Episode 85: PT2 Mission Team Returning from ME. What if Sacrifice is the Point?

They drove twelve hours to reach an airport, flew into another country, and showed up hungry to learn the Bible for the first time. That kind of faith has a way of shaking you awake.

We sit down with Lori, Chris, and Heather for part two of our Middle East mission trip conversation and ask for personal highlights, the moments they can’t forget. Lori shares what it’s like to spend a week with brand new believers, some from Muslim backgrounds, hearing stories of sacrifice, courage, and God’s pursuit. Chris talks about Bible access and the quiet miracle of God getting His Word into hard places, plus the privilege of encouraging young men who face daily persecution and live with very little. Heather takes us into refugee camps among the Yazidi people group, where hundreds of children are waiting and a simple bag of beads becomes a doorway to dignity, trust, and love.

We also get practical about what missions looks like from our church: sending teams, prayer support, giving supplies, and how Perspectives helps mobilise ordinary people for God’s global mission. We break down five habits of a global Christian: give, go, send, pray, and mobilise, because not everyone is called to travel, but everyone is called to participate.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “qualified,” we want you to hear this clearly: a heart for Jesus is enough, and a simple yes can move mountains. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find these stories. What’s one step you can take this week to join what God is doing among the nations?

Visit our website at www.fbcboerne.org for more stories, information, and service times.  

Transcript

Welcome Back And Why We Gather

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Well, hello again, everyone. This is part two of an amazing podcast with three amazing members from our church here. So, welcome to the FBC Sew That Missions podcast. We are so glad you're joining.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Welcome to FBC Missions Sew That Podcast. This is an encouraging place to hear how Gannada's working in and around us. We know that he blesses his people so that they can bless the world around them. Join us as we discuss how to join Gunad and all that he is doing. Why is Gannada working in our life, church, and community? It's so that through us the world will know that he is me.

SPEAKER_04 0:44

Alright, well, welcome again. How fun is this? If you have not heard part one, please go back. We are in the studio today with three amazing members of First Baptist. And my name is Brittany, and it is just truly an honor to be sitting here with each of you. I shared on the previous podcast that I met each of you in Prospectives class in 2025. And um gosh, Lori and I, Lori's here today. Lori and I were able to go to Malawi together. Haven't been on a mission trip with Heather or Chris yet, but I've been able to be part of a sending team for both of you now. And so welcome back to the studio for part two. And thank you for being here. How are each of you?

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Wonderful.

SPEAKER_04 1:32

Doing great. Great. All good? Yes. Looking forward to Christmas. Me too. It is kind of hard to believe it's already Christmas because it's actually just now fall. Summer weather.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

Yeah. Winter's not here yet.

Burning Bright And Perspectives Invitation

SPEAKER_04 1:46

Winter's not here yet. But my goodness. And wow, have any of you been participating in Bernie Bright?

SPEAKER_05 1:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 1:53

Wow.

SPEAKER_05 1:54

It's been amazing.

SPEAKER_04 1:55

I volunteered last year, and that's actually Heather, how I met your husband in the prayer garden. That's right. Yeah. I wasn't even a member at the church, but we were starting to come and I was like, I want to volunteer. And then this year my son has been, he's been representing our family.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

I think that's where I met you, was in the prayer garden. Was it?

SPEAKER_04 2:10

I think it was. And then at perspectives. That's right. Yeah. So, listeners, if you did not get to go to Burning Bright this year, you have to add it to your list for next year.

SPEAKER_05 2:21

So it's also perspectives. And also tell us more, Lori. Well, we are offering another course starting in January, and we're going to meet on Thursday nights here at the church. Um, if you have not had perspectives before, you definitely want to take it. It will change your life.

SPEAKER_04 2:37

What do you mean by that? Change your life.

SPEAKER_05 2:39

You will see God's heart for the nations and how he's been at work since day one to reconcile sinners and to um through his son Jesus to bring them all back into relationship with him. And we don't hear about it in our media. We do not hear about it, but there are wonderful things going on across the world and in perspectives, you will not only see the history of what God's been doing, but you will also get to see the research and what's happening now and what's been happening in the last few years and how God is accelerating as he calls people to himself.

