Contributing Editors: Rick Kajiura, Elbert Kuhn, Hensley Moorooven, Ricky Oliveras, Karen J. Porter, Claude Richli, Gerson Santos, Karilyn Suvankham, David Trim
Editorial Advisors: Petras Bahadur, ChanMin Chung, Jose Cortes, Jr., Varaprasad Deepati, Daniel Jiao, Sun Hwan Kim, Wayne Krause, Bledi Leno, Ricardo Palacios, Silas Muabsa, Paul Muasya, Umesh Nag, Josiah Nwarungwa, Joni Oliveira, Brendan Pratt, Bill Quispe, Florian Ristea, Clifmond Shameerudeen, Reinaldo Siqueira, Dragan Stojanovic, Zhan Taraniuk, Samuel Telemaque, Anthony WagenerSmith, Gregory Whitsett
Design: 316 Creative
Editorial Note: Please note that several stories in
issue were written at an earlier date. As a result, certain details such as individuals’ roles, titles, or locations may have changed since the time of writing.
12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904-6601, USA Telephone: (301) 680-6005
Questions? Comments? Email us at Questions@adventistmission.org.
Adventist® and Seventh-day Adventist® are the registered trademarks of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®
Unless otherwise noted, Bible verses are quoted from the King James Version. Follow us on issuu at issuu.com/advmission
As with all organizations, the Seventh-day Adventist Church must constantly guard against “mission drift.” That’s where we start focusing more on maintenance than mission. Throughout our history as a church, there have been key times when we have needed to prayerfully re-assess our mission focus.
This happened in the 1870s when our idea of fulfilling the Great Commission was limited to reaching immigrants within North America. Ellen White helped refocus our vision, and soon, Adventist missionaries were crisscrossing the globe.
Many decades later, in the 1980s, it was time for another mission refocus. Leaders from around the world came to pray and plan
together. They looked at the world map and saw areas where the church was weak or had no presence. It was a sobering reality check. In response, they voted a Global Strategy initiative in 1989. The following year at the General Conference Session in Indianapolis, it gave birth to what we know as Global Mission.
Global Mission shifted our focus from mainly other Christians to also include the vast billions of adherents to other religions and worldviews. Global Mission also focused on starting new groups of believers among unreached people groups, not just in unentered geographical areas. We praise God that the number of Adventist churches and members has more than tripled during the past 34 years.
But, today, we still face huge mission challenges. It’s time for another mission refocus! We have identified three high-priority mission challenge windows: the 10/40 Window, the Urban Window, and the Post-Christian Window. It’s time to prayerfully examine our personnel, funds, and goals to see what more we can do to reach these windows. How can we reach areas of the church with the most significant challenges but the fewest resources to meet them? How can we recalibrate our resources to reach all the world for Jesus?
Missionary William Harrison Anderson devoted more than 50 years to pioneering Adventist work in Africa. He faced many hardships, including the death of his wife to blackwater fever. “I have given my money, my strength, my wife, and I intend to give the rest of my poor self to finish the work God has given me to do,” he later wrote. “I want you who read these lines to ask yourself that question, ‘Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?’”
That’s a great mission refocus prayer for us today: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”
Our Greatest Mission Challenges Today
The 10/40 Window
The 10/40 Window stretches from North Africa through the Middle East and into Asia.
Gary Krause is the director of the Office of Adventist Mission.
It’s home to some 60 percent of the world’s population, most major religions, and the world’s poorest people. Most here have never heard the name of Jesus.
The Urban Window
The Urban Window is rapidly growing. Today, there are some cities of more than a million people where there is no record of an Adventist even visiting them.
The Post-Christian Window
The Post-Christian Window includes Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of North America—countries that can no longer be called Christian and are abandoning Christian beliefs and values.
How We Can Address These Challenges
Church planting, using Christ’s method of ministry, has proven to be the most effective way to grow and expand the church. Ellen White wrote, “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me’”—The Ministry of Healing, p. 143.
