Where is your Mission Field?

When we were young Christians Sue and I plus others from the Mission in Deptford went every year, for a few years, to a weekend conference held on a farm near Oxford. The theme was ‘The work of the Holy Spirit’ and was held over the Whitsun Weekend.

Across the front of the barn where the meetings were held was a banner which read “YES Lord Whatever The Cost”. I have a small card in my study at home with those same words printed on it – what a constant challenge! Anyway, a speaker at one of those conferences was a missionary from what was OMF who spoke passionately about the work, she was engaged in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her message resonated with me. At that time I worked with Westminster Bank (as it was known in the ‘good old days ‘) and in the foreign department where I handled import and export documents relating to the import and export of goods and in many cases naming Kuala Lumpur as either the importer or exporter.

This name kept occurring and I genuinely believed God was calling me to be a missionary to Kuala Lumpur. However, having sought advice and guidance from much older and, I like to think, wiser people than me, I concluded/decision call it what you will that it was more my youthful enthusiasm than a real calling from God to go abroad as a missionary.

I have realised over the succeeding sixty-plus years that you don’t have to go abroad to be a missionary and my last few weeks in hospital have once again proved that. There have been so many situations where my Christian faith proved to be a blessing I believe to others. For example, a man came into the ward where I currently am extremely ill one evening and amongst the ten or so medical staff around him the consensus was that he probably wouldn’t live through the night. When the medics had left and the man seemed calmer I said to him “I’ll pray for you.” The next day he was a lot better.” Later that day a nurse, who had been part of the team the night before popped in and seeing his improved condition clapped her hands whereupon the man got out of bed and stood almost shouting “He prayed for me.” pointing at me.

There have been several incidents where I have been able, by God’s grace to witness and hopefully sow a few, ultimately, life-giving seeds. I have copied below a recent message I sent to Ian which I hope proves the point You don’t have to go abroad to be a missionary.

God bless you as you seek to be God’s representative in an increasingly troubled world.

John

Morning Ian,

Just to let you know I’m still here with no indication of when a bed at King’s will become available. On a more positive note, we’ve got a new male nurse this morning who whilst taking my blood pressure overlooked my shoulder as I was reading the section in Lectio 365 with one of my headphones off. He asked what was the book I was reading as I read Ezekial’s prophecy. That gave me the perfect opening once again. Ian, I honestly cannot believe the opportunities God has blessed me with whilst here to witness in a variety of ways – it proves if you’re open to Him then you will be used. The evening before last we had a new patient who I felt I should welcome to my ‘fiefdom’ and when did so he said “I’ve always tried to welcome people if they’ve come into a place where I am and thought how nice it would be if someone welcomed me and then you did just that.”

These things just go to prove, that you don’t need to go to a foreign country to be a ‘missionary’ your mission field is right where you are!!!

Blessings John