Crazy

That's what my wife thought when I felt something about going on my first mission trip half way around the world to South Asia. I had never been on a mission trip and for some reason God wanted me to go on my first one ever so far away and to a culture completely opposite of mine. I was asked to get out of my comfort zone, no matter how scared or afraid or unqualified I felt. I had a choice to make- stay in my comfort zone and ignore God's call or submit and go. Little did I know, that trip would change my life forever. I felt that God was calling me to greater things- to move my family overseas and be completely submitted, for the first time, to God's will, not mine.
It made no sense whatsoever to move my family from our comfortable home, schools, friends, jobs into the very heart of darkness and lostness of the world. It made no sense because of thinking from a worldly point of view.
God's word is full of things that make no sense from our point of view. It made no sense for Noah to build a boat for a flood when no rain had fallen on the earth yet. It made no sense for Abraham to pick up and move to a land that he had not seen yet. It was crazy for Gideon, the least of his tribe who was the least of all tribes to take just 300 men to deliver Israel from the oppression of Midian- who had over 100,000 men in their army. How could God choose David, the smallest of all his brothers to be king of Israel? God used Paul, someone who murdered Christians to be one of the models for church planting today. There are so many other examples of
The reason for all this? Did the people get glory for this? No, but for their faith in what God was going to do through them, they receive honor, and we can learn from their example. But God did it so that they could not boast in themselves, but give the glory for the outcome to Him.
So, what about us? We should be open to what God has in store for us, and trust that He will bring us through, no matter how scared or unqualified we think we are. Since 2005, when I heard the call to come to this place, I have had my hands open to God has for us- I can't possibly close them now.
So we keep our hands open to what God has for us. In the mean time, we continue on here with one more year of ministry to go.