Global Mission Pioneers
Global Mission pioneers start new groups of believers in new areas and among new people groups. Pioneers are often laypeople who work among their people, so they know the language and culture well. Supported by a small stipend, they live in a community for at least a year, making disciples who will plant more churches.
Global Mission Centers
Supporting the pioneers’ work, the Global Mission Centers find methods and models to make the Adventist message understandable and meaningful to people with radically different worldviews. To learn more, visit GMsda.org/ Centers
Urban Centers of Influence
Ellen White championed establishing urban centers of influence to connect church members to people living in cities. Adopting this
concept, Global Mission helps establish such need-focused entities. They include refugee assimilation centers, juice bars, secondhand shops, cafes, and childcare. Each follows Christ’s method of ministry to start new groups of believers. To learn more, visit GMsda.org/UCI
Tentmakers
Modern-day tentmakers, like the Apostle Paul, use their profession to support mission. They work in areas where mission work is difficult, restricted, or forbidden. Unlike traditional missionaries, they find their own jobs in secular workspaces in these challenging territories, with a larger goal to build relationships, share the good news, and start new groups of believers. To learn more, visit GMsda.org/TE
The Annual Sacrifice Offering
This offering helps Global Mission start new groups of believers among unreached people, often in the most challenging places in the world. You can give by marking your tithe envelope Annual Sacrifice Offering or online at AMsda.org/MySacrifice
The Mission Offerings
Your weekly mission offerings help support overseas missionaries and the international work of the church, such as our educational and medical work.
How You Can Be Part of Mission Refocus
Serve
Visit VividFaith.com to find service opportunities.
Pray
Please pray for our Global Mission pioneers, Global Mission Centers, urban centers of influence, tentmakers, and missionaries.
Give
Please support the church planting ministry of our Global Mission pioneers, Global Mission Centers, and urban centers of influence. Make a secure financial gift by clicking this QR code or visiting GMsda.org/Give77
Please support mission around the world, including the ministry of international missionaries, by giving your mission offering at Sabbath School.
I’d Be Dead
If it wasn’t for our Global Mission pioneer, I’d be dead by now,” says Kgosana Xase, a recently baptized member of the Bere Adventist church plant in Botswana. His young face looks so sweet as he sings hymns, it’s hard to imagine him brawling in a bar with men on the verge of stabbing each other. But this is the new Kgosana. The one who gave his heart to Jesus because a pioneer named Ishmael came to live and work in his village.
Sitting next to Kgosana in the sanctuary is his newly baptized friend Basimilwe. “My life changed dramatically when I became an Adventist,” he says, flashing a radiant smile. “I used to practice ancestor worship, and I was a serious robber. Wherever there was mischief going on, you could find me right in the middle of it!”
Basimilwe was arrested frequently, but his life began to change the day Ishmael knocked on his door to tell him about Jesus. “I gave myself to God and stopped drinking and stealing,” he says. “I’m a free man in Christ, and for the first time in my life I’m happy with who I am.”
As Chief Gorosho listens to the new members speak, a look of satisfaction crosses his weathered face. Since the former pioneer left several years ago, he’s watched sadly as most of the congregation slipped away. “These new members give me hope,” he says, patting Ishmael’s shoulder. “In just one year, our pioneer has brought many members back and added eight new ones!”
Chief Gorosho joined the Adventist church in 2000 when members of the Ghanzi church held evangelistic meetings in Bere. He remembers worshiping under a tree while the Bere church was being built. “It’s very hard to worship on the ground during rainy season,” he says with a laugh. “We missed the inspiration of worshiping together during those months. But with our own church, we can worship together all the time now.”
Chief Gorosho and his wife weren’t Christians when they attended the evangelistic meetings. “We were so hostile to each other,” he says. “But when we met Jesus, He made us kind. Now our marriage testifies to His power.” Chief Gorosho longs for everyone in his village to experience the transforming power of Jesus.
