by David Millsaps | Lithuania
Some people see missionaries as anything but average. I will grant to you that we do live away from our families, eat different foods, put up with all sorts of inconveniences, and generally live in a way that is atypical for Americans. But I ask you: So what?
Do these things make me like sports less, make me like my country less, or make me somehow super-spiritual? Not a chance! Those things, as well as many others, are just a part of our lives that make us different in an external way.
Who I am on the outside—where I live, what I eat, etc.—is really kind of irrelevant. What matters more is what we are on the inside.
I see myself as an average guy who has normal interests, weaknesses, quirks, and desires. Most missionaries are average people. For me, the difference is simple: God spoke to my heart about missions, and I responded, “Yes.”
My story of saying yes starts when I was a child. I grew up in the church. My father was a pastor, so I remember numerous occasions when I said yes. Church camps, revival meetings, youth conventions—they all provided opportunities for me to respond.
I enrolled at North Central University as a pastoral studies major. I hadn’t had a call to be a missionary yet, or to be a youth pastor, and music wasn’t my thing. During a fall missions emphasis at NCU, there was never an opportunity given to respond to the call to be a missionary.
I still felt this compulsion in my heart that this was the thing I needed to do. After two weeks, I shared with my wife, “Kandra, for the past two weeks I have felt like God is calling us to missions.” She responded, “David, God spoke to me about two months ago, and I told Him that He was going to have to tell you!”
What a confirmation! It took us 11 years from that day, but we eventually made it to Lithuania.
I could have ignored the call of God on my life, but I didn’t. God spoke, and I said, “Yes!”
Is God speaking to you? Is He calling you to change addresses and circumstances to make an eternal difference? Is God calling you? What is your answer?
Kari Nerness
Yes, the Lord has called me, but I am waiting on the Lord to call my husband too. I am also waiting on Him for His timing. Last Feb. ’13 I lost my 38yr. old brother to the flu. I am now caring for his special needs son and my Mom. It is very hard, because my heart is in the country where the Lord has called me too, but my dear friend who is a missionary, keeps encouraging me by telling me that I am doing the right thing now in caring for my Mom, a widow, and my nephew a special needs orphan. I pray for “my country”, every day. Oh how I wish I could be there! Your testimony is very encouraging to me. Thank you for sharing it. :-)