The following is an email I sent to the volunteers who served several hundred missionaries and their children living in places throughout Asia. The Northwest Baptist Convention constructed a team of 163 individuals from 32 of our churches to do this good work.
Dear Asia Mission Team,
Well done! Remarkable really. When you consider that 163 of us travelled to Asia to minister to hundreds of missionaries and their children, that we all arrived safely, remained quite healthy, and got home in good shape, and left our missionaries with profound gratitude for our having served them and their children so well, it is most appropriate to call it a work of God’s grace in our lives.
I don’t think our minds could have conceived of a better or more consequential mission trip. As a good ball coach might say, “You left it all on the field.” You gave everything of yourself, all of your energy, all of your love, and then you gave some more. The days were long, and there were 10 of them in a row for most, not counting travel and prep days. But you did it. I trust that in the days to come you will get to share some of what you experienced. I also know that we will never fully understand what this retreat meant to our field missionaries. You gave their children a gift more profound than we will possibly understand this side of heaven.
Few Southern Baptists have ever gotten “up close” to so many of our international missionary families. We were privileged to experience some of the result of our Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon International Mission giving. We have great field missionaries and they have many precious children.
We also demonstrated what cooperation looks like to our NWBC and the greater SBC family. To pull individuals and groups from 32 churches together, and to gain the support and prayers of our other 430 churches, was a work of faith. Regarding the work part of it, I must say that Project Coordinator Sheila Allen did an outstanding job in every way. Our sub-coordinators Lance Logue, Sara Eves, Dan and Laurie Panter, and Nancy Hall, were equally outstanding in the leadership they provided. I hesitate to mention others because each of you deserve special mention and each of you has a story to tell about your experience. I hope you get to share your story with many. At our NWBC Annual Meeting on Nov. 15, 2016 in Spokane, we will celebrate our East Asia partnership and this trip. If you can be present that will be truly special.
Perhaps the most affirming thing of all is that our mission leaders want us to serve them again in 2018. They gave you a “10” for your service and I would certainly concur.
Jesus is worth all that we can do and more, and the peoples of Asia need to know Him like we do. Thank you for helping 1.7 billion people have a chance to hear the good news of Jesus Christ through the missionaries into whom you poured your lives.
It’s a good day to serve the Lord in the Northwest, and from the Northwest to the world beyond!
Randy
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