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First Hand News
By Dan Koelpin:Bio on August 11, 2008
How do you find a balance when world missionaries see themselves as sacrificing in living apart from the comforts and conveniences of the U.S. (and they do) while the national Christians they serve perceive them as still living in luxury by comparison to themselves? How do you help others without creating a dependency that keeps them from helping themselves? How can you call someone a brother in another culture when to them that means you’re a part of their family and therefore should be willing to share all your worldly goods with them? How do you convince WELS Christians who see themselves as poor while comparing themselves to the wealthier in our society that they are actually very rich compared to most of the world’s population and most of the those living in the rest of history? These were the types of questions and issues discussed at the World Mission Conference that was held at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary from July 28 to August 1.
Approximately 45 participants, missionaries, administrators and observers, were on hand to hear presentations that dealt with the conference theme “Tying God’s Resources to God’s Mission”. Missionaries from a total of 12 foreign mission fields attended the conference, many of them were in the U.S. on summer furlough. One seminary Professor who attended described being at the conference “as receiving pure oxygen”. It is easy to understand why this was said. It was so uplifting to be around men who have given decades of their lives in faithful and focused service to the Lord’s mission and to hear the reports of the wonderful things God is doing through his word in every land. The joy and dedicated lives of our missionaries give even greater power to their words.
World Mission Conferences are held once every four years. They offer a much needed opportunity for selected members of the world mission team to gather, compare notes, be uplifted through worship and study in the Word and gain insights on specific issues that better enables them to carry out their work. Even former missionaries, anxious to see old friends and hear first hand news from the fields they once served, pop into these conferences on their own time for a day or two. We thank God for these precious opportunities and are sure that the Lord will use them to uplift those who are on the front lines of the battle to bring the message of a living Jesus to a dying world.
Topics: GENERAL, Missions, SYNOD LEADERS