Ishmael Rabatho is a seasoned pioneer who has worked many places where there was previously no Adventist presence. But he says serving the Basarwa people in Bere is the toughest challenge he’s ever faced. “Poverty, disease, and despair are rampant here, but one of my greatest obstacles is the language barrier.” The Basarwa’s language is very difficult to learn, and Ishmael has no translator or literature available in the villagers’ dialect. “I can only communicate with them because a few of them speak a little of my language,” he says.
Laurie Falvo is the editor of Mission 360° magazine for the Office of Adventist Mission.
Botswana
Basimilwe
Chief Gorosho
Kgosana Xase
Transportation is another challenge for Ishmael in this remote settlement. “His only mode of transport is a bicycle,” says Pastor Ramasankate, the Ghanzi district pastor who oversees his work. “And there’s no riding a bike in the Kalahari sand!” To buy food, Ishmael must catch a ride to Ghanzi, a distance of 150 kilometers (93 miles) one way. To catch that ride, he must walk 14 kilometers (9 miles) on a road where lions are sometimes spotted. But the lack of a vehicle isn’t just an inconvenience to Ishmael. He longs to take the gospel to those living outside the settlement—a desire held in check by long distances and dangerous animals.
The greatest challenge Ishmael faces is reaching the Basarwa people spiritually. It has taken a year of gently trying to earn their trust, attending their funerals, praying with the troubled, visiting the sick, and playing with their children.
“It’s very hard to share Jesus with my people,” says Chief Gorosho. “But since Pastor Ishmael came, I’ve noticed a gradual softening of their hearts. He’s reaching out to those who have never known God, and he’s doing a great work in them. I’ve seen a remarkable change in my community.”
Pastor Ramasankate is also thankful for Ishmael’s ministry. “If it weren’t for Ishmael,” he says, “there would be no Adventist work in Bere.” Pastor Ramasankate’s district covers some 119,000 square kilometers (46,000 square miles), and he can visit each church in it only once a year. “I have only three pioneers, but we need many more for such a large territory.”
Despite the many challenges of working in Bere, Ishmael is optimistic. He loves being a Global Mission pioneer and believes that God called him to this unique ministry. But he requests the prayers of his church family.
“Please pray that God will enable me to share the gospel without any hindrance,” he asks, “so that the Basarwa can see a true picture of Jesus and understand God’s Word. And please pray that God’s Spirit will be poured upon these people, so they’ll be receptive to His love and ready for His soon return.”
Global Mission pioneers are laypeople sent to start new groups of believers in unreached areas or among unreached people groups. They are paid a small stipend and often work within their own culture. Please support their ministry with your prayers and financial gifts to Global Mission.
Ways to Give
ONLINE
Make a secure financial gift by clicking this QR or visiting GMsda.org/Give77
PHONE
Toll-free (USA only): 800-648-5824
MAIL
Global Mission, General Conference 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD, USA 20904-6601
In Canada: Global Mission SDA Church in Canada 1148 King Street East Oshawa, ON L1H 1H8
Transform Lives, One Month at a Time: Join Our Recurring Donor Family!
Pastor Ishmael visits a neighbor
Schoolchildren waiting for Pastor Ishmael to visit
Pastor Ishmael sings and prays with the schoolchildren
Reaching Hearts Across the Airwaves
TThailand
Written by Apolle Creles Bohol and Sompong Koonsawang,
Phetchareun,
he radio ministry in Northeast Thailand remains a powerful vehicle for spreading the gospel and transforming lives. It’s more than just a broadcast—it’s a bridge that connects with individuals who may never step inside a church but are open to hearing the message in the comfort of their homes. Mrs. Sompong Koonsawang, a key leader in this ministry based in Fang Thoung, is a shining example of dedication, using her voice to touch hearts and draw people closer to God. Her work has made a significant impact, especially among those from Buddhist backgrounds, sparking a curiosity that leads many to explore the depth of God’s love.
