|
This week in Vacation Bible School we have taken the journey hand in hand with the assistance of Bobbi the Builder who has shared in her nightly lessons. On Monday night we learned how the earth was formed and life began as Bobbi the Builder taught us from the Book of Genesis. On Tuesday night we learned about the Ten Commandments from the Book of Exodus. On Wednesday night Bobbi the Builder taught us that we must be careful what we say. On Thursday night we learned that doing what we want to do doesn’t mix well with God and may leave a bad taste in our mouth and Friday night we learned we are all parts of the body of Christ with no one part more important than the other as we must all work together as one.
We have learned, I am the church, You are the church, We are the church together. And the church is not just this building in Tremont City. The church is international as is not necessarily something made from hands out of brick, stone and cement. The church is our physical body working to serve God.
Her name is Pam Kidd; Pam is a missionary who has answered the call from God to travel halfway around the world to be a missionary among the poorest of the poor in Zimbabwe.
“I am standing on a dirty street corner as far away from home as I ever will be. The first light of day pushes across Harare’s tired buildings and falls in pools on the cracked sidewalk. For days, I have interviewed street children, and I am tired and discouraged. My mission is to attract funding for a church foundation that is struggling to help Zimbabwe’s people. Now, more than anything, I just want to go home.
Over and over children have told me about the lady who brings tea and bread early each morning. And that’s why I’m here. I’ve come to see their Lady Bountiful. Before leaving this place, where one in five children has been orphaned by AIDS and most end up homeless and begging for food, I need something good to remember.
“Here she come!” someone shouts. Some of the children begin to sing. I look up and see a noisy old car turning the corner. It stops and a disheveled woman jumps out. In a flash, she drags a huge soup pot from the trunk, steaming with thick, sweet, milky tea. She pulls loaves of day old bread out of the backseat.
The children form an orderly line, holding their bottles and cups to receive tea. Their faces are radiant.
I move away from the crowd. I have never been this angry in my life. This is it? I SCREAMED silently at God. YOU BROUGHT ME HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD AND THIS IS THE BEST YOU HAVE TO OFFER?
WHY IN THE WORLD DON’T YOU SEND SOMEONE TO HELP THESE PEOPLE? God answered gently, patiently, “I did”, He says, “I sent you.”
“I sent you.” Powerful words, and to think that God would want me of all people? Some would ask WHY ME? We are blessed this morning to be joined in worship by Katy, who when God called her did not ask WHY ME, but, WHY NOT ME?
Why would anyone leave the comfort of home to travel halfway around the world to walk among those who are impoverished? Those who live in a country that is a bomb waiting to go off full of death and homelessness and despair? Why would anyone travel away from home to a country that was conquered by Russia in the 18th century and became a Soviet Republic in 1936? A country that whose current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the country’s vast energy resources and exporting them to the world markets; achieving a sustainable economic growth; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sections; while enhancing their competitiveness and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.
Why would anyone want to leave the comfort of her home to travel halfway around the world to a country whose environmental issues are: Radioactive or toxic sites associated with former defense industries and test ranges scattered throughout the country that pose a health risk for humans and animals. Let alone a country that does not speak your language.
Her name is Katy. Katy is a physical therapist, divorced, and resides in Springfield, Ohio. Katy is blessed with two children and a grandchild. Katy’s daughter lives in Pennsylvania and teaches first grade. Katy’s son and his wife live in Kentucky where he has just finished law school and is studying for his bar exam. Katy is a member of the High Street United Methodist Church where she has been a member for nearly thirty-five years.
My wife and I are blessed to know Katy through the Springfield Area Emmaus Community. Katy is a missionary to a country halfway around the world that I just described to you.
As we are in worship this morning, Katy joins us as she is preparing to travel to her Mission area, which is landlocked, as it is surrounded by one country to the north, others to the East ,South/south-west, and the \West.
Did I tell you that Katy is leaving the first half of next year to be a missionary to a foreign land where she will live for two to five years?
We are blessed this morning as Katy is in worship with us and I would like Katy to share with you her call that she answered from God to step out in faith. To not be in fear, in the words of the Psalmist, Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid I will trust in you.”
Katy,
I have certainly been blessed by God over all of my life. I was fortunate to be born in the USA on a farm with my grandparents living about a tenth of a mile away. I had faithful Christian parents and was brought up in church from a very young age. I have some very good memories of Vacation Bible School, just like the kids here this past week. I met Jesus as my Saviour at church camp as a young teenager and immediately I felt the call to mission about the same time I discovered that I wanted to be a physical therapist, and I could envision myself going on a Mercy ship around the world on medical missions.
But like so many people, life got in the way. I went to The Ohio State University and received my degree in physical therapy in 1968, got married to my high school sweetheart and started working. A few years later, I had my first child and we settled here in Springfield. We found a supportive church and settled into the American dream, “a house, 2 kids, a dog, and long term debt.” My call to mission had been put on hold by a busy life of my own making.
