January 2012

The Race of Faith

We have a new group of long term workers who are leaving our mission training classroom in January to start on their apprenticeships and build support teams. Their mission work is focused on beginning new faith communities amongst the least reached, and this will take them to some of the most challenging places in the world.

I was meditating on Hebrews 12:1-3 this week as I prayed for these outgoing workers. It is the picture of a challenging race, with the importance of training (“no extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus…” Heb 12:1-2 in The Message). Jesus is our coach and He is the best example of how to live on mission for the glory of the Father.

The race of faith, however, looks more like a grueling cross country endurance run than a stadium track.

Over the past few years I have followed the travels of a Canadian endurance runner named Ray Zahab. Ray was a “pack a day smoker” who decided 10 years ago to quit smoking and get healthy. He picked up running and found that he liked to run for a long time. He rose to international prominence in 2005 when he ran across the Sahara from Senegal to the Red Sea (7500 Km’s in 111 days – without a single day’s rest – often running 70 km’s a day in scorching heat). Why? To raise awareness for clean drinking water. Ray’s mission is to motivate this generation to believe they can achieve the impossible by literally running through their barriers.

If Ray is that passionate about long distance running for drinking water, how much more passionate must we be in our endurance race of faith as we live and share the great news of “living water”!

Ministry Spotlight

Recently several Thailand missionary families along with some Thai national leaders and several from MB Mission’s International office met in Chonburi for a church-planting seminar and time together. It was a rich time of being together with believers of so many different nationalities.

In December all of our North American staff came together for a staff retreat. The three priorities were Jesus, relationship and equipping. These three goals embody our five core values at MB Mission. We value dependency on Jesus, risk-taking obedience, transforming community, relational integrity and celebration. It was a full and rich time together.

Items for Prayer

Pray for the recently commissioned long-term workers who have just completed their classroom training. As they being their internships and support-raising, pray that God will guide and lead them in His steps and for His glory as they follow Him in risk-taking obedience.

Pray for our workers who need to regularly reapply for Visas to remain in, or to enter for the first time, certain countries they are called to and serve in. At times the delays can be very challenging and they need

God to make a way when there seems to be no way. He is faithful to do this but they need your prayers and support along the way!

Randy Friesen

 Vision for Mission