Mission Reality

This is pretty much all you'd have seen me doing if you'd been at MMS looking over my shoulder for the past week and a half. There I've been, sitting there staring at the screen and pounding away at the keyboard. It may not seem like it's very missionary-esque but, between completing the England report, preparing for yesterday's SMT meeting, writing the minutes today from our meeting yesterday, and preparing material for staff meeting next week (after which I'll write those minutes) someone has to manage and create the paper work that makes everything else move. Even so, my missionary world can sometimes seem pretty small. So small it only consists of a computer screen, a keyboard, and a ringing phone.

That's when I have to leave my office and get down to the hangar for a few minutes. Down there I can touch the airplanes that are being repaired so they can return to the field and carry the gospel to remote locations. Down there I can rub elbows with some of God's most dedicated servants who are either preparing other servants to go, or are the servants being prepared to leave.

The staccato sound of a rivet gun pounding rivets into aluminum or steel can sound so much more fulfilling than the clickety-clack of my fingers on plastic keys. The sparks flying from a high-speed grinding wheel restoring critical aircraft components to serviceable status generates a bit more excitement in me than watching another sheet of my mistakes being pulled through a paper shredder.

But each are part of missions...rivet guns and keyboards, grinding wheels and paper shredders. And while God, in His perfect wisdom, didn't gift me to work on airplanes (hallelujah!), He did privilege me to work in their presence as I serve in His presence. I can't imagine doing anything else than what God has gifted, called and enabled me to do with MMS.

Thanks for being part of it through your gifts and prayers. You're very much a part of every rivet that gets driven and every document that gets signed and filed (or shredded!). Karen and I couldn't be here without you and we rejoice in your partnership.

May God richly bless you!