I'M EXCITED ABOUT MISSIONS! AREN'T YOU?

Map in CEF director's Reese Kaufman's office, indicating where the sun is shining on the world.

 

One of life's great mysteries I started think about while in Junior High: Why did some missionaries have full 8 1/2 x 11 length prayer letters, folded in half so they can fit in the bulletin, while others' letters were half that size?

I don't know how long it took me to figure that out, but it still wasn't long. The full size letters were from CBFMS missionaries, while the half page letters came from CBHMS missionaries. The ones serving on foreign fields got the full size paper, while those on the home field (North and Central America) only got the half page.

Which left me wondering why they thought the home missionaries didn't deserve the same amount of paper the foreign missionaries did.

One other thing I noticed. At Verde Baptist Church, the Conservative Baptist church I attended, they had pictures of their missionaries and where they served. There, at least, the foreign and home missionaries got an equal due.
Then, when I attended Cactus Baptist Church when I moved to Phoenix to start college, I would see a different set of pictures. Mel Bitner, who was in France, was on both missionary boards, but the others were different. Why? Because CBFMS and CBHMS would appoint the missionaries, and then the missionaries would "discover" their support at the various local churches. Each congregation would choose who they supported.

Over the years, I moved East. In that move, I noticed fewer Conservative Baptist Churches, and more Southern Baptist. the main difference? How they support missions. The Southern Baptist Convention has the Cooperative Program (CP), so basically all Southern Baptist Churches are supporting all the Southern Baptist Missionaries.

One thing that excites me are the Lottie Moon Christmas and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offerings. As you'd expect, any Mission organization has overhead costs, and for the Southern Baptist Convention, the CP takes care of those. With the Lottie Moon Offering, 100% goes to the international missionaries; the one named after Annie Armstrong goes entirely to those serving in North America. (I'm posting this the final day of Annie Armstrong this year.)

Why do those offerings excite me? Because at the beginning of those offerings they send out a pamphlet on how to pray for specific missionaries each day for a week. Usually, I select one or two to keep praying for after the offering ends. 

Becky and I are also interested in other mission organizations. Becky's active with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), which has official workers in every country except one (can you say North Korea, boys and girls?). We used to volunteer with Voice of the Martyrs and actively correspond with two sister ministries Spirit of Martyrdom (which is in Clarkdale Arizona, where the CEO attends Verde Baptist Church) and Vision Beyond Borders. We've attended dinners for Wycliffe Associates (where they send workers to take care of things like teaching and construction so the Wycliffe translators can concentrate on translating). One of my former roommates is active with Community Health Evangelism and Medical Ambassadors International. 

International Learning Center, Rockville, VA

 How many would think Thru The Bible would fit in the conversation? Oh, but they do. That program is heard in 120 languages and dialects around the world. No, you're not going to hear Dr. J. Vernon McGee's Texan accent speaking in Tagalog or other languages, or even the quartet singing "How Firm A Foundation." The programs are more aimed at the locality it's aimed for.

Are you excited about missions? If so, what excites you? If not, what would it take to change your mind?