“Vision always starts with a burden. Follow the burden, see where it takes you, and maybe it will lead you to the Lord’s vision for your life.” 

Doug Souder

When I heard those words, I knew I had to begin earnestly praying for a burden from the Lord. I began to fast and pray that God would give me some sort of vision in regards to what He wanted me to do because I simply wasn’t feeling burdened for the land of Israel. For almost two and a half years I have been praying for the Middle East and though I felt burdened for it, I did not know if the burden was specifically for long-term missions, or just for prayer. As many of you know, I felt called to Israel and I knew that coming here this semester would help clarify that calling and that God would either open or close doors. My heart was confused when I had been here for two weeks and didn’t have any desire to stay here long term or even to go out and evangelize. Part of that has been the spiritual warfare of being here, Jerusalem is a heavily oppressed city and it is evident after being here for a prolonged period of time, but part of that was also that I simply didn’t feel any kind of burden outside of the usual for this place. 

While I was praying for a burden, I posted in my class discussion about the trip around the world to visit missionaries who are laboring in those isolated and often forgotten places that I mentioned in a previous blog. Since then, God has done nothing but open doors and I am so excited to invite you all to pray with me on some of the specifics, but first, a little background. 

I know that the calling I felt to come to Israel was from the Lord, but I think that I confused it for more than it was supposed to be. Coming here has been one of the healthiest things I have done for my faith in a long time, maybe ever, because God used it to bring my faith to a place where instead of thinking about this trip and saying, “impossible” I can say “God’s got it, let’s go.” It was in coming here and seeing the way God miraculously provides for His plans that I was able to take a leap and post the idea in my class discussion. It was through my classmate’s offer of support that God helped me see that He might actually have put this on my heart for His purposes. And it was the people that He placed around me here who continued to be open doors. 

A few days after I started seriously considering this trip a few classmates and I were walking home from the market and chatting when a man walking beside us on the street noticed that we spoke English and asked where we were from. Turns out that man was from New York but has been living in Zambia, Africa for the past 11 or 12 years as a missionary. Right away I saw God’s hand in the otherwise chance meeting. Turns out he is part of an organization that sends missionaries to unreached people groups where the gospel has never been preached before; exactly the kind of missionaries I want to feature in my writing to bring awareness to the work God is doing in the out-of-sight-out-of-mind places. We were able to briefly discuss the work that he is doing in Zambia and the doors God is opening for the gospel as well as the work his organization does. Upon parting ways he gave me his card so that I can contact him in the future and I am praying that God would use this to open doors into the places that He is sending me for this radical faith walk. 

Later that week I was talking to the missionary here and she was asking me how the semester is going and how I have been doing. I shared with her what God is doing in my heart and how I am praying about these opportunities and she encouraged me more than anything else has thus far. When I shared my heart for the trip with her she said that it is an actual need within the body and she told me that, from a missionary’s perspective, it would be such a blessing to be featured so that people were more aware of their needs. Their family has been experiencing severe spiritual warfare and great trials since they obeyed God’s call to the mission field and she said that just to have people pray for them is the biggest blessing. So often the enemy comes in and tries to tell them that they are forgotten and alone, and they know it is not because people don’t love them, but simply because we forget about the things that aren’t right in front of us. We forget to pray because it isn’t pressing in our lives, but it is in theirs. Her heart in this matter was so encouraging because she went on to say that the church in America is not necessarily lazy, blind, and deaf, but simply distracted and ignorant. We don’t know about the needs, but when the American church is aware of the needs, there is no church that is quicker to respond to them. No other nation sends as many missionaries or as much financial support, so it isn’t that we are unwilling, it is just that we are too often unaware. That is exactly what I hope to change with this trip. I was given such peace and courage in our conversation that this burden, this vision, is truly of the Lord and not of my adventure-seeking flesh. The last thing I want is for any of this to be about me. As soon as it becomes about me I will pack up my bags and go home because this needs to be about magnifying God and edifying His bride. 

I continued to pray and ask God to show me what I need, who I need to contact, and how I need to prepare, and He has put some specifics on my heart. I have been praying for a burden for specific countries and He has placed India and Cambodia on my heart (which is radical because I have never wanted to go to Asia) and then He gave me some connections with missionaries in both countries through some of my classmates here.

He just continues to blow my mind and open doors that I am so excited to walk through.

I haven’t contacted any missionaries yet because I am still praying and waiting on the Lord to reveal those who would be blessed by a feature as well as those who would be able to be featured safely; many missionaries are living in critical countries and it would be hazardous to their work and safety to share much about them, but nonetheless, many others would be greatly benefitted by raising an awareness of what God is doing in their midst. I plan on contacting specific missionaries within the next weeks and pray that the Lord would guide me to those who need the support I hope this mission brings.

Right now this entire vision is simply in an incubator of prayer and I ask that you continue to join me. Pray that the Lord would refine the vision and my heart, that He would give me discernment and wisdom, that He would provide for all of the needs. I want to save up a significant amount of my own money so that I can support myself and so that any funds I am given can be deposited right into the hands of the missionaries. I simply want to be a clean vessel through which God can pour out His blessings throughout the world. Prayers for a job when I get back to the States would be appreciated so that I can begin to save for this incredible opportunity.

I am simply in awe of our God and all that He is doing. 

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

I will keep you updated as the Lord leads and opens doors and will keep you posted on ways that you can be praying! This is completely His work and prayer is the foundation. I am so thankful for all of your support.