Unless They Are Sent

As I prepare for my return trip to the JAARS campus near Charlotte, I remember an article I read recently. In the last issue of WORLD magazine, there was an article about those 23 Korean missionaries who were kidnapped while serving in Afghanistan. There's such a fire among so many young, Korean Christians to serve as short-term missionaries. A concern was inferred, though, that maybe only more experienced and properly trained missionaries ought to serve in such dangerous and unstable locales as Afghanistan.

At the article's conclusion, a concerned Fuller seminary staff member commented,

"When I heard the news, I was sad and kind of angry about why non-professional missionaries went to such a dangerous place," Kim said. At 34, Kim has done his own short stints in India and Japan. "The main thing for short-term missionaries is to help long-term missionaries. If you miss the point, then it could be really dangerous."

Well, I don't know enough about all that to presume on the legitimacy God's call to my Korean brothers and sisters, nor do I sit in judgement on the adequacy of their preparations and leadership. I do know that the Lord works all things together for His good, and my prayers for them have been steady since I heard of their situation.

And I know that the Lord has called THIS short-term missionary to help the long-term missionaries at JAARS--beginning this Saturday. May His will be done.

Please keep us, and ALL short-term missions teams in your prayers this summer.