Middle East Teams Quick Recap

Lori On New Believers And Sacrifice

SPEAKER_04 3:16

Yes, he is definitely accelerating things, and that is a perfect segue for your for where y'all went. So again, listeners, go back um if you haven't, you know, and listened to the episode right before this. But uh Chris, Lori, and Heather all went to the Middle East. Um, and they they they were a group of 14 people, and they had three separate teams in three different you know locations and doing some incredible work. And we already shared. Um, Lori's team was really working with local partners to equip them to be able to grow followers who become disciples, who become church planners. And Heather's team was able to go to refugee camps, and the Lord has always given Heather a heart for the have nots, and she showed up in this camp and was able to pour into over 400 children, um, which is incredible. And then Chris and his team, a group of men, went and were strengthening um fellow male believers. Um they were already believers, is that correct? With the story of David. And gosh, if anyone here listening doesn't know the story of David, of course, there's a great TV show right now. A movie. Oh, it's so good. And yeah, a kids' movie uh coming out. I'm hoping to take my kids to that. We'll we'll see if we can fit that into the the craziness of the holiday schedule. But it that is just David's story is so powerful, and it reminds us time and time again how God uses um, I mean, David, you know, he was he was he was called to be the king of Israel and he messed up a lot. He did. I messed up a lot. Don't we all? I messed up a lot. And so God uses anyone who's who's really willing and ready, and it takes a short three-letter word, Y-E-S, and a yes can move mountains. Um, God can do a lot with a little, and that was a little bit of a theme we heard in the last episode. And so what we want to do today, now that we've already learned from the last episode about you know what your teams were doing and some more in-depth around that, what we want to do today is really hear a highlight, a personal highlight from your time in the Middle East. Um, so Lori, can we jump in with you? Will you share a highlight from your trip?

SPEAKER_05 5:30

Well, um, this time I was working with new believers who traveled a very long way. They had to drive 12 hours to get to an airport, to get on a plane, to fly several more hours to get to our destination. And so they, I mean, they were so committed to wanting to learn about Jesus. They're brand new believers. Some of them were still on the fence, not really sure, but wanted to hear more. And they um they sacrificed a lot to come for a week to spend time to learn about Jesus, to learn the story of the Bible. And I was so impacted by their stories. Um that was really a highlight for me is just getting to know seven people whose lives would never cross my path, except for the fact that I was there and and God planned it, and God brought them there. And it was a God sentence that we were there together. And just to hear some of them had been uh raised in Muslim families, and some were devout and some weren't, and some were really pretty much atheistic, but God was calling them and God's appearing to them in dreams, and to hear their stories was the highlight of my trip.

SPEAKER_04 6:48

That's incredible. So, Lori, um I would I would assume most believers would know an atheist is someone who doesn't believe there is a God. Um, but perhaps there's people listening to this that aren't sure what it means to be a Muslim. How would you describe that?

SPEAKER_05 7:06

Um, Muslim people are um Islamic, they they believe in Muhammad. They were um they follow the prophet Muhammad um instead of following Jesus like we do. Um they have a whole different um belief system, but part of the Muslim belief is that you have to work your way to heaven. You have to do um you have to pray five times a day, and there's many other works that you have to do, and you have to earn your way to heaven. And when you die, you're not even sure if you're going to heaven or not. So it's a very difficult, kind of hopeless sort of existence. And I'm not knocking anyone, but um Jesus is is the only way to heaven. Yep. And these people have been called, like they were they were having dreams. Um individuals hadn't had and witnessed to them, which is dangerous from where they where they came from. But when people come to Christ, they can't help but share.

SPEAKER_04 8:07

So you get to like being over there, all of you perhaps got to experience people who maybe didn't have hope because they were, you know, following that way, that religion, and now they learn about the way. We were talking about the way a while ago, the way, and that is Jesus. So that is so cool. And I'm just like, I'm thinking about, I remember um perhaps I don't know, 15 years ago. I got to go to like my first woman's conference, went women's conference, and we were living in Colorado, and I got on a plane and flew to Texas. Um, so that's what I was thinking about when you were sharing driving 12 hours to get on a plane to go, and you talked about the sacrifice. I suspect that's not quite the same as the sacrifice that maybe I experienced at that time when I, you know, got on a plane and flew maybe three three hours from Colorado Springs to come down to Austin, Texas. Can you tell us a little bit more about what that might be like for these amazing brothers and sisters that you got to meet?

