It's been awhile since my last update. We are in the States for those of you who didn't know and living in Oxford, MI. We are setting up meetings with our supporting churches and hoping to be able to get into some new churches. We would like to raise some more support and also raise money for a piece of property for our next work.
Our support level is actually good but we had made a commitment with our sending church to help them be able to back off a bit of the support that they give us each month (nearly a third). So, with that goal in mind I will be making calls during the next few weeks for those meetings.
I was talking to a friend of mine recently and he asked about the money thing. This man is a long time professional whom God has called into ministry. He said something interesting, "I hate the thought of asking little old ladies for their money so that I can go and plant a church somewhere!"
To be frank, this very thing was one of my hesitations when the Lord first started to work in my life with regards to becoming a missionary. I hated the idea of "begging" for money! It was a good friend whose experience and wisdom helped me out.
We had met at a missions conference, he a missionary and I a "working man" at GM and I had offered to buy he and his family ice cream. He graciously accepted the ice cream and proceeded to tell me about my attitude toward accepting money. "Mike" he said, "you are going to have to learn that it is God who will supply your need. He is the one who lays your need on the heart of people (little old ladies and others for example) and it is His idea that they be used to help you and your family. You are not begging for money you are simply trusting His guidance and provision to fund the ministry that He has given to you to fulfill. Allow them to receive a blessing for being used of God to supply that need."
That helped a lot. It is still hard to rely on churches, little kids, families, and little old ladies, for our monthly income. But I have come to realize that we are blessed, the givers are blessed and the funds all comes as a results of God's blessed direction.
In times like these I am glad that I don't have to rely on the FDIC, my 401k's, or any other type of investments for my daily bread! Praise His Name! Missionary or not we need to recognize this fact. God is in charge. He will supply. I need not worry! Amen? Amen!
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