The influence of the radio program staff goes far beyond the airwaves. They visit people in their homes to nurture the seeds of faith
planted during the broadcasts. These visits have borne fruit, resulting in baptisms and the creation of two house churches—the Nong Lom and Non-Kha groups—where new believers continue to grow in their relationships with Christ. Many listeners share how the radio messages offer them hope, encouragement, and peace amid their struggles.
But the ministry doesn’t stop with the gospel. Through English lessons and health education, the team goes the extra mile to equip individuals with valuable life skills. These programs serve as bridges to deeper conversations about faith. Through the combination of radio broadcasts, personal home visits, educational programs, and health outreach, this ministry continues to shine as a beacon of light in a dark world, drawing many closer to God.
this story was shared by Khamsay
director of the Center for AdventistBuddhist Relations.
Mrs. Sompong Koonsawang, right, and Pastor Soonthorn Koonsawang, left, visiting Mr. Sangob and Mrs. Chantra
Testimony
Mr. Sangob and Mrs. Chantra Saenthaweesuk
Mr. Sangob and Mrs. Chantra, were loyal listeners of the Christian radio program. As they tuned in regularly, God’s Word began to take root in their hearts, deepening their faith and sparking a desire to know more. Reaching out to the station, they invited Pastor Soonthorn and Mrs. Sompong for a visit. As they conversed with Mr. Sangob and Mrs. Chantra, they made the decision to accept Christ. Once devoted Buddhists, they are now actively sharing the gospel with family and fully involved in their local church.
Through continued visits, prayer, and Bible studies, their faith keeps growing. Please pray for them as they continue their journey with Christ.
The Center for Adventist-Buddhist Relations is one of six Global Mission Centers operated by the Office of Adventist Mission. Their purpose is to help Adventists know how to share their beliefs more effectively with people from major world religions and philosophies. These centers help us understand the beliefs and cultures of other world religions and equip Adventists to interact with them in social and business settings. To learn more, visit GMsda.org/Centers.
Mrs. Sompong Koonsawang at her radio studio
Home visitations by radio ministry staff
Heaven Scores a Goal
Seven-year-old Sebastian decided to give his life to Jesus in an unusual place—on the soccer field!
A few months before, he was excited when his parents, Moises and Angelica, signed him up for soccer lessons at the Lo Prado Life Hope Center, an urban center of influence in Santiago, Chile. Sebastian worked hard at his lessons, and his skills improved quickly. But he soon realized he was learning more than just soccer.
Sebastian met Jesus through the One Year in Mission volunteers serving at the Life Hope
Center, and he wanted his parents to know Jesus, too. So, each day after soccer lessons, while walking home with his parents, he told them about his new Friend.
Around this time, Sebastian’s grandmother became very sick. Sebastian was worried. Pastor Abraham Cabezas, who led the center’s outreach programs, began visiting the family with his team of One Year in Mission volunteers to pray with and encourage them.
Sebastian’s parents enjoyed these visits, and in time, they requested Bible studies. Eventually, the love of Jesus won their hearts, and they were
Ricky Oliveras is a video producer for the Office of Adventist Mission.
Chile
Sebastian at his soccer lesson
baptized. Soon, Sebastian’s grandmother regained her strength.
The family is eternally grateful for the friendship and care shown by the One Year in Mission team. These volunteers continue to selflessly give their time to lead a variety of workshops and to be lights of hope in the community. “Through these workshops, many people can mingle with Adventists, and through their service, they can know the Lord,” Pastor Cabezas says. “I want to express my gratitude to Global Mission for believing and trusting in these projects. At any moment, the King in heaven will return, and we will see the result of all the effort from Chile and the whole world.”
Sebastian is very happy when he listens to his parents talk about their new lives. Thank you for supporting the ministry of urban centers of influence through your Global Mission donations and helping people fall in love with Jesus!