SPEAKER_05 9:13

Well, some of them um a few of them drove together, but they came from different parts. Okay. And so um really the partner that we the local partner that we were working with arranged for them to get to our location. And so they sub they drove from different parts to the only airport that they could get to um fly out of. And then flew to a whole nother country and just just to fly to a whole nother country to go. Some of them had not been out of their country. Wow. Ever. So it was big. It was a big leap of faith.

SPEAKER_04 9:45

How scary.

SPEAKER_05 9:46

Yeah, it was it was, it was.

SPEAKER_04 9:48

It's not a big deal for me to even sit on an airplane and say, I'm going to to you know, Austin to have to a women's conference to praise the Lord with other women. They can't they couldn't say that.

SPEAKER_05 9:56

No, no, no, no, no, no. So no it was a it was, you know, it was a big sacrifice, and they were very devoted um to wanting to come and hear and to learn. Yeah. And just they had never had a Bible. They have not read the Bible, they don't know the stories. And so to they were just listening and writing down everything we said because they want to be able to remember and they want to learn and they want to take it back. They want to tell their family members. So it's just it's so exciting to see that that love and that devotion and that willingness to sacrifice. That is what is missing in I think the church in America. I love it. Tell us more about that. Just people don't realize that to follow Jesus, you are gonna have to sacrifice. I mean, it says that right in the Bible. And Jesus sacrificed everything. So we need to be ready. And the sacrifice brings us glory.

SPEAKER_04 10:55

I was just gonna say that. Anyone experience massive joy after sacrifice? Yes.

SPEAKER_05 11:04

Amen. Amen. So, you know, they they have that willingness. They their lives are not as easy as ours. And yet. And yet. Yeah. But they're wet, they're ready, and they're willing, and it's so committing. I mean, to me, it just convicts me. Yeah. You know, like we we have it so easy. And and yet, and yet they're they're gonna face they're gonna face all kinds of uh persecution. Yeah, you know, and they can they can lose everything, but Jesus is their all. Yeah. And we need to be the same way.

SPEAKER_04 11:43

You so often um we like to experience temporary gains when we don't think of the long-term outcome. You know, like I think of dieting. I would much rather eat the blank than consider long-term, right? And I'm thinking about these new believers and them, yeah, they're they're persecution, different things, and they're yes, they're all in there ready to go. And here in the US, kind of to your point, we forget about eternity. We're looking, we're looking at the here and now, you know, our 30-second ads that pop up and convince us we need this thing, but it's like, but what about after? What about after this life and eternity? We forget about that.

SPEAKER_05 12:28

Yes, we do. We forget about eternity, and we don't work towards it. I mean, we we are saved by Jesus' grace, but there's a process of sanctification where we we need to sanctification.

SPEAKER_04 12:43

It's that sanctification, that part is hard. And so if you're listening and going, what in the world is sanctification? Well, that is the process.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

Like become like Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 12:50

Yes, that is the process, becoming like Jesus, love and kindness and compassion, and those are the things that are hard. And I'm so grateful for our church here at FBC because I feel like there's so many avenues to help you in the process of sanctification because it's hard and it's often ugly, and we often have mud on our face because of all the things. But that's so cool.

SPEAKER_05 13:13

Yeah. But take perspectives and go on a mission trip. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 13:17

It'll make all the difference. It will. It will change your life. Will change your heart. That's right. And he'll, like, if you imagine, you know, after you wipe off your counter and it's filled with all the stuff from wiping off your counter and you run it under the water and you squeeze it out, the water comes out and all the junk comes out. That's kind of what he'll do with your heart. It's very refreshing.

SPEAKER_01 13:36

Good picture.

