MISSIONS IN YOUR HOME AND CHURCH.

"How is your family?", questioned a missionary leader. ‘Home life in Australia deep[ly concerns me. We look to our christian homes for our missionary personnel, as a high percentage of missionary recruits come from christian homes."

From 1-10 how does the christian family rate on missionary interests and involvement?

A speaker once challenged me to look for specific references to "all the world", "every nation", or the "ends of the earth" in almost every chapter of the Bible. I now draw a small circle beside the growing number of specific verses. Yes, God desires that the nations of the world hear the gospel.

During English teaching at a Missionary Training School in Korea, one of my students testified to his missionary call through the verse, " From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s Name is to be praised." ( Psalm 113:v3 ) Unusual but definite.

However, a friend confessed that she had never heard a missionary speak in their church.

In the light of the volume of Bible verses a greater responsibility lies with christian parents to teach that all nations hear the gospel.

USE BOOKS AND LITERATURE.

In New Zealand , a child received a book of missionary stories for children. She wrote, " God has called me to be a missionary through reading that book." A wise mother used her daughter’s birthday to foster interest in God’s world purpose.

For young people use biographies for birthdays and Christmas. Visit christian bookstores and mission offices for a wealth of gripping and challenging books. Select missionary magazines for helpful information for the family. There are always snippets that children can read and dramatise.

KEEPING YOUR MISSIONARY VISIBLE.

Refrigerator doors covered with photos and prayer cards attract me because they indicate that the missionaries are not out of sight, nor out of mind. A photo usually indicates regular praying in that home.

Use a photo album and turn a page each day. Buy a world map, pin photos around the .border, and connect the location with a narrow ribbon. Use a pin-board for photos or information. Encourage the children to write prayer requests in a notebook and record the encouraging answers to prayer. Involve the children so that it is a special privilege.

Missionaries love to receive family or personal photos. Many reciprocate with the promise, ‘ I will pray regularly for your family.’ They, too, prize the privilege of praying for their prayer-partners. They feel a part of your life.

Use the colourful, informative Children’s book, "You can Change the World " by Jill Johnstone. I gave one to an 8 year old grandchild. Some time later I enquired " Have you read that book?" ‘Oh, yes, Gran, I have read it two and a half times.’

PRAYER.

Children’s prayers are precious, usually simple, delightfully frank, but strong-in-faith and specific.

One of our children prayed for the Gaskin family in Ghana. She always concluded "…..and keep them safe from snakes." Pauline Gaskin once wrote how their young son discovered a twelve foot python in their chicken coop. He ran to call his father, who eventually killed the reptile. Next day, Ross, who took the precaution of wearing glasses, killed a spitting cobra, whose venom causes instant blindness.

Yes, God answered our child’s prayers, ‘….and kept them safe from snakes.’

And I wondered who prayed when our daughter in Africa alighted from her bike to find, centimetres from her foot, a venomous snake. Thankfully, it slithered into the grass.

Encourage systematic family prayer. It is easy to say, " God bless all the missionaries." Develop a card system, or use a notebook marked into 30 days. On each card record the names of two or three missionaries, and their locations. Children take turns to choose a card or page, and announce the name and needs. Involvement encourages interest. We learn by doing.

Over a meal a missionary will gladly supply up-to-date, and often personal requests. From the speaker at your church ask for a specific person or need for your family prayer.

When Heather served with WEC in Ghana, she wrote of blind Dakori. For many years we prayed for Dakori as Heather sent us regular news of his spiritual growth.

Choose interesting, short, extracts from missionary letters for each child to read, especially requested for particular people. Remember to praise together when the answers come.

It is right to be honest in prayer commitments. Promise what is achievable. When we went to Indonesia, Mr. Alex Brown, well-known in Scripture Union Circles, and who must have hundreds to pray for, promised, ‘I will pray for you every Wednesday’. Another friend recently told me ‘ We pray for you and your family every Monday’. Honest, and precious.

One of my friends has a monthly prayer time with three ladies, when they specifically pray for missionary children, whose photos adorn a huge board. Over a number of years (40) they

have prayed for almost 1,000 children, whose parents write of the specific needs of their family. Their dedication challenges me.

Use the news on television to stir prayer for the nations. Dr Sidlow Baxter prayed for a different continent each day of the week. Think of Afghanistan with its thousands of amputees through land-mines. Romania and its orphans, and also revived churches. Haiti

and Colombo with civil strife. Rwanda and Congo with thousands of homeless people and reconciliation attempts. Tanzania and Kenya in drought.

The family who becomes world-conscious can help to change the world by involvement in prayer, giving, and going.

To be continued.