Missions and Adoption

I am writing this post from the headquarters of World Gospel Mission (WGM) in Marion, Indiana.  Cydil and I have been working for WGM since our marriage in 1999.  We are the directors of the WGM student center at Asbury University. Promoting missions among university students has been easy for us.  It is part of out heartbeat.  Leading teams, hosting missionaries, training students, discipleship…we love what we do!  Today we are in Marion introducing the mission headquarters staff to our student cabinet.  Our students hear from missionaries fresh from the field weekly, but it is also good for them to see the support staff that allows for a coordinated effort in missions.

Missions has long been a passion of mine.  Maybe it started with my years in Kenya with my family as a child, but it seems like missions has always been a part of my heartbeat.  I credit my parents with my heart for the lost.  My dad doesn't cry often, but the tears are always close for him when stories of salvation and changed lives are told.  I learned to be in awe of our heavenly Father's hand in reaching the lost and His protection of the missionaries who were called to introduce Christ to them.  I am blessed to have grandparents on both sides of my family who followed the Father's call in ministry.  One set started a Christian school in New Jersey, and the other setup schools in Kenya, but both were in the same business of spreading the love of Christ!

Adoption is a newer passion of mine, or at least I thought it was newer until recently.  The deeper I look at missions and adoption, the less of a distinction I find.  Adoption only happens when a parent pursues a child to make them a son or daughter.  It takes the resources of the father to make the adoption complete.  Adoptions are costly, and the orphan doesn't have a chance without the pursuit and payment of a loving parent. There are lots of people involved in the process of adoption, and there are no small roles.  The kind lady who notarizes paperwork to prove its authenticity, is as much a part of the process as the Judge who declares the adoption complete.  Choosing an adoption agency that shares your passion is important, because adoption agencies help to match perspective parents with orphans around the world.  They also help to navigate the often confusing obstacles to adoptions that occur, and manage the money needed to complete an adoption.  I have worked with adoption professionals who view their sometimes menial jobs as a ministry they see the bigger picture and rejoice at each step that brings a orphan closer to a forever family.  Others unfortunately have lost that awe and seem to be going through the motions.  Ultimately though the most motivated and organized adoption agency would be useless without pursuing parents.

Missions is really the same thing.  Our heavenly Father is pursuing the lost and lonely to make them His children!  There is no chance for the spiritual orphan without the pursuit and resources of the Father.  There are lots of people involved in introducing needy orphans to their loving Father. We are His hands and feet.  There are no small roles!  Anything that helps to make the journey to the Father smoother is an important aid to His pursuit.  Ultimately, the most organized missions organization in the world would be useless without the constant pursuit of the Father!

So I guess I've worked for an adoption agency all along and didn't recognize it! Thank you God for using WGM to bring spiritual orphans into your family!