Chris On Bible Access And Perseverance

SPEAKER_04 13:37

It's very refreshing. Okay, so thank you. And also, Lori, thank you. Like having gotten to know you here at the church and just how loving you are. I'm so grateful that those new believers had you. So thanks for your yes, because I know they were loved and encouraged by you. Yes, that was the best part. So, one of the cool things that you just mentioned, Lori, kind of kind of tease up Chris for what I think was your highlight. You mentioned that they don't have or know much and don't have access to the things we have access to. And so, Chris, will you share a highlight that you were kind of talking about a while ago for for your time? And perhaps you've m felt if you have a different direction to go, that's fine too. But we'd love to hear your highlights.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

Okay, sure. Um well, I just have two two highlights uh that I want to speak about. There were several, but uh I'll let me just mention two. Um so I knew before I went on this trip that uh two every people was uh involved in helping people to um know about the word of God. And so when I got there and the rest of the team, we all um learned a lot more about um how that works, and it was just such a um uh amazing moment to just to see how God is breaking through all the barriers and breaking all the chains.

SPEAKER_04 15:05

Wow, to bring the words, to bring the word his word to to every people.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

Wow. And so that was um that was a very humbling moment for me just to um to be to be in that place, to be in that uh moment, I guess.

SPEAKER_04 15:24

Isn't it amazing how well first of all, uh I'll just tell y'all, there's mornings my for years now, probably 20 years now, um I I get up early and I s I spend time with the Lord. I bet y'all do that also, or at some point in your day. And on the days when I don't do that, it is like I didn't charge my phone.

SPEAKER_06 15:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:45

It is it it's it's generally kind of ugly. Like I'm not my best, I'm not supercharged, you know, and so it is it's it's it's it's wild to think of not having the word. Like, man, I would be a wreck all the time. Because on the days when I don't get up and study the word, I am a wreck. And people around me probably are like, What in the world? But it supercharges me. So just that's very profound what you're saying.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Yeah, so it's one thing to hear stories, to share stories from person to person from the word of God, but to have um a copy is um so much better.

SPEAKER_04 16:23

And God will get those copies there. Lori and I witnessed this. I know for your tri for y'all's trip, you have to be a little we we need to be careful because it's just a different world, but we were in Malawi. And the last night, um Sandra's husband, Craig, he felt a stirring in his heart that we he he thought we could buy some Bibles while we were in Malawi. And we all got excited around the dinner table and started pulling out cash. All our little change, everything we had in our pockets. And we were hoping, I don't know, we were hoping for 90, right, Lori? We were hoping to be able to buy 90 Bibles based on what we knew about the exchange rate. And this was so cool, Chris. We got there to the I mean, I didn't even like to go buy Bibles, but we went to go buy these Bibles and the Lord multiplied our finances. He multiplies everything. He's so cool. Um, we ended up being able to buy 145. Was it 45? Yeah, we were hoping for 90. And I remember like we were in the van and we were looking up, and they were the store was like above us, and we were like cheering in the van, and we could see them up there bringing out boxes and boxes of Bibles. I mean, even the fact that they had 145 Bibles in in the native language, yes, in Chichewa. In Chichewa, like it was amazing. So I can only imagine that was really cool. Um, but we weren't there like, you know, we weren't there, we weren't afraid to be there.

SPEAKER_05 17:53

It wasn't dangerous.

SPEAKER_04 17:54

It wasn't dangerous. And so what you're saying that's even more profound. And I mean, we were cheering in the van. We I think we were listening to praise and worship music in the van, and then we stopped singing, and yeah, so tell yeah, that's just really cool.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

Yeah, so um, so the other uh highlight for me was um just working with these young men because they um they have a very hard life, yeah, and um they face persecution daily. And so just to be able to be a part of that team to encourage them and help them to grow in their faith was just um uh very special for me to know that um you know, maybe I left just a little bit of something there for them and maybe a little bit of me there.

SPEAKER_05 18:44

I heard from Clark, who was their team leader, uh, that Chris was very instrumental in writing the curriculum. Oh yeah, and that he really poured his heart into it and that it was it was amazing.

