Home sick with a sore throat. I am trying to catch up on letters I need to write and came across a letter this other missionary wrote me. So sad in my eyes, what do you all think. Below is his letter and my response.... I changed the proper names out of respect:) It is basically my testimony how I became a missionary. Hey, you dont know me but A few weeks ago I met some of your family members. We were at a missions conference together and after exchanging our stories, they asked me to email you. This next year will be my 30th year on the mission field in Malaysia/Singapore/Indonesia. Attached is a copy of our latest newsletter. This is my story. I got saved in a community church and then go into a charismatic church in the late 70s. Went to Bible school and then off to the mission field as an independent. It was fine being an independent. I was so anti denominational. But being an independent was hard. Getting into churches was like pulling teeth unless you knew someone and even then it didnt always pan out. Living on a small amount of money was easy because everything is usually cheeper overseas. It was a life of faith to say the least. It still is but... When I got married (Malaysian girl) and started a family things changed! It wasnt easy getting by on a little money. Missionary friends gave me invaluable advice. Go through seminary somewhere and join a denomination. I planned on going to ......... Theological seminary. No idea how to pay for it except through faith. And my home church was independent but with a past history of being in the some unknown denomination. So my pastor suggested I go to the Church of some denomination. I came off the field with three small boys/wife and no money. My church stopped paying me immediately. Crazy and insensitive. I worked two jobs to get by and food stamps. Finally I was able to get a loan and by a car. After a year we went off to seminary. During the three years in seminary I applied and was accepted as a missionary couple in the World Missions department of some denomination. I had to jump through all the hoops such as licensing, ordination, etc. Weve been with ......... as missionaries for 17 years. It is still a life of faith! Im 53. Benefits are: World wide health insurance. (1,200 a month out of salary, ouch) Retirement plan. Access into 6,000 churches. salary at over $6000 a month. (before taxes, etc) A missions representative who helps me raise money. AIrfare is paid for out of budget. University scholarship for my kids. Not everything is so great but there is no comparison to being an independent. You need to be part of a family that will care for you and take care of you! Better sooner than latter! I think other denominations treat their missionaries better than church of some other denomination does. So Im not selling Church of some other denomination but come on, get real. If you want to do missions work long term then join a denomination. Use going to Bible School or Seminary as a way to get your foot into the door. Do some research and plan for your future. God Bless and Asia has a greater need for missionaries than other parts of the world. By: John Smith I honestly the guy had the says that he believes his denomination doesnt treat him better....crazy!!! My Response: Dear John, I appreciate your concern and the time you took to write me. I know you have been on the mission field for nearly 30 years and I give honor and respect where it is due. The truth is that I am not anti-denominational at all. I searched and researched very diligently many denominations and sending agencies as I was preparing for the mission field. The Lord continued to close doors and I sensed He was telling me to just go and trust Him. I did go on money I had saved. I spent 3 months in a hotel room praying, asking God why He sent me here to Ecuador (not speaking the language and knowing no-one). After 3 months, I was totally broken, lonely, and needy (right where I believe the Lord wanted me) and the Lord asked me to do something (don’t want to go into the details now) that would test my faith in Him to care for me. I hesitantly followed and within a week I was introduced to a missionary that had been here for 30 years, that was willing to help, encourage me, give me guidance, and that was doing exactly what was in my heart to do (evangelism). I spent 3 months with him and went back to the U.S. to get married to my then fiancé and prepare to come back. We planned to spend a year raising support. I continued looking into sending agencies and the Lord continued to close doors. As you said no churches wanted to open their doors. After about 8 months we had no money and I was broken before the Lord (right where He loves us to be). I continued to fast and pray, but the heavens were as brass. Then one morning I woke up reading Mathew Chapter 6. I got to the verses that talk about the Lord’s care for his children and His promise to give me all I needed if I “seek 1st the kingdom of God.” I broke down crying and telling the Lord I had not trusted Him, but in money and circumstances. That I was sorry for not trusting Him and that I wanted to trust Him fully. I went in to tell my wife that we just needed to take the next step and follow where He was leading, but that she had to be fully on board. Crying she said she was willing. While we were still crying the phone rang from the 1st pastor asking us to come and share what we wanted to do in Ecuador (this happened about 2 ½ months before we had to leave because my wife would not be able to fly once she was passed 7 months with child. By the way, my wife was about 5 months pregnant at this time. We made plans to sell everything in an auction and that gave us the money to buy our plane tickets (most people calling us crazy and irresponsible). But that is all we had. Long story short, through nothing short of a miracle, the Lord provided the money for a full year on the mission field before we left. We preached in NO churches for the 1st 8 months that gave us any money while we were trying to raise support and about 7 churches in the 2 months before we left that gave us more than we needed (95% coming from 1 church). This is our second year here and the Lord has given us more money than we NEED. It is not a problem at all. Also, I am not working alone. I work with other missionaries here and we have many friends and churches that keep in constant contact with us and in constant prayer. I fully believe that I am right where the Lord wants me. That it is hard to walk by faith, but that is precisely where God wants us to be….needy and dependant on Him. That the world will only see our God when we show them we trust Him with everything and thus He shows He is faithful to those that trust in Him for everything. I am not saying it is bad to be part of a denomination or a sending agency, but it is not what the Lord has had in mind for us. There never seems to be one way to do it when God is involved, because I believe He wants us to trust Him, not a system. Speaking of Asia, the great Hudson Taylor (as I am sure you know) went with no one to China, then joined a mission society, then they kicked Him out for not fitting into their mold. As you know, He just wanted to trust God, so He started his own mission and became a great example of faith in my life. I am not in Ecuador because there are a lot of needs here (though there are, just like there are in the U.S.), but it is where I felt God calling me to be. I am just trying to follow the Lord and trust in His plan for my life…not what is comfortable and safe. Thanks for taking the time to write and may the Lord move mightily in your life and mission work Sincerely in Christ, andy dvarga P.S. I don’t believe any missionary NEEDS more money. We all probably have too much. We all desperately need to trust God more!!! I just believe we trust too much in things to produce a move of God and that all they had on the day of Pentecost was people seeking the Lord in prayer (faith) and an upper room. What else do you or I really need? - I cant believe I even took the time to write the guy back, but I did it because I really think he needed to here my testimony. I put this on here for the same reason......Lord give us faith and help us trust you more than our methods!!!
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 17:12:21 +0000
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