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Four years ago, three teenagers were at home when their estranged father came in and started shooting. He killed both the children’s cousin and step-grandfather. The state provided some counseling, but their wounds are so deep that they need additional care. One of our missionaries has taken these children in and assumed the expenses of a Christian counselor to help process this very significant trauma. Having more people in the home has increased the missionary’s expenses and strained their budget. This is just one of the many stories we hear at the Home Office regarding our team’s willingness to be uncomfortable to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Field Staff are regularly faced with unexpected financial challenges resulting from their work in the mission. Whether it be dangerous weather conditions or difficult situations with the people they serve, our missionaries are on the front lines in a pitched battle against spiritual forces that are absolutely relentless. But thanks be to God, so are they. Our missionaries seek to grow the Kingdom of God in all circumstances and through all seasons. I have been blessed to witness their perseverance and persistence as they endure hardships that sometimes seem insurmountable. Yet, their trust and reliance on God, who is able, becomes one of their greatest tools in the mission field as those around them see the power of the Spirit at work in them.
Throughout Scripture, we are reminded of the necessity of relationship found in community and the practical support it is designed to provide, a tangible extension of the hands and feet of Jesus. We believe that we are stronger together, and one of the ways that we seek to build each other up is by intentionally stepping into challenging experiences to support one another. One opportunity we have to live out this Biblical expectation is by offering financial support in difficult circumstances so that our missionaries might be able to better continue on the mission God has given them. We rarely know when or how we will be challenged, but we are grateful to know that we believe in a God who is fully aware, fully present, and always faithful.
As we seek to equip and encourage our missionaries in the ministries to which God has called them, will you consider supporting InFaith’s Benevolence Fund? Your generous support will enable us to respond to the urgent needs that arise amongst our field staff, offering them some financial relief in the midst of hardship, a tangible reminder of the community of support that God has built around them as they bring light to the darkest places across the United States.