 
| Is It Sometimes Better Not To Go? |
Missions News: Outreach  Missionary Bryan Riley -- a missionary with a passion for the Phillipines and for the more than 15,000 families that lost everything in recent floods -- recently took a different approach to missions: he stayed home.  Moments from buying the ticket that would let him personally join the team that would help the people hurt by the floods -- people he had personally shared the gospel with in 2007 and pleaded for in recent blog posts -- he felt the Lord tell him "not to go."  Instead, Ryan supported the team financially and paid for relief packages for the people of Cagayen de Oro City, Philippines.  His most recent blog post reports that the response in the Phillipinnes has been "outstanding." Two churches in flooded areas have added 20 new families to their congregation and several people have accepted Christ through the relief efforts.  Riley's story reminds us of a simple principle -- as the body of Christ, we should coordinate and focus our efforts to reach the world. Surely, the great commission does not mean that everyone "should go" at every opportunity. And sometimes even Missionaries are called "not to go" -- even when they are deeply passionate about the project or call and would surely be blessed by personally interacting with people and personally seeing God at work in difficult circumstances.  Perhaps it is also a lesson about listening to God. Perhaps God has called many missionariies "not to go" but to help support a particular project or team that does. Perhaps you are such a missionary and you don't even know it? Think about it; pray about it. Riley reports that it is not too late to send funds, and 100% of what you send will reach the flood vicitms and do so with the message of Christ!  If you think you may be called "not to go" visit Riley's website by clicking here. ______________________________________________________________________________ The International Faith Telegraph  |