If you would be so kind, imagine with me a moment. (I normally ask people to close their eyes when they imagine with me but I doubt you can read this with your eyes closed so it's OK if you keep them open.)
You are taken aback by the sheer beauty of this place and you haven't even made it past the doorway. Everything from the intricately carved mahogany doors to the colorful tapestries on the walls holds you captive for a moment. The echo of a grandfather clock somewhere in the large hall brings you back to the task at hand. A glance at your watch tells you that you will have to move quickly if you are going to be on time. You have to make it to the meeting and this place is a lot larger than you initially thought.
Your rapid footsteps echo on the ancient stone floor as you nearly jog down the long corridor. The hallway is filled one amazing thing after another and you have to push yourself to stay on track. After…after you will get to look at everything an explore but for now you just have to make it to the right room. You are doing good for awhile but then the hallway is now lined on both sides with doorways.
You pause here and pull the crinkled napkin, which serves as your only map, from your pocket. Your gaze shifts from one door to the next. Truth be told you aren't even sure which side is supposed to go up. Uncertainty and frustration slip in as your watch tells you you're out of time. A deep sigh escapes your lips and you wonder if you should just make your way back to the front door, there is no way you are going to be able to find it. As you move to put the napkin back in your pocket you happen to flip it over. Scrawled on the back you find a note that you would swear hadn't been there before.
“If you get lost just listen for the music.”
Your heart beats a little faster as your body strains to listen. And there you find it, a soft but clear and beautiful melody. You don't even bother to wonder how you didn't hear it before as you chase the sound down the hallway. You pause briefly to listen at one door and then then next, the music getting louder each time. Finally you stop in front of massive oak double doors. You press your ear amidst the delicately carved songbirds bursting from the doors frame. No doubt this is where music is coming from, breathlessly, you throw open the doors….
YOU MADE IT!!!!!
Oh, I may have forgot to mention that you were on your way to volunteer to help with the Unsung Heroes Campaign. (By the way I locked and bolted the door when you came in so you can't get out now.)
As in every other part of The Race, you are on this journey with us and we couldn't do what we do without your prayers and encouragement. So thank you for rushing here to help us with Unsung Heroes. Just kidding about you being locked in the room, but your help would be GREATLY appreciated. (Please notice how “greatly” was put in all CAPS, bold, underlined, and italicized)
Before I make my official request of you lets go over some vocabulary straight from the UHC manual.
Unsung Hero:Men and women who are dedicated to serving some of the most impoverished populations in the world, yet rarely receive recognition for their dedication and service. These givers may also live with meager conditions but give consistently from an abundance of God’s love. Their names may not be in history books, their acts unknown to the rest of the world, while unrecognized, they shake a generation and move a culture, and ultimately build the Kingdom. The vision is to connect and network with Unsung Heroes (UH) in order to provide the manpower and non-monetary support needed to share the love of God and advance their good work.
Part two of the UHC: (My own words)
We are also looking for contacts at established ministries/organizations that we could potentially send future World Race teams to partner with.
If you know of people or ministries in Malaysia right off the top of your head, PLEASE let us know by by E-mailing me at [email protected]. (If you have a contact that isn't in a sensitive area feel free to put their information in the comment section at the end of this blog) Information that would be helpful is 1) Name of person(s)/ministry 2) Contact information (phone #/E-mail) 3) brief statement about what kind of work they are doing. (works in orphanages/ with the homeless/ schools etc.) (This part isn't totally necessary because we will be contacting them anyway, but if you know it we would appreciate you sending that information on.) One thing you can do immediately and would help immeasurably is simply repost this blog on Facebook or Twitter or any other type of social media out there.
While it isn't illegal to be a Christian in Malaysia, it is illegal to witness to Malay Muslims (60% of the population), so this makes it difficult to find missionary postings online. So we reach out to you and others around you, please help get us in contact with these people doing kingdom work. We have been praying as a team each morning for those divine appointments, and we'll take them however they come. One thing we have quickly realized in doing Unsung Heroes; there is no clear cut map on how you are going to come across contacts. Its done more by keeping our eyes and ears open and spending time listening to what God is saying.
In an effort to think outside the box I would like to issue a deeper request of you. Take a step into our journey by taking one of your own. Set a day aside and pledge to put on the “Unsung Hero Mindset”. Meaning that, in that day, as often as God reminds you, you'll pray for our team. Pray for clarity, boldness, supernatural encounters, and whatever else God leads you to pray. Also expect your own divine encounters as you go throughout your day. Who knows… you may hear someone speaking of a ministry in Malaysia while you wait in line at the grocery store. Perhaps you'll find a brochure on overseas missions at your church, or in the magazine rack at your dentist's office… The possibilities are endless when the only limiting factor is the creativity of the Maker of Heaven and Earth.
Our team is working in Malaysia this month but other teams will be doing UH in other countries as we continue to travel. If you have any leads in Cambodia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Nepal, or India please pass them on so we can give that team a head start. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog. (That is, assuming you didn't bolt as soon as I told you the door wasn't really locked.) THANK YOU for all your prayers and encouragement! And thank you for all your help!
(Now that our meeting is concluded feel free to go and explore all the possibilities!)