But we serve a patient God. For many years, our church had no overseas Mission opportunities. But in the late 1990’s there was an announcement from the Mission Committee for a medical mission team to go to Jamaica. In February I was in! It was an awesome experience.
We were not in the tourist areas, but in the villages in the mountains and in downtown Kingsport. The area in Kingsport was so dangerous that the church was located in a fenced in compound with guards while we were there. I was touched by the people but did not feel called to return.
A few years later, a young man from our congregation was finishing seminary and had committed to a two-year mission trip in a central Asian country that I had never heard of. We supported him enthusiastically with funds, “care packages” etc. The first summer that he would be spending there, an opportunity came to go with a short-term team to work with him and the other missionaries on a construction project. I felt strongly called to go and support him even though I had no construction skills or experience.
The trip involved two six-hour flights, followed the next day by a 21-hour train journey. We were exhausted; jet legged, but exhilarated to arrive. The young man we knew was serving a large city of about a quarter million people and about a dozen other missionaries.
The project we were on was out in the country, which involved a van ride over pretty terrible roads each day. The hospitality of the Christian people made up for the hardships. However, I was very relieved to leave and return to the US. I thought I would never see that country again.
But God has different plans for me. Our young man decided to extend his service beyond the 2-years. Our new pastor wanted to go on a short-term trip the following summer but didn’t want to go alone. No one else from the congregation was chomping at the bit to go, so I agreed to travel half way around the world again. That first trip had “broken the soil” of my heart but on the second trip God used a missionary to “water” my call to mission. As we were finishing our 2 weeks, an experienced missionary said to me, “You know you could do this.” The scary thing was, I knew she was right. My heart was broken for the plight of this sad and hopeless people, who needed the hope of Christ, the message of the Gospel in a loving and tangible way.
When I returned home I began to pray for God to show me how He could use me and I began to make plans to go when I had retired at 65. But God was still at work. At a Good Friday service, I heard how God had fed the Israelites in the desert with manna and quail for forty-years and it suddenly dawned on me that God had allowed me to have this Physical Therapist profession since 1968 and had blessed me with more of a lucrative career than I had ever dreamed. I felt this word was telling me that I didn’t have to wait until 65 to go and serve; I could follow the call at 62 when the 40 years was up.
I began to pursue the call with an additional vigor and urgency. I applied to the Mission Society, was accepted at Mission Candidate Week last Fall and approved by the Board this February of 2008. This summer, I am on my way next month to further mandatory training, am working to get my house ready to sell and have an auction to “de-accuulate” the many things I have acquired. That way I will be ready to leave for a 2 to 5 year stint overseas in a foreign land and a foreign culture with a foreign language (or two). I could teach the kids the song in Russian if you would like.
One of the first things people say when they hear about my plans is “You are so brave.” I am not particularly brave but I do feel a peace about it because I feel God is calling me the place where He wants to use me.
The next things is, “Why don’t you stay here-we have so many needs here at home.” I realize that there are needs everywhere around the world Christians can address, but God has placed these people on my heart, and equipped me to be able to go. Not everyone is called to leave home to serve.
You may have a mission field in your own home or family, in your block, community or county. If your heart is touched by children, the homeless, the hungry, immigrants or any other need, consider how you can be a “co-laborer with God” as included with our scripture. And just because you are not called to go away, you can still partner with a missionary like me who is serving in a foreign land. I have prayer cards and would feel privileged to have any of you as a prayer or contributing partner with me. Of course, there are also expenses involved with serving overseas, and I hope your church will consider a financial partnership with me during your next round of budgeting.
We are serving as co-laborers with God-what an awesome privilege! And we are hand in hand with all of those who have served before, saints, apostles and us, defenders of the faith and faithful individuals who knew how to be witnesses in our lives and our words. Acts 1:8 says, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” Did you have a Vacation Bible School teacher, camp counselor, Sunday School teacher, family member, pastor or other friend who led you to meet Jesus? Let’s join hand in hand with all of those who have gone before us and continue to introduce others to our friend and Savior, Jesus.
I would like to close my portion of the service with the Lord’s Prayer, but I would like for you to hear it in Russian. Even as you listen to, or read the words, you will understand the words. Think of those around the world who are praying this very same prayer in so many languages, but to the same God an Father of all. Let us pray.
Наш отец в рае, мы делаем ваше имя священнейше. принесите для того чтобы прийти ваше королевство, на земле в пропорции к ей в рае. Дайте к нам этот день наш ежедневный хлеб и простит к нашим посягательствам в пропорции к нам мы pardon к посягательствам других; и дирижируйте нас не в заманчивости но пошлите нас от зла. Для вашей славы королевства и прочности это будет навсегда и всегда. Аминь.
Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
|
|