Urban Centers of Influence
Global Mission supports wholistic mission to the cities through urban centers of influence. These centers follow Christ’s method of ministry to meet people’s needs and start new groups of believers. Please support urban centers of influence by visiting GMsda.org/Give77
One Year in Mission is a young adult urban missionary movement designed to take the three angels’ messages into the cities of the world. Learn more at AMsda.org/OYIM!
Watch this story in action at m360.tv/s2026!
Sebastian and his parents with Pastor Abraham Cabezas, right
A God of Surprises
Iwas enjoying a leisurely lunch with my family when my father looked me in the eye and announced sternly, “You’re going to call the leader of the mission project and tell them you won’t be there.”
On the spur of the moment, I replied, “I won’t do that. I will go!”
His response sent a chill down my spine. “Then get your things and get out of the house!”
Everyone was looking at me, awaiting my reaction. What should I do? I wondered. I loved my father, but I was sure of God’s
call to mission. As I tried to compose myself, I thought about how God had led me to this moment. For some time, I had felt the desire to serve as a missionary. I had asked God to lead me if this was His will and had applied for a few positions. Then, I received a phone message that read, “. . . you will be the Northeast Brazil Union Mission’s representative on the South American Division One Year in Mission team!” I would work with 16 young people from South America to open an urban center of influence (UCI). We would focus on reaching the hearts of the wealthy in Belo Horizonte.
Have I received this message in error? I wondered. I was a simple worker in the office store of an Adventist church. I didn’t feel ready for these new responsibilities. I asked God to make His will clear to me. A few days later, I received another message. This one was from the Institute de Missões Noroeste (Northwest Mission Institute), congratulating me for being selected for a
Wanderson Marcelino volunteered at an urban center of influence in his home country of Brazil.
Brazil
The 2021 South American Division One Year in Mission Team. Wanderson is in the front row on the left
mission project in the Amazon rainforest. Now, it was no longer a question of whether I was going to serve; the question was where I was going to serve. I didn’t know which call to accept, but I felt certain God was making it known that it was time for me to leave comfort and security behind and embrace service.
Eventually, I accepted the position with the UCI, knowing it would be difficult for my dad to accept my decision. I didn’t want to antagonize him, but I had another Father’s order, and this One I could never disobey, no matter what the consequences.
I arrived in Belo Horizonte eager to get to work. But within a few weeks, the city went into lockdown due to COVID-19. Our goal was to build relationships with people and meet their physical and spiritual needs. But how could we relate to people when we were isolated in our own homes?
We prayed earnestly for God’s direction and felt impressed to offer several classes online. Then we contacted some of the community’s social leaders to tell them about our services. After doing what we could, we waited for God to act. And act He did! He connected us with Miriam, a community member who had a social project but needed human and financial resources to continue. We could offer what she needed. And she had a list of contacts—just what we needed to reach people.
Miriam, a Christian, had cried out to God to send people to help her with her project. She believed that we were the answer to her prayers. When we were finally able to offer our services at the UCI, many attendees came regularly because Miriam led people who were part of the neighborhood’s social projects to come to us. Our partnership enabled both her and our projects to prosper.
At the UCI, we offered Spanish and Pilates classes, psychological counseling, and massage. We walked people’s dogs while their owners participated in our activities. We also had a natural food store and gave Bible studies.
At the end of 2021, I left the UCI and volunteered at the Adventist University in Chile. Then I returned home, thank God, to the open arms of my parents.
My volunteer experiences changed my life and taught me some important things. I learned that there are no barriers that prevent God’s work from moving forward, that mission isn’t just about helping those who have less (it also means helping those who have more), and that God often surprises us when we ask Him to intervene. Maybe He has a surprise in store for you!
Adventist Volunteer Service
Would you like to help make a positive impact in the lives of others? If so, please consider volunteering through Adventist Volunteer Service, which facilitates church members’ volunteer service worldwide. Volunteers age 18 to 80 may serve as computer technicians, orphanage workers, farmers, teachers, medical professionals, pastors, and more. Find a call at AMsda.org/Call.