SPEAKER_04 18:57

Oh, that's so awesome. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

Sure. I mean, I just we all we all worked very hard. It took it took quite a while to put it together because we um we had to meet in Florida together, so we had to to make arrangements to get to Florida just to prepare for this trip.

unknown 19:14

Wow.

SPEAKER_05 19:14

They really wanted to teach them how to be warrior kings and to be men after God's own heart.

SPEAKER_04 19:21

Wow. Okay, so you you mentioned these m young men. They were young men?

SPEAKER_01 19:27

Young men, what age? They're in their 20s.

SPEAKER_04 19:29

In their 20s, okay, and that they have a hard life and face persecution. And so I I can imagine you with a group of men in Florida writing this curriculum and already having on your heart these young men, and then you show up and you meet them. What was that like?

SPEAKER_01 19:46

It was um surreal. I bet it was surreal um to be in uh uh that place and to um so they had to also travel many hours to get to where we were. And and so these these young men they just have the basic necessities of life. They have clothes, some food, and meager shelter, and that's it.

SPEAKER_04 20:09

Is that what you meant when you were referring to them having a hard life?

SPEAKER_01 20:12

Yeah, hard life. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_04 20:14

What do you mean by meager shelter?

SPEAKER_01 20:17

Uh well, um, so you've seen container ships and containers. Yes. They're they're they're where they live, they live in container housing.

SPEAKER_05 20:26

Okay. Metal boxes.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

Metal boxes. Wow, in the desert. In the desert.

SPEAKER_05 20:30

Last year when we went, it was getting close to winter and they didn't have any winter clothes. So we actually were able to purchase coats because they didn't have any. Yeah, because it probably gets really cold. We think of the desert as being hot, but in the winter it gets cold at night. And there's nothing on the floor of those metal boxes. Oh, I bet that is so cold.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I could go on and on, but uh, she's right. So like the wood slats in in these containers uh have like gaps and there's no there's no weather protection. It's just like cold air just comes up right uh through the gaps and I know the houses. They have no heaters. Um very little, very little water. Water? They have water.

SPEAKER_04 21:15

They have water.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Yeah, and they I mean they're they they have the basics, uh, but that's about it.

SPEAKER_04 21:21

I know when we were in Malawi we did get to go into homes, and I mean there wasn't furniture really um just like the house. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 21:31

When when we went last year, they they don't have furniture.

SPEAKER_04 21:34

Wow. Well, that is really neat that they made the sacrifice, they came, you made the sacrifice, you came. And I know you were sharing how the connection was was was pretty strong.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

Yeah, yeah, the connection was just is wonderful, even though we couldn't speak their language and so we had to have a translator, but um you could just oh you sense the Holy Spirit. Our presence and just working in a mighty way. It was just uh so beautiful to see.

Heather In Refugee Camps With Kids

SPEAKER_04 22:06

Thank you for sharing, Chris. Okay, Heather. Um you sent, I know you have a story of a young girl that's part of your highlight, but perhaps you have another one and you sent the picture with the young girl. And so I you're already smiling. I can't wait to hear your highlight.

SPEAKER_02 22:22

Yeah, well, every time I go on a mission trip um or engage with another culture, I just get a clearer picture of Revelation 7-9, you know, every nation, tribe and tongue. Worshiping at the throne of the Lamb. Yes. Um, so that's what motivates me. But so on this trip, um, we were in the refugee camps and engaging with an unreached people group, with the Yazidi people group. And um, so in these refugee camps, um, there are thousands of people and um their homes are like um like tents, you know, on a concrete pad, but there's just like rows and rows and rows and rows and rows of them, and like streets and streets and streets and streets of them, just thousands of people. So um when we arrived at these camps, there were like already waiting for us, there were hundreds of kids waiting for us. And so they knew you were coming. Yeah, yeah, but there's there's five of us. And uh that was a little overwhelming. So I just kind of put it in perspective, like here at FBC, we have like 700 kids come to our church campus over the summer for BBS, and we have 200 volunteers. So I'm like looking at all these kids, and there's five of us. Um, and there's language barriers, they speak Kurdish, I do not, and um so this was our first time working with kids, this was the first time of the ministry working with kids, so there's just a lot of chaos. And in my mind, I'm like we don't speak the same language. I don't speak Kurdish, no. So in my mind, I'm like, Lord, how how am I going to make a connection with just one one child? Uh, you know, I'm just looking at all these sea of faces and just the chaos that's happening. We're you know, we're trying to get everybody organized and everything. Um, so anyways, we we dive right in and um immediately knew that our uh initial plan was was not going to work as far as like grouping kids and everything. So we had to pivot and and get ourselves reorganized in a better way. So um, anyways, we visited four camps over three days, and so by the third day, we we kind of had it down pat. You know, we we had the kids organized in a group and uh in a manageable size, that was key. A manageable manageable size for five people. What was that manageable size? So the a hundred kids, you know, so we each have 20 20 kids per person with our team of five. So which is much better than like literally the hundreds that were before us on the very first day.

