Obstacles are inevitable as people prepare to serve overseas as missionaries. This couple reminds us that honoring God in the midst of planning to minster cross culturally is of utmost importance, and that our God is big enough to handle the roadblocks along the way.
We have been told, many times, that the trip from the time you decide to be involved in missions until you get there is usually at least 5 years and often as long as 10. For us it looks like it’ll be 12. So that’s our first obstacle, is how long it takes to get there, and keeping motivated.
One of the reasons that it’s difficult over a longer period of time, is that you sort of start to lose sight of why you’re doing the things that you’re doing, that the ultimate big goal, is not actually being involved in missions, but it’s to honor God.
And it’s not that--even though the mission goal isn’t happening right now, the honoring God goal has to be happening right now. That can’t be something that can be put on hold in this attempt to get where we’re going.
Somehow you think that, well, if I’m on the path that God wants me to be on, then there really aren’t going to be any obstacles, are there? And that’s just not the truth.
Not true.
Sometimes, you--you know, for us, failed a class. And that’s a pretty big discouragement. The God we serve is fully capable of dealing with those challenges and certainly He is very gracious and compassionate. And so, we need to keep our perspective wrapped around God as we try to deal with the discouragements that come along.
Produced by Mission Data International
Video Editor: Kyle McCarthy
Cameraman: Paul Nielsen
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