VividFaith
A service of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, VividFaith is an online platform connecting people with service opportunities, including Adventist Volunteer Service. To learn more, visit VividFaith.com
Become a recruiting entity today! Visit AMsda.org/Provider to learn more.
Wanderson received a medal and trophy for participating in the One Year in Mission project
Seventh-day Adventist Dog
All the villagers raced to the airstrip, singing and dancing, when mission pilot Gary Roberts* landed at Suminka, a remote village in the Indonesian province of Papua.
It had taken the villagers 10 years to cut down the trees by hand to clear the way for an airstrip at their mountainous village. Gary’s mission plane was the first to land. This was a big event.
But as Gary stepped out of the plane, the crowd grew silent. The singing and dancing stopped.
“Is this a Seventh-day Adventist plane?” a man asked.
The villagers had seen the three angels’ logo on the airplane’s tail.
Gary was surprised. He hadn’t expected people in Suminka, a village previously accessible only by foot, to have heard about the Adventist Church.
The villagers soon told him that many of them were keeping the Sabbath. The reason, they said, was because of a Seventh-day Adventist dog.
A Seventh-day Adventist dog?
The story started several years earlier in another village when an Adventist pastor, Moses, and a lay pastor named Darius had the same dream on the same night. In the morning, one said, “I had a dream last night.” The other said, “I did, too, but I didn’t want to tell you.” They both had seen an angel in the dream, and the angel said, “Go to Suminka.”
The two men set off on the three-day hike to Suminka. Arriving at the village, they announced evangelistic meetings would be preached every evening for a week from a porch on the far side of the village. But the day of the first meeting, Pastor Moses fell ill with malaria. He was terribly sick, and the villagers said he would die.
“But if he gets better, then we will listen to him at the meeting,” they said.
At the meetings, he told the people about the Sabbath and cautioned against eating unclean meat, such as pork. Pork is a popular dish in the Papua mountains.
When the week ended, Pastor Moses made an appeal. No one came forward.
Pastor Moses and Darius returned home deeply disappointed. They wondered why they had had the dream without any results.
Back at Suminka, life resumed as normal—until Saturday morning. The village’s best hunting dog, Dolby, got up and headed down the trail. Its owner and other villagers thought it was onto something, perhaps a wild pig, so they followed. The dog went to the porch where the missionary had spoken and sat down in front of it. The villagers thought that was strange.
The next Saturday, the same thing happened again. The dog got up, walked over to the porch, and sat down.
That wasn’t the only odd thing that the dog did. The villagers also noticed that it had stopped eating pork. It refused to hunt for wild pigs and other unclean animals.
The villagers said to one another, “Dolby has become a Seventh-day Adventist. If he worships on Sabbath, we should, too.”
Many villagers began to keep the Sabbath and stopped eating unclean foods.
Gary, the mission pilot, was excited when he heard the story, and he called Pastor Moses. The pastor sent Darius to the village to prepare people for baptism.
Today, about half of the village of 200 adults and children worship on Sabbath, and 21 people have been baptized. Dolby continues to shun unclean food. Villagers say he is a very healthy dog.
*Longtime missionary Gary Roberts passed away in 2024. Office of Adventist Mission
All day, Pastor Moses was sick. But at 5 pm, he suddenly felt better. He took a bath and preached. Afterward, he fell very ill again. This happened all week. He was sick until 5 pm, recovered, took a bath, preached, and then sank back into bed.
Since 1921, the Mission quarterlies have highlighted special mission needs and projects. They come in two forms—one for children and another for youth and adults—and are available in multiple languages. Discover dozens of inspiring stories at AMsda.org/Quarterlies.
Dolby, the best hunting dog in Suminka village in Papua, Indonesia (Gary Roberts / Adventist Aviation International)
Not My Money
Idon’t know what time the phone rang that night, but it was late. My husband, Greg, listened intently as the local Adventist pastor explained that the Thai immigration police had raided an apartment building housing some 100 asylum seekers. Twenty of them had escaped and desperately needed refuge. The pastor was asking whether we could help.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Greg and me. We were setting up for our annual mission conference, and there was still much to do to be ready when the meetings began in the morning.
