This past week we went to the most interesting men’s group I’ve ever been to. The function of this group was pretty standard- enjoy fellowship and grow in Christ. We started off by enjoying pizza and fellowship. After we ate we watched a sermon by John Bivere about honoring our peers. We ate some dessert and then went our separate ways- really normal men’s group from the outside looking in.
The amazing part of this group was that it was comprised of mostly older missionaries from all over the world. As far as home countries, we had the every continent covered besides Antarctica and South America. These men had devoted their lives to serving the Lord and there was easily a few hundred year of field experience in the room combined. These men were often traveling and I was excited to learn about their lives while I had the chance.
We have spent the past few weeks with a man named Jim who has served the Lord doing summer camp ministry in Australia most of his life. He has been serving in Chiang Mai as an assistant pastor despits his kids and geand still living in back in Austrailia and is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met Despite his old age.
Our host that night was a man named Kendall and his apartment was on top of his printing ministry. This man served the Lord by printing English Christian literature in Thai so Thai people could grow in their knowledge of Christ.
There was one man from South Africa who had traveled to 52 countries in the past 10 years. He and his son backpacked all over the world, being lead by the spirit and sharing the gospel wherever they went. I asked him how they dealt with the language barrier wherever they went but he said encouragingly, “I’ve learned that most of the world speaks English!”
The man I talked to the longest was a missionary in China and have spent most of his life serving there. This missionary was born in the US served the Lord by raising up indigenous leaders and missionaries in Chinese villages to plant churches in their nation and all throughout Asia. This radical disciple had been interrogated 22 times and has witnessed intense persecution from the local governments. He talked about how revival is breaking out in China and hungry these people are for the word of God. He’s smuggle bibles into the country and said its almost unfair to serve there because you can, “kick a tree and the fruit falls down.” Basically saying the harvest was plentiful where he served. He was an accomplished author and he gave me a copy of his book.
There were a few qualities that these men displayed that I hope to have in my own life:
1. They were normal humble guys who opperated lived extraordinary lives with God. They didn’t flaunt their achievements or act as if they were the answer- they just served God faithfully and radically
2. They were still learning. Despite their years of experiance walking with God they were still learning about him and how to serve him better. The missionary from China said that he read a book a week.
3. They were still going. Many of these men were getting up there in their years but that has not slowed their passion for the Lord. Our host Jim is widower and while most men would understandably shut down, he still presses into the Lord and his work.
4. They opperated in their giftings. Whatever the Lord have gifted them in they used it for his work.
5. They traveled a ton! One man said he has to get a new passort every 2 years because he runs out of places to stamp!