SPEAKER_04 24:58

I will say, having been a first grade teacher, because what was the ages that you were working with? Uh five to fifteen. Yeah, so you're having a variance in age. Yes. You're in a country that is di foreign, you don't have the same language. And as a first grade teacher, 20 kids was hard. And we had the same language and we had technology, we had a classroom, so that's really like 80 kids.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

So there were some hurdles we had to overcome, but you know, God does amazing things. So um by the last day, um, I was I was helping Faith, and you had already interviewed Faith on a previous podcast. So she was in charge of um leading the kids through making bracelets out of beads. And um on that first day when we saw those hundreds of kids, we're like, okay, there's no way we can possibly hand out beads to all these kids. It's just too chaotic. So by the third day, we were different color beads. Yes, different color beads, we've had to separate them out. So yeah, so we realized, you know, we we need to prepare. So we we put all the beads into individual bags, so all we had to do was hand out a little bag to each child. So, anyways, on this last day, I'm helping her hand out these bags, and um everybody but two girls got a bag. And um Oh no. I'm like, okay, uh, I just saw the heartbreak in their eyes. And um, so I I looked at them and in English I said, I I will be right back. I I will get you beads and I will be right back. Made eye contact with them. I don't know if they understood what I was saying, but I made my my way over to Faith. She had some extra beads, but she was also swarmed with kids. Um, so I I got the supplies, I got what I needed, and while I'm digging through everything, I'm like looking over my shoulder, making sure those girls are still still there, like making eye contact with them, just like I see you and I'm I'm gonna meet this need for you. So um, anyways, I get I get the beads, I come over with them, I sit down next to them, help them make the bracelets, and um, you know, in situations like that, um, I've seen I've seen one of two responses. Because I've been in orphanages before in institutions and things like that, um, where a need isn't being met or a promise um was broken or whatever. So um child a child will either be super scrappy and and resourceful and do whatever they need to do to get that need met to get what they want. They will find a way to find out. Yes, they will just fight. Yep. Or they'll just give up. They'll they'll just totally give up because you know it's like, oh, I've been in this situation before, I've been promised something before, I've been let down, so why bother? And that the latter response is what I saw in those two girls. Like, like, oh, I've seen this before, I'm just gonna get overlooked again, and um, I'm not worthy or whatever. But I'm like, but I see you and I'm here and I love you, and God loves you. So, anyways, that that was what was filling my heart, and I hope that's what um they felt when I got got the beads to them. And this one girl in particular, you know, after she made her bracelet and we were sitting on the floor, she just leaned into me. Oh, you know, just I think she just needed that. And um, we were able to talk a little bit. She did know English. I she's 11 years old. I have a picture of her, I pray for her all the time. Um, but yeah, it was just really sweet. She didn't leave my side after that, and I didn't want to leave after that, you know. We just kind of wanted to hang out, but um, it was really sweet, gave her lots of hugs, and I think that's what it's all about, really, is just I I think Kether just painted the picture of Jesus and his love for us. That was awesome. That's what it's all about. It is sharing the love of Jesus with others in whatever form that looks like.

SPEAKER_04 28:58

That is so beautiful. Ah, I love that. And isn't it amazing how as as I as I um listened to each of you share your highlight and watched your faces, I know that I know that I know that the Lord has connected your heart to hearts in the Middle East, and you will never forget those sweet relationships. And I'm tearing up thinking of my little BFF in Malawi Africa and the impact and the connection and the love, that is just what that's what happens. Yeah, that's God.

