A Call to Missions I wrote extensively on this topic in the May 2008 entry titled “Called?” on this blog if anyone would care to read it. I’ll summarize here. My study of the Word (mostly Acts) shows me that in Paul’s missionary journeys there were a few times that God specifically intervened to cause Paul to go (or to prohibit him from going) somewhere. Most of the time, however, there is no specific reason given by Luke as to why Paul choose to go to a particular place. It seems as if Paul was driven mostly by his good judgment exercised in the context of a life completely surrendered to Christ. Prayer and fasting were a reality for Paul and out of this reality Paul seemed to get the sense that he was to go here next or there after here. And so I would say to the reader that we had no divine writing on the wall or loud voices telling us that we were to go to Loma De Luz as missionaries. What we do have is the driving sense that we are to go and that we are called to be missional. Like the “thing” that drives a baby to crawl and then to walk, we just know that this is what we are supposed to be doing. Our family has confirmed it, our friends, our church pastor and elders – all have confirmed this calling in our lives. After five years we are more confident than ever that this is our calling. We’ve had some successes and a lot of failures while in Honduras. Our faith has grown exponentially as the Lord uses our many experiences, both good and difficult to shape and mold us into the image of Christ. In summary, may my testimony not ever be about what I have done for God, but may it always be about what He has done for me through the Miraculous gift of His Son Jesus. Amen.
Marinajo’s Version
A Call to Missions – the details: In 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast; it also hit us smack dab in the heart. God used this tragedy to change our lives and to give us His compassion for others: The hurting, scared, and lonely widow or the homeless and depressed man who has no idea how to provide for his family; the end stage cancer patient and the broken family. We moved to Bay Saint Louis, MS to minister and help provide relief to Katrina victims. This was God’s initial plan for moving our hearts into the mission field. We lived in the Gulf Coast for nearly three years. We experienced the heart aches and the victories of ministering to the lost and the found. We rejoice in His provision for those residents and that we were able to help rebuild their homes and their lives. By the end of 2007 Dave and I both felt strongly that our time in Bay Saint Louis was coming to an end. Our church in Mississippi, The Church of the Good Shepherd, is a very mission minded church. One Sunday in January a lady came to give a standard missionary report for a missionary hospital in Honduras. As she closed her presentation she asked for prayer for the ministry and mentioned two specific personnel needs: a Hospital Administrator and an IT Missionary. Dave and I looked at each other incredulously. We had never even heard of an IT missionary! David is an IT professional and a partner in an IT company! Within days it was clear to us that we should pursue this position and indeed within five months it was confirmed by the Directors of Hospital Loma de Luz, our sending church and its pastor, as well as friends and family that God had called us to serve at this wonderful Missionary Hospital on the north coast of Honduras. Since David was (and is) able to conduct his business anywhere that had an internet connection he was able to work part-time from Honduras, which meant immediate fund raising was not required. We sold nearly everything we had, put our house up for rent, said our tearful goodbyes and arrived here a short five months after being invited to serve.