What were we to do? We had a guesthouse attached to our home on the mission compound, but it wasn’t adequate to accommodate 20 people. We excused ourselves due to our busyness and promised to pray that they would find help.
During the next three days, we wondered what happened to those people. Then, we heard that another asylum-seeking family had invited the entire group to stay with them. We were shocked and felt somewhat rebuked because we knew the family was living in a small one-room apartment half the size of our guest house.
Fearing the threat of arrest by the immigration police, the family kept the curtains and doors closed and didn’t allow anyone to leave the apartment. They urgently needed supplies, so we bought and delivered groceries discreetly for the next two weeks until the asylum seekers found new housing.
Then we learned that even though the guests had left, the host family’s needs hadn’t. Despite their status with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), they were considered illegal immigrants and, therefore, unable to work. Having no income, they had sold everything of value just to pay rent. So, we continued helping them, eventually taking responsibility for all their financial needs, including paying their children’s tuition. Each time we provided financial assistance, our friends would exclaim, “You are doing so much for us, and we are so thankful. But there is no way we can ever repay you.”
Their words caused me angst. While somewhat happy to help them, I was struggling deep inside. It’s one thing to help someone once or twice. I could even see helping for a few months in extreme cases. However, the asylum process would take seven to eight years.
I felt terrible about my attitude. I knew that even though they were professionals capable of supporting themselves, they couldn’t. I also knew that they had no other options. They couldn’t return home because they’d probably be killed. They couldn’t travel to another country because their passports had expired, and their embassy wouldn’t renew them for asylum seekers. They were truly stuck.
I also struggled with the change our support was causing in our relationship with this family. In their shame-honor-oriented culture, our help meant we were indebting them to us, reshaping our peer friendship into a patron-client relationship. It was hurting their dignity.
So, I began praying that God would show me how to receive their gratitude in a way that restored their self-respect and rebalanced our friendship. I also asked Him to help me feel at peace with a long-term financial commitment if that was what He asked us to do.
God’s answer came repeatedly in a strong impression: “Tell them the money belongs to Me.” I was confused by His instruction, but as I continued to seek His guidance, He taught me something important about stewardship.
I had thought of stewardship mostly in terms of returning a 10 percent tithe to God. Now, He drew my attention to Jesus’ parable of the talents. Carefully reviewing the story, I realized that the servants were accountable to the owner for 100 percent of the money he gave them.
The owner fully expected and trusted that the stewards would act as agents on his behalf, investing the talents as he would. Each decision they made was expected to reflect the character of the master.
The idea that all the money in our bank account belonged to God and that He was entrusting it to us to use according to His will and character was a paradigm shift for me. It took off all the pressure of having to decide whether a cause was worthy or not. Instead, I began asking, “How does God want me to use His resources to respond to this situation?” This new perspective freed me to be more generous.
It also rebalanced our relationship with our friends. The next time they poured out their thanks, I told them what God told me: “Friends, the money isn’t ours. It’s God’s. He would want us to help you in this difficult situation.” Saying this restored our relationship as equals and put God in the rightful place as Patron for their family and ours.
I also experienced another blessing. Each month we helped our friends, we discovered that our paychecks seemed to stretch to cover all our needs as well. Proverbs 19:17 says, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given” (NKJV).
I’m so thankful for this experience. The lessons I learned continue to guide me as I encounter people with needs. As a steward of God’s resources, my responsibility is to use them as He prompts me. And each prompting is a precious opportunity to reveal His generous, compassionate heart.
Amy Whitsett enjoyed living and working in Southeast Asia as a missionary for 16 years. She is the International Service Employee care and support manager for International Personnel Resources and Services.