SPEAKER_02 29:37

I do have to share that despite the chaos in those camps, our goal was accomplished. So the local ministry has been invited to go back into the camps and continue their work there. Yeah, praise God. And they're supposed to go back at Christmas time. So here we are, like two days before Christmas. They could be there right now. I don't know. Right now. Right now.

SPEAKER_04 29:57

Well, and if they are there right now, that I mean, how cool is that? And and I would just invite everyone, um even right now, I'm just gonna invite all of us four here, and perhaps you, unless you're driving, to I just want to pause and pray. Um just Heavenly Father, I thank you. I thank you. Um that your word and your story is moving. And I pray, Lord, that right now someone will hear or have access to you that was unexpected, and that they will turn their heart to you and accept you as their Lord and Savior.

SPEAKER_06 30:33

Amen. Amen.

Five Habits Of Global Christians

SPEAKER_05 30:34

And I want to tag team on what she was saying about the beads, um, because those beads and all the materials that they took were provided by members of our church, members of our family, friends. We just put out lists of things that we needed, and and people just jumped on board, and that is all part of going on mission. So there are many parts. Absolutely. Not everyone is called to go, but there are many parts. Yeah, there's five habits for being a global Christian.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

What are they, Heather? Give, go, send, pray, and mobilize.

SPEAKER_04 31:09

And can you just very briefly, what does each one of those mean? So if you're listening to this podcast, um, I mean, the the idea of the Middle East could quite possibly scare you. If you're listening to this and you've never been on a mission trip, you might just think, what in the world? That's incredible. But with God, everything is possible. And you don't always have to get on an airplane and cross an ocean. There are five habits of being a global Christian, and that is what the Lord, that is what the Lord wants for all of us. That is our purpose, is to go and make his name known to all nations. It's over and over again in the Bible. You heard Heather say, Revelation 7, 9, it will happen in the throne room. Every nation, every tribe, every language will be there. And we are privileged as followers of Christ to be part of that. We are privileged to be part of that. So, what are the five ways that we've learned about in perspectives where we can be global Christians? You you rattled them off, Heather, but perhaps give listeners just a little more on that.

SPEAKER_02 32:09

Sure. So the first one is give. Um obviously you can financially support somebody who's going out into the field to do missionary work. Um, you can go, you can certainly go on the mission.

SPEAKER_04 32:20

Lots of opportunities here at first Baptist and even this Middle East trip.

SPEAKER_02 32:25

I think that's right. Yeah, we have 10 different mission trips to choose from in 2026. So if you feel called to go, you can go.

SPEAKER_04 32:32

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 32:32

Um send, you can be a sender, um, you know, just um supporting people with prayer or providing supplies or whatever, just kind of supporting them along the way of their missionary journey. Um, and then praying. I cannot overemphasize the the importance of praying. Um, we have an amazing um sending team and and prayer team and FBC. I'll let Lori talk a little bit more about that, but um praying absolutely um as people go out into the field and then mobilize. Um we use perspectives at FBC as a great tool to mobilize our congregation and just um teach all the ins and outs of reaching the unreached. That's so good.

SPEAKER_04 33:16

Thank you for sharing that. And it's and the first one she mentioned was um to give. And so Lori touched on this, but we are so blessed to be at First Baptist and to be in such a generous, wonderful community. I know Lori had texted me shortly before y'all were going and she had a list and I wasn't able to get on it, or I don't remember what was going on.

SPEAKER_05 33:34

And I was already bought up.

SPEAKER_04 33:36

I I checked back and it was done.

SPEAKER_05 33:38

I'm like, oh I couldn't hardly put things on the list fast enough because people were buying them up and then people would be like, There's nothing on the list. I'm like, they already bought that. You know, all the things that we needed for the BBS and for the trainings, and everybody just jumped on board and and helped to send. Yes, helped to give.

SPEAKER_04 33:55

Yes, everything we have is the Lord's, and to be able to give back through sending resources with the missionary team is a awesome way to to give back what is God's.

