GFA World and the Life of a Christian Missionary
It is easy to think about the life of a Christian missionary as being far removed from us. Weren’t missionaries thought of as people, sometime in the past, who went to share God’s love in other countries? Many believers have heard testimonies of Christian missionaries like William Carey, who founded a ministry society and translated the Bible into dozens of South Asian languages and dialects, or Mary Slessor, who worked in Nigeria, saved hundreds of children from death and set up a mission hospital, or CT Studd, who worked in several countries in Asia and Africa over many years of his life.[1]
The stories of Carey, Slessor and Studd may have occurred in the past, but they are encouragement for us in modern times. Many people groups have still never heard of Jesus, and “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14). Thus, missionaries are not just inspirational people from the past; missionaries are still needed and working today to share the love of God with those who do not know Him yet.
Acts 1:8 says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Most people do not live in Jerusalem, Judea or Samaria, so what does this verse mean for modern day Christian missionaries? There are several kinds of ministry described here:
- Jerusalem ministry would be ministering to those who live nearby and have a common culture and socioeconomic status;
- Witnessing in Judea means reaching out to culturally similar but distant people.
- Samaria involves ministry among those nearby yet culturally or socioeconomically different.
- The “ends of the earth” refers to distant places where people share no commonalities with the missionary.[2]
The life of a Christian missionary is not easy, but men and women choose to do it because of God’s love for them and for the whole world. GFA World supports national missionaries. These men and women work among their own people, ministering to those who’ve not yet heard the Good News. They are hand-picked and trained to establish churches where there are none, and they help meet the physical needs of people in countries of Africa and Asia, providing help and hope in the name of God.
National missionaries are ideal to minister in these areas because they can move more freely in countries and cities that are restricted to outsiders and are usually accepted in the communities. They know the cultural taboos instinctively, and they have already mastered the language or can easily learn a related dialect. They live in the community, eating the same food, wearing the same clothes and sharing the same cultural interests as the local people. Most importantly, they have a passion and a burden to serve their own people.[3]
One example of GFA World’s national missionaries’ impact was in the “forgotten islands” of South Asia, remote outposts along the shoreline. Although they looked like tropical paradises at first glance, they were far from it. The villagers had to use oxen as transportation and wash themselves, their dirty clothes and their dishes in the same stagnant ponds that they drank from. They had no clean water, no schools, no medical clinics. Life seemed hopeless, and improvement seemed impossible for the people on the islands.
Then, a GFA national missionary, Taj, led a team of people to change all that. They traveled from island to island by boat, bringing hope and the Good News of God to the islanders, who were desperate for help. The group’s hands-on, compassionate care built strong bonds, earning the trust of hundreds of villagers as they prayed for the sick and showed the love of Christ. The team launched a branch of GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program on the islands, and the kids had their first chance ever to go to school, giving them a new hope and purpose. Taj also prayed for the resources to help the water situation. The answer to that prayer came in the form of several Jesus Wells drilled on the islands, giving thousands of islanders access to clean water for the first time in their lives. In just two years, Taj and his team were able to bring hope and the Good News to dozens of islands, sharing God’s love with everyone they met—including the boat drivers who transported them between islands.[4]
Consider how you might help these men and women Christian missionaries, like national missionaries trained by GFA World, serve full time and meet the physical needs of those around them, bringing the hope that is only found in Christ to those who need to hear it. The life of a Christian missionary is difficult but amazing, and you can help them and be a part of this work for just $30 a month.[5]
[1] Lodge, Carey. “6 Inspiring Christian missionaries who gave up everything for Christ.” Christian Today. May 12, 2016. https://www.christiantoday.com/article/6-inspiring-christian-missionaries-who-gave-up-everything-for-christ/85936.htm.
[2] McKittrick, Taylor. “What is a missionary: Facts Christians should know.” Chrisian.net. January 9, 2024. https://christian.net/resources/what-is-a-missionary-facts-christians-should-know/.
[3] “National Missionaries: Sponsor a National Missionary.” GFA World. Accessed November 24, 2024. https://www.gfa.org/sponsor/.
[4] “Forgotten Islands No Longer Forgotten – Revolution in World Missions Book.” GFA World. YouTube. October 13, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKFr5wWIc1A.
[5] “National Missionaries: Sponsor a National Missionary.” GFA World. Accessed November 24, 2024. https://www.gfa.org/sponsor/.