how many gods have poured out their hearts/to romance a world that is torn all apart?

missionaries are normal people.

seriously, they are. real, flesh-and-blood people who struggle with the same things everyone else does.

let that sink in for a minute. too often we stick pastors, missionaries, and anyone else involved with ministry up on a pedstal when they shouldn't be there. but they are real people who like to eat ice cream and watch the Superbowl and have hobbies and jobs. they aren't somehow more "in tune" with God than anyone else. one missionary I know in India had practically no communication with God for like three months. she stopped praying. we ALL do this. that 'mountain-valley' thing we call our spiritual life? yeah, missionaries aren't always on the mountain.

as for the pedestal, sometimes it's even easier to be a missionary in a foreign culture than it is to be at home. by putting yourself somewhere completely different from anything you're used to, you're already out of your comfort zone. it's a lot harder to break your 'bubble' in America.

the speaker at Perspectives tonight said something really amazing. well, a ton of really incredible things. but talking about the three eras of modern missions, he shared that in the early 1900's, 100,000 students got involved in missions. 20,000 of the went overseas, and 80,000 supported them from home.

break that down. that's four people supporting one missionary. Dave, our speaker, introduced this new concept. instead of sending missionaries from church to church to family to church, could four families commit to supporting one missionary for a year? splitting up $20,000 between 4 families - so $5,000 each. how incredible for those families to be involved that way? or let's say 8 families will commit. that takes the burden off them a little bit, but it's still incredible involvement. it's a much better idea than a missionary on furlough going all over the country to visit every church that maybe gives them $100 a year. that's not a break.

this is an entirely new concept in missions today. and it's an amazing one. what Dave said tonight, was what he tells his really serious supporters: "give what you can, and then give a little more." people need to see what it's like to sacrifice a little bit. it's one tiny way to break the bubble. I think that's so crazy. we tell God....I can afford to give you this much this month. sorry, but I can't give any more. that would be risky. and heck no I'm not skipping a frapucchino or a movie to give to missions. this is the way MY finances work.

who gave us the money and the command to spread the gospel in the first place?

I don't know....that's just what blew my mind tonight. what do you think? such an entirely new concept to us: give what you can and then give a little more. sacrifice.