Your generous and systematic mission offerings, given at Sabbath School, help support the ministry of hundreds of missionaries. Thank you!
Check out M360.tv/Missionary for more stories about missionaries.
Mission 360° magazine and TV feature inspiring stories about missionaries, Global Mission pioneers, urban centers of influence, and more. From remote jungle villages to teeming megacities around the world, they will take you to the front lines of mission to experience the challenges and joys of reaching people with the love of Jesus Christ. Visit AMsda.org/360magazine and M360.tv.
Your Church Won’t Save You
In New Delhi, India, an angry group of men ordered the Seventh-day Adventist missionaries to leave their neighborhood.
The missionaries wanted to establish the first Adventist church there, but there was a dispute over rights to the plot of land.
Hoping to resolve the conflict, church leadership sent a Global Mission pioneer named Suleman to this unentered area.
Suleman was confronted by a challenge. He knew that the group claiming ownership rights wouldn’t give up the property without a fight. But as a Global Mission pioneer, he hoped not only to solve the conflict but to share the love of Jesus and, eventually, start a new group of believers.
When Suleman arrived, he and his family received serious threats. “They told me, ‘Your church won’t save you. You better leave the property, or we’ll get even with you.’”
Suleman asked God for wisdom on how best to deal with the escalating conflict. Then he spoke with the angry men who were threatening to beat him.
“I’m here to serve,” Suleman said. “Your conflict is with my administration, not with
Earley Simon is the communication projects manager for the Office of Adventist Mission.
India
Suleman and his family in India
When Suleman began working in the New Delhi community, he received angry threats
me. Let me stay. If the property is deeded to you, at least someone will be taking care of it while the matter gets resolved.”
The men thought this was a reasonable proposition, so they allowed Suleman to stay as long as he agreed not to make any changes to the property.
During the next few weeks, Suleman and his wife got to know the surrounding community. They visited neighbors and developed friendships that allowed them to share their faith. By God’s grace, people opened up to the gospel and wanted to hear more about Jesus.
One day, Suleman and his wife met Sushma. Suleman’s wife and Sushma became good friends as they cooked together and shared life experiences. Suleman’s wife asked Sushma whether she would be interested in learning more about the Bible. Sushma agreed, so Suleman and his wife began to teach her about God.
Today, because Suleman and his wife mingled with the people and showed them Christ’s love, this property is formally deeded to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in India. Approximately 25 regular members worship here every Sabbath. As this congregation grows, Suleman continues to pray for wisdom.
Please pray for Suleman as he faces many challenges in sharing the gospel. Pray too for frontline mission work in unentered areas among major world religions and in urban areas. And thank you for your support of Global Mission!
Watch this story in action at m360.tv/s1926!
Your prayers and financial gifts help Global Mission pioneers reach the unreached for Jesus. To give, please click this QR code or visit GMsda.org/Give77
Mission Spotlight features videos that highlight the 13th Sabbath Offering projects and introduce you to inspiring missionaries and church workers around the globe. Come see what mission looks like in every corner of the earth! AMsda.org/MS
Suleman and his wife went from door to door, getting to know their neighbors
Suleman’s wife, right, became good friends with Sushma and was eventually able to share Jesus with her
Suleman has planted a church with some 25 new believers
Have you ever thought about making an investment in God’s global mission that will give you dividends now and through eternity?
When you make a planned giving arrangement to benefit Global Mission, your gift will have a growing impact on the lives of unreached people in cities, towns, and villages who still need to hear about Jesus.
So whether you’re reviewing your registered retirement plan, 401k, Roth IRA, RMDs, or selecting your annuity, creating a trust, or writing your will, now is the best time to invest in an act of love through a legacy gift to Global Mission.
Please prayerfully consider a planned gift to Global Mission to help plant new groups of believers. This may be the involvement you are called by God to do to fulfill His Great Commission. To learn more about making a lasting impact, visit GlobalMission.org/PlannedGiving or call 800.648.5824 and speak with our planned giving and trust officer.
