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Daily Scripture
 
"The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah."

Psalm 21:1-2

WAITING FOR MISSIONARIES

Siar men in traditional dress

February 27, 2007

Can you imagine walking into a village and hearing: “We have been waiting years for you to come. Come live with us and teach us”?

What an awesome opportunity missionaries Chris Lujan, Jonathan Jackson and Lane Sanford and their families have among the Siar people of Papua New Guinea, who have been waiting a long time for a missionary. This week the missionaries are going to the Siars’ village to talk with the village leaders about building homes there.

Now imagine being from another of the many tribes who have written letters for years to ask for a missionary, only to be told none were available. And imagine now hearing, “I’m sorry, we have so many new missionaries, and so many on the way, we can’t send anyone to work with you.”

Huh?

Yes, many tribes have been writing letters asking for missionaries for years. Yes, several missionaries have recently arrived in Papua New Guinea, and more are on the way. And that’s why the Siars will be one of the last three unreached tribes in the country to receive a missionary team for at least a year.

What?

Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell you that virtually all of the new missionaries and the due missionaries are planning to be church planters. They’re going to Papua New Guinea eager to begin works in unreached tribes. That’s why no more tribes can be reached.

Hmmm. That didn’t help, did it?

These new church planters cannot start working in unreached tribes because the logistical missionaries in Papua New Guinea are already stretched to their limits. Without more of the vital logistical missionaries who do such things as bookkeeping, government relations, supply buying and educating missionaries’ children, no more tribal works can begin.

NTM’s leaders in Papua New Guinea saw this coming a long time ago. They’ve been asking for help for some time, and made a point of talking with me about it when I was out there almost a year and a half ago.

Problem is, all our logistical works are understaffed, on every field and in the USA. Our Communications team has just now reached the point where we can start addressing some of these more “specialized” needs.

So what to do?

I am so glad you asked. Today, you can do something that will help expand the reach of the Gospel to tribes around the world.

Pray: Pray that God will move people to fill important logistical roles, and pray that churches and individuals will develop a view of missions that encompasses the importance of logistical missionaries. The task cannot be accomplished without logistical missionaries who have a good team behind each of them.

Give: Logistical missionaries need financial support as much as church planters, and for many – particularly those who serve in the USA – it is far more difficult to find the funds they need in order to minister effectively. You can begin giving monthly, or make a one-time gift:

To us >>

To our co-worker David Bell >>

Or another co-worker, Donna Gibson >>

Or to a missionary who is trying to find enough support to come and work with us, Patrick Hatcher >>

Go: Find out how you can use your skills and experience on the mission field now as an associate missionary >>

Or learn about going long-term as a logistical missionary >>