Dawn and I are at BMM Family Conference this week which means that we are getting reacquainted with our missions family. It has been a week of good preaching from Dr. Charles Petitt (Piedmont Baptist Bible College) and a lot of running. The preaching has been SO practical and such a blessing. The running has been thrilling too! One of my missionary friends nominated me to the Troop Transport team. Our hotel is about 10 miles north of Campinas, state of São Paulo, a city of over 2 million. So for Ben Jacobs and me it has been one trip after another to the airport and bus terminal to retrieve our incoming friends.
In a way, giving missionaries a ride has been a blessing because it has allowed me to get to know these choice servants a bit better. Just yesterday I met a couple, that has to be in their late 60 and early 70s, who have just taken over a camp ministry.
How on earth did that happen? There was no one else to do it. The camp is about the size of Camp CoBeAc in northern Michigan. It has a good infrastructure. It has great potential for ministry. In fact it has been in operation for over 20 years. However, there is no one interested in taking this ministry. Sounds like a job for Annie and Jackson! Hummmm.
This week's conference has been special for another reason; it is Baptist Mid-Missions 75th year of ministry in Brazil! So, all week we have been seeing and hearing about our heritage in the form of verbal and PowerPoint presentations. Folks, Baptist Mid-Missions has had and still has some greats here on the field.
However, one of the discouraging parts of the week has been seeing all of the gray heads. Many of the greats are nearing retirement. I would venture a guess that the number is nearing 75%.
The question is begged, "Who will take their place?"
VW Peters, our field representative encouraged each of us with these words, "You people are our (BMM) best recruiters." A missionary behind me in that meeting also said, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." And you know who said those words in Matthew 9.38.
So, what are You doing with your life? Will you come and help us? Sounds like the call from the man of Macedonia doesn't it? It isn't. It is a call from a real guy. Me.
Paul got that "call" in a vision while he was in action. He was serving the Lord at every turn. Then it happened. One night he saw a vision of a man calling to him, "Come over and Help us!"
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