SPEAKER_05 34:04

Yeah, and we have sending teams for every one of our mission trips. So if you feel like you cannot go, you can be on a sending team and you can be praying in advance of the trip for the people on the trip. For there's nothing more important than prayer.

SPEAKER_04 34:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 34:18

That is that is our I mean, God gives us that. It's such a privilege. Yeah, that privilege to be part of his mission in the world. And so, you know, you can always be on the sending team, and we would love that. That's so great.

SPEAKER_04 34:32

Okay. Well, it's hard to believe, but we have completed another podcast, and it doesn't seem like we have been sitting here for 30 minutes. It seems like we've been sitting here for a short amount of time, but what a blessing. Thank you, Chris. Thank you, Lori. Thank you, Heather. Thank you. Oh my goodness, it has been my pleasure um to get to here firsthand, but also to be in this seat to watch your faces as you shared. And so as we wrap it up, I just would like each of you to just take a quick moment to think, you know, any last thing you might want to say about this opportunity you had to go to the Middle East, perhaps. Um perhaps it's a a certain someone, um, perhaps it's something the Lord showed you, perhaps it's something you would want a listener to know. Um, but as you think through that, um, I do just really want to to encourage everyone listening to this that you do have a part to play. That there are people here at the church can help you to discern that. And certainly perspectives would be a great avenue for you to to ponder and consider. And if you are pondering and considering it and you're not sure, reach out to the church on that. You know, I I was actually in the middle of taking or going through revelation with BSF, and I was like, How in the world can I do BSF and perspectives? And so I called the church and I got Heather on the phone and she walked me through how to make that work for me and my family and my schedule because I've, you know, I have we all have lives going on and things we're doing, and so there's people here to help you to discern um you know your avenue to be part of God's work. So as we wrap it up, um parting last thoughts, Chris.

SPEAKER_01 36:07

Uh for me, I just want to leave the thought that um that everyone needs to know that they're called. It's not a question of whether God is calling me to do something. We are called. Yes. Uh and like we were talking earlier, when Jesus said the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost, um we are the church and we are part of that plan to um to work with alongside with Jesus, to follow in his footsteps, and he will lead us to the lost.

SPEAKER_04 36:39

We are yeah, and I'll just uh briefly say right before I came to see y'all, I was in a medical appointment and I could not help but talk to the man helping me with my blood pressure, and we had a conversation about Jesus. There are people everywhere that need to know his name. 19 Luke 1910. Thank you, Chris. Lori?

SPEAKER_05 37:01

Um, I just I just want everyone to know that none of us could have done any of this, and this is not our work, but God's. Amen. And all we have to do is say yes. Yes. And none of us are multi-talented or you know, able to do anything on our own. It is only the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_04 37:18

Yes, that is so true. Thank you, Lori. Heather?

SPEAKER_02 37:21

I'll just say that if any of you listening are thinking about going on a mission trip, um, all that is required is a heart for Jesus. That's it. Um, I know there's always obstacles or excuses or whatever shortcomings that come into our minds. That's just the enemy saying you can't do this, you're not qualified, blah, blah, blah, whatever. But you can go in any stage of life, whatever your background is, um just have a heart for Jesus and the Holy Spirit will guide you.

SPEAKER_04 37:50

Amen. And it's so funny you say that, Heather, because when I was trying to go to Malawi, three kids, a husband growing a business, and I was so scared and so uncertain. And you took my kids to and from VBS every day so that I could be in Malawi Africa. So, gosh, God is good. The way he connects us, the way he brings us together. And God is so good that he brought us together today to really consider this whole idea of so that, so that his ways would be name, would be known. And Lord, and and and I just I thank you all listeners for being here to hear more about this amazing trip. And thank you to each of you being in the studio today. And I just pray that the Lord will continue to stir your heart if you're listening to this and help him to just find or help you to find exactly what it is he wants you to do for his name to be known. Thank you. Um, whenever you're listening to this, I hope you have or had a Merry Christmas. And until the next episode, um, we just encourage you to reach out if you have any questions, and we just pray that you will be blessed. Thank you so much for listening.

SPEAKER_00 38:54

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