BEYOND OUR WALLS

November 2002 Missions Bulletin of First Presbyterian Church, Las Cruces, N.M. Vol. 4, No. 11

If things are normal for you, there must be a few regrets, fears, feelings of sadness and, maybe, even grief. Such things are always around, and it is legitimate for us to seek God’s help, relief, and comfort. But we sometimes get so wrapped up in our troubles that we forget to consider God’s blessings in our lives.

This seems to apply to mission, too. In fact, so many people are so deeply in need of help that missionaries, in the attempt to get us to pray and give, commonly dwell on needs that are not being met. It might be said that some try to make us feel bad and guilty about people’s needs to get us to support their work. It looks like the way it works is that, if we can be made to feel bad enough, maybe we’ll increase our support of mission enterprises. So, the black picture is painted, and we sometimes give out of our guilt and sorrow.

But shouldn’t there be a positive, joyful side of things? Should we not feel some pleasure, some sense of encouragement and gratitude, because of good things God is doing through missionaries and other Christian workers? Here’s the key question. Do you ever feel glad and thankful about what we of First Presbyterian Church are accomplishing to help others? Maybe we ought to do more than we are, but isn’t there a place for being gratified about what our monetary gifts and our prayers are bringing about in the lives of people beyond our walls? Isn’t there a place for giving joyful thanks to God for the privilege of participating in what he is doing to repair broken lives and bring people into eternal fellowship with him?

So, are you glad today, to any degree, about such things? This requires awareness. So, are you aware of what your money and your prayers and helping with, and does it bring you satisfaction? Let’s look at a few things we of First Presbyterian might be glad about.

1. Are you pleased and do you thank God that Joel and Barbara Trudell have completed a year of academic study at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and are now beginning their doctoral field research in Cameroon? You didn’t know? O.K! The Missions Committee needs to do an increasingly better job of keeping you informed, and you need to pick up any fragments of information that come your way about our mission program and be glad for what is happening. The Trudells write us of their pleasure to be back in Africa again, beginning the research they have been preparing for so long so they can receive their Ph.Ds in a couple of years or so and begin teaching African linguistic and literacy workers how to be more effective.

2. Are you gratified that money you’ve given through First Presbyterian helps Campus Ministry students at NMSU share the gospel with other students at the University and mentor emotionally-disturbed children and adolescents through their Compeer Program? Are you glad your money is helping Christian students there to learn how to relate their Christian faith to all aspects of their lives? These young people will serve God in churches in New Mexico and across the nation in the future. A few of them will become missionaries or other Christian workers. Such things are worth feeling glad about.

3. How about down-and-out individuals and families who are being helped to get their lives back on track by the Gospel Rescue Mission? Do you ever think with satisfaction about how your gifts to First Presbyterian help people there get their lives back together and, in a number of cases, even find their salvation in Jesus Christ for the first time?

4. Are you one of those who help serve meals at the City of Hope? We’ve heard how those of our members involved in this program enjoy serving in this way, but the rest of us can be glad that our donations at the Deacons’ Hamburger Fry help make it possible. It’s something for us to think about from time to time and be pleased about. This sort of thing is really a good substitute for feeling sorry for ourselves because of the little irritations of daily life.

5. Are you ever cheered by the realization that your gifts are helping so many of the Dalits (Untouchables) of northern India give their lives to Jesus Christ and escape the grinding oppression they have suffered for so long? You’ve read in these pages several times that several thousand Dalits each month are receiving new life on this earth and life in eternity by accepting what Christ did for them through his death and resurrection. The September report from Witnessing Ministries for Christ affirms that the Dalits are still responding in these high numbers. Philip Prasad’s wife, Elizabeth, has thanked us for the many blessings our gifts help make possible for the hundreds of thousands of newly Christian Dalits, who have never heard of us. Our part is small, but it is the contributions of many churches and individuals that has made it possible for the Prasad’s to take the gospel to the Dalits.

When we learn about them, there are many specific developments among the Dalits we can be pleased and thankful about. How about rejoicing with the Prasads and with the Dalits that, in August of this year, the Etmadpur Dalit Avatar High School (Incarnate Lord High School) for Dalit youngsters opened its doors, helping free Dalit young people from the crushing discrimination they suffer trying to get an education in Indian society?

6. How about being happy with Jim and Tracy Patton that Jim has received his seminary degree, thereby qualifying him for higher levels of service with Campus Crusade or other mission organizations he may choose to work with? We helped Jim earn this degree and have a right to be pleased that the Lord has used us in this way.

7. Those of you who receive Doug and Sherry Barron’s newsletter have heard of their recent JESUS Film ministry in Swaziland in southern Africa. Several wonderful things happened there that we can be glad about. For example, the Barron’s were deeply pleased with the reaction of Princess Tobi, the older sister of the Swazi king and chief of one of the county-like areas of Swaziland. Princess Tobi invited the JESUS Film people to show the film to her people, thereby opening another channel for the gospel message among the Swazi. Surely this kind of thing is worth being pleased about. As you probably know, response to the JESUS Film has been positive all over the world, and we have a part in it.

The foregoing are just a few of the pieces of information that ought to bring pleasure into our lives at First Presbyterian. Think of yourself and other members of this church keeping in our minds daily and feeling good about what our gifts and prayers are helping to accomplish among the homeless and hungry, university students. Swazi, Suri of Ethiopia, Mongolians, destitute people of the U.S./Mexico border, Japanese students, Untouchables of India, rural Brazilians, urban Mexicans, Tarahumara Indians, rural Mexican farmers, Chinese, Indonesian Ledos, and many others. God is a missionary. He sent his Son, who sent the Holy Spirit, who sends us into all the world. Let’s enjoy being part of God’s mission.

Return to home page

Send comments, suggestions, and requests to Alex. F. Burr or send email to aburr @ zianet.com.
Technical assistance and net access provided by zianet.com .
Last update 2002-11-04 14:10:49