990. Dig Deeper - Go Further

DIG DEEPER - GO FURTHER

We've shown you just a few of the many opportunities available to those who want to be involved in missions. You can follow up

1. Ask yourself the question, “What is my gift, talent, experience or expertise?” Find out how you can use it to advance the cause of missions. You’ll be surprised.
2. Pray and ask God to guide you. When I joined my mission, I didn’t have the experience I now have. There were many things I couldn’t do. I had to learn them on the job. Your hidden talents may come to light when you respond to the call to be a mission helper, volunteer, or full-time missionary.
3. Use some of the links on this site, or do your own research and God will guide you to the place where He can use you.

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980. Overseas Trip

TAKE A TRIP OVERSEAS

Abe, Bob, and Cal love to travel, and each has several months available. They all want to go somewhere that will benefit missions, so they each apply to Global Recordings Network (GRN) for a short-term overseas project.

After discussion and prayer, each one chooses a different project. Strangely enough the first letter of each name is the same as the project number – A, B, or C.

1. Project A is for those who like to travel off the beaten path. 
2. Project B is for those who like to stay in one spot. 
3. Project C is for those who like to visit major cities in several countries 

Abe (the out-door type) opts for Project A, and a trip to Nigeria, West Africa, where he plans to see a lot of the country. 

Bob (the in-door type) opts for Project B, and a trip to India, where he plans to spend most of his time in the city of Bangalore, where the office is located. 

Cal and his wife Carol are planning a long round-the-world sightseeing tour, so Project C is right up their alley. They will pay short visits to GRN National offices in several countries, deliver equipment that the mission would rather not send through the mail, encourage staff, and, as time permits, teach them how to use GRN’s extensive database or help in other ways.

Each of our volunteers will visit the GRN Global Mobilization Center, in Temecula, California, for a time of orientation and training. They will meet the staff, find out how the mission works, and learn more about their specific projects.

Next Abe sets off for Nigeria. There are 1,399 languages and dialects in this big country. Recordings have been made in 587 of them so far but the goal is to reach every language. Abe will need a guide who can also interpret for him.

Kish Bai, GRN National Director for Nigeria meets Abe, gives him further orientation, and arranges for lodging, travel and the guide. Abe’s assignment is to travel to designated areas of Nigeria and verify what languages are spoken there. He’ll check these against a language map and other data produced by the GRN Language Tracking Department. Arriving in a town where another dialect is spoken, Abe writes down some information, then uses his hand-held GPS unit to find the latitude and longitude. Later, these coordinates will be entered into the GRN computer database and printed on the next language map.

Meanwhile Bob arrives in India, and assists in the GRN office each day. He won’t need an interpreter because most of the staff members speak English.

One of his goals is to compile an inventory of audio Copy Masters in the office, noting name changes, missing material, etc. He will also train staff – especially National Director and Recordists - how to use the GRN database. It contains names of all of the speech varieties in the world and the programs GRN has recorded.

Cal and Carol were planning a trip anyway. Their only additional expense will be a detour to Temecula for orientation, some mandatory travel insurance and perhaps an extra night’s lodging at each stop.

Both Abe and Bob need to know how much all this will cost them. Their largest expense will be airfare to their country of service. But there will be other expenses like insurance, food and lodging. In addition, Abe will have to factor in the cost of travel within Nigeria and a guide/interpreter.

Each traveler makes a different contribution

1. Abe’s work will give GRN a picture of what recording needs to be done in Nigeria. 
2. Bob’s work will give a portrait of the GRN India office, their resources, and how GRN can assist them. 
3. Cal and Carol will help strengthen the worldwide GRN network. 
4. Each will be helping GRN work toward its goal of proclaiming the Good News to each people group in its own language.

975. Short Term Trip

CONSIDER A SHORT MISSIONS TRIP

Why consider a short term trip?

• It translates theory into reality. 
• It helps you to get a first hand picture of how things happen of the field. 
• You will have a better idea of how to pray for missionaries. 

There are many opportunities to go on trips lasting anywhere from less than one week to a couple of years.

ShortTermMission has a way of finding opportunities from 99 different organizations that fit your needs. Their web site claims that they have full details on 1,722 short-term mission trips.

You can specify

• Participant type. Find trips for individuals, married couples, groups, or families 
• Your age. They cater to a spectrum from elementary children to senior adults 
• Type of activity. They have opportunities with almost every letter of the alphabet from art to visitation 
• Region you would like to visit. Choose Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe or Oceania 
• Country. If you wish, you may choose a country from their list 
• Length. For a first timer, I would recommend a short trip of about a week or two 
• Start and end dates. You can specify that you’d like to start by a certain date or that you need to return before a given date. 

They have helpful articles like: Key Considerations When Selecting a Mission Trip.

