantly, ask Him to let the Holy Spirit fill you with His love and guide you in your quest to be a blessing to the people in your circle of influence. Starting now, let’s resolve to stop waiting for someone else to shine the light of Jesus in our corners of the world. The time has come for us to light them up with God’s glory! And never forget: the mission field is always wherever you are.
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Missions & Poverty
What’s Your Role? by Melissa Moore
uQuest Short-Term Missions Director Southern Adventist University
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f you have been considering a commitment to short-term or long-term mission service, Amen! Before you go, here are some hard-learned lessons from volunteering on dozens of mission trips, serving as a student missionary, and now organizing mission trips at Southern Adventist University. Let me start by saying I do not assert myself to be an expert in missions or theology. I have however, learned some painful, eye-opening truths about all the times I have served with the greatest intention of helping people and may have actually hurt them. I hope to save you from this path and encourage you to ask a lot of questions before you serve. Listen more than you speak. Pray like crazy and know that God will radically shape your life when you submit your will to His. Christ’s Method Alone
If you ever doubt how to reach people for the Kingdom, here is a “formula” for you. “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’ . . . Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be 715YOUTHMAG.COM
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without fruit,” (The Ministry of Healing, pp. 143, 144). This passage from Ellen White has completely restructured the way I think about missions and outreach. I don’t think the order was written haphazardly. I also believe that we accomplish this method most fully when we commit to the entire process instead of picking which ones we like best.
FEATURE
How Poor People Define Poverty
If you were asked to define poverty, likely the words, “no food, clean water, education, shelter, etc.” would be shared. While these words are accurate, this is an incomplete picture. “Poor people’s definitions of poverty do not only include economic wellbeing, but also include vulnerability, powerlessness, the shame of dependency, and social isolation,” according to Voices of the Poor published by the World Bank. When we do not share this more holistic definition of poverty, it is very possible, if not probable that we will inadvertently cause more harm than good in missions. How is this possible? When a poor community already feels powerless and inferior, we exacerbate this ideology by showing them the “right way” to run a VBS program, build a church, provide a medical clinic, or conduct an evangelistic series. We are effectively saying to our brothers and sisters that they do not have the resources or aptitude to do this on their own; we are needed to intervene on their behalf. Working with and not for the poor is the best way to avoid these common, paternalistic behaviors. Christians in the US do have a variety of resources to contribute to our local and global neighbors. However, we need to empower the local leadership to advocate for their vision, help identify and celebrate their assets, and supplement where needed and requested.
avoid any further damage from the rain. A biblical example of relief is the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10. The wounded man is not asked to give an account for why he was in his present condition. He is not asked to do anything at all. The Good Samaritan sees someone in crisis and responds to his urgent need with urgent action. Rehabilitation can start after the immediate crisis is under control. The family who had their roof tarped within the first two days in the aftermath of the tornado will now need help repairing the roof. The goal of rehabilitation is a return to the “pre-crisis” life. This means, we would repair the current tornado damage but not start building an addition to the house just yet. It is ideal for the family to be intimately involved as there is no longer purely a “provider/receiver” model like in the relief phase. Consider the model of gleaning God describes in Leviticus 19. God wanted people who were experiencing material poverty to have the dignity of harvesting their own food.
Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development
Knowing the difference of these three strategies makes all the difference. Relief is appropriate following a tornado, like the one we experienced in the Chattanooga area recently. We handed out water bottles, hot meals, tarps, etc. without a lengthy application process or expectations these individuals would do anything in return. Volunteer groups were sent out by dozens of organizations to tarp people’s roofs to
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Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development
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When Helping Hurts, Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett
The development phase is the most difficult and time-consuming of the three. Individuals are now fully recovered from their crisis. Now they are ready to dream of how they might want to improve their lives in some way. Perhaps someone is ready to get their GED and seek a higher paying job. A family may want to start their own garden to mitigate food insecurity concerns. Whatever these goals are, they must be driven by the individuals themselves. You cannot want change more than they do or it will be unsustainable. The development phase begs us
to walk beside someone experiencing poverty over a long period of time, to serve as an advocate, cheerleader, and friend. Sometimes the phases can be muddy without a clear indicator to move to the next one. Don’t stress about being in the “right” phase. You have probably heard the saying, “Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.” Here is my adaptation, “Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. But sometimes the man knows how to fish and doesn’t have a fishing pole. Help him get a fishing pole, he will feed
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his village.” Most people who are poor do not want the handout. They may already have ideas and goals to move out of poverty, but they just need the right resources.
Poverty is complex and requires complex alleviation strategies. But we are all called to a specific role. Let’s get past the question, “Am I called to serve?” The answer is “yes.” When I read the Great Commission in Matthew 28, I believe that it is written to all of us who have surrendered our lives to Jesus. Across the street or across the world, let’s intentionally petition where He can use us best.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.� MAT THEW 28:19-20
