The Future Missionaries Retreat

Praise God for how He was present during this retreat! After a very tumultuous and unpredictable flight over to Colorado, complete with Joe Biden and vomit, we arrived hours late for one of the most encouraging experiences of my life. It was such a powerful, beautiful thing to be surrounded by hearts filled with a kindred love for God and passion for missions. One of my most memorable times at the retreat was when we twenty-eight “future missionaries” gathered together with past and current missionaries and the board for their meeting. We all shared how God had impassioned us, and I was astounded as I listened to the way God was aligning our personal visions for His glorious purposes. Out of only twenty-eight of us future missionaries, there were three who had a heart for the former Soviet countries (especially Russia); five who had a love for Ireland, even specifically a common passion for music/arts ministry, youth, and fighting drug abuse; and five who had a burden for those affected by human trafficking, particularly in South Asia. It was so undeniably evident that it could only be God at work to give us this unity spoken of in Philippians 2:1-4: “…being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” I couldn’t help but feel a bit like Mr. Beaver in The Chronicles of Narnia when he tells the children: “Aslan is on the move.” As God told the prophet Habakkuk: “Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told…For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay” (Hab. 1:5, 2:3).