There are also facilities for finding airfare, insurance, training, equipment and supplies
Find Out More

Digging Deeper - Going Further:

• Start collecting some information about possible trips
• Pray for guidance and talk to your friends about possibilities
• Go to http://www.shorttermmissions.com/ and experiment with possibilities

970. Law of Civilazation

DON’T LET THE LAW OF CIVILIZATION STOP YOU

What is the Law of Civilization? I think you’ll find it interesting and relevant. Here it is:

There are many examples of how this law operates. Television is a good one to start with.

Let’s follow the progression of TV

The first televisions had small oval screens that displayed shadowy black-and white pictures. They were expensive and broke down a lot. Only one or two people on your block had a set. Everyone flocked to watch and wished they had one. They were luxuries.

Over time, the picture quality, size and affordability improved. Eventually everyone had a TV. Then along came color, and a privileged few owned this luxury until it, too, because a standard household feature. The cycle has repeated itself with HD, flat screens, and 3D. Only it is happening faster, and we all wonder what will be next. What was originally a luxury has become a necessity.

Now, let’s look at the components of this law.

Civilization:

I’m in no hurry to return to the time before flush toilets, electric lights and air conditioning. But every modern convenience has it’s hidden dangers. We get too comfortable, abuse the privilege, and pay the price. For instance, in times past people walked a lot. Now we jump into our car to go a few blocks, and wonder why we are overweight.

It’s a Process:

Change usually takes place in small increments. I recently found some thirty-year old pictures of myself. I was surprised at how different I looked then. TV didn’t change overnight either but it gradually became an essential piece of furniture. When it breaks, we can’t do without it.

It changes you:

We visited friends and marveled at their HD TV. The next day my wife said: “Our TV picture looks fuzzy.” Well now, isn’t that strange! What happened? It looked fine before we saw that HD TV. Next, my daughter purchased a 3D flat screen and gave us her old 65 inch rear-projection model. A few months later we visited friends to watch a program on their 29 inch TV. I found myself squinting and straining to watch the program.

What is a luxury?
In terms of the law of civilization, a luxury is something you wish you had, but can’t afford, so you do without it.

What is a necessity?

A necessity is something that used to be a luxury, before you finally acquired it. Now think you cannot do without.

What are the consequences?

Several years ago we took a team down to Mexico to place gospel recordings in the hands of migrant workers. Four men from a local town had promised to meet us at the camp. They showed up late and told us this story. Their car broke down, so they decided not to go. Then one of the men said, “Remember, we used to walk to the camp before we had a car.” They remembered – and started walking. Their car was a luxury-turned-necessity. It had almost prevented them from participating.

The Bible warns us, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within…” Romans 12:2 (J. B. Philips).

The apostle Paul told the Philippians, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13). Notice that he had to learn to be content. That does not come naturally to most of us.

Digging Deeper, Going Further

Experiment with doing without one or two of your luxuries-turned-necessities for a day. Try your television set, or the air conditioning in your home or car.

Notice: We want to expand these Dig Deeper sections. If you have suggestions, we'd love to hear them.Please let us know by entering your comments below. Thank you.

960. The Supply Line

THE SUPPLY LINE

By Allan Starling

The Front Line

The Supply Line.

Think of a soldier on the front line. He’s in direct contact with the enemy. But he is not alone. There is a whole supply line of logistics, food, ammunition, intelligence, and guidance stretching behind him far back to his home country. Without that, he couldn’t do his job. It’s the same with missions.

When you think of missionaries, you may picture someone pioneering on the front lines in a distant native village. And you would be partially correct. But that is not the whole picture. That missionary out there has a support team backing him or her up. We talked about the financial, prayer, and personal supporters in week sixteem. Now let’s look at others who are equally vital. They may do their jobs fulltime, part time, or as volunteers.

Let’s peek at a mission’s home office. You’ll find a diverse group of people performing a variety of tasks. There’s a receptionist, secretaries, bookkeepers, computer specialists, office manager, janitor, director, to name a few. Then there are those who go out from the office to speak in churches, publicize the mission, or represent it at conferences.

The list could go on, but you get the idea. At first glance, it looks as if these people could be working in a secular office. Most of them did, but they gave up their salary to serve the Lord by helping the mission to function and allow the missionary on the front line to get the job done. They are equally missionaries in their own right, and they also need our support.

But there’s always a shortage of workers. Jesus put it this way, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields” (Mat. 9: 37-38 NLT). Most mission offices rely on volunteer help to bridge the gap.

Some volunteers go into the office every day. Others may only be able to come once a week. Many have skills they have acquired in the business world. Others learn on the job. Christian schools often require their students to do some form of public service, and they can do it at a mission office.