Good evening,
We are nearing the time when we will board a plane for Equatorial Guinea (EG) on April 2, 2025. We will have eleven in our traveling group. However, as of noon today, we were thinking there may only be five. Visa issues, not health or financial concerns, thwarted our plans. Not the visa that you use at the restaurant, but the visa that allows you to enter the country.
My paperwork went smoothly. I assembled all the required photos, documents, applications, and background checks. I placed these, along with my yellow vaccination card, my passport, and the required $200.00 check made out to the government of EG. I visited the Federal Express office in Sherman. The staff there safely delivered my package to the Embassy of EG in Washington, DC.
Three days later, they called me. They said my application and visa had been approved. They were sending it back in the “Prepaid Envelope” included in the package. Sure enough, the next afternoon, the package was delivered with my passport stamped with the EG visa.
Six of our travelers were so fortunate. Our director, Gary Godkin, called for a conference call. The purpose was to collectively pray that the Lord would expedite the approval of those visas. As we gathered, it became clear that the Lord would manage this situation as only He could do. A simple prayer was repeated throughout the couple of days of apprehension. “Lord, if you want us to go into the world, please influence the EG authorities. Get those visas approved swiftly.”
Over the years, I have learned an important lesson. It is not the magnitude of words in prayer that matters. It is the magnitude of the Spirit that “maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.”
My assurance came in the thought that there is no panic in Heaven. The Lord knows those we are to meet. He knows the desire of our hearts. He will prove Himself powerful toward those who seek Him.
Sometimes, the Lord blesses through a text. Around 3:45 this afternoon, we heard that the visas had been approved and were being sent out tonight. The Lord was working all along. The precious hymn says, “O what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”
Missionaries are critical in the overall plan of God’s redemption. John Piper said,” the way to do world missions is to go to unreached peoples. The way to do world missions is to avoid settling down with the peoples that already have churches. This is true even if they are across the ocean. Instead, keep going to the unreached peoples until all the peoples are reached. Then they should have their own Christ-worshiping churches.”
He wrote, “So, you have three possibilities in world missions. You can be a goer, a sender, or disobedient. The Bible does not assume that everyone goes. But it does assume that those who do not go care about goers. It expects them to support goers, pray for goers, and hold the rope of the goers.”
His reference is from William Carey. He was born on August 17, 1761, and died on June 9, 1834. Carey was a missionary to India under the banner of the Baptist Missionary Society. At that time, Andrew Fuller said, “There is a gold mine in India. However, it seems as deep as the center of the earth. Who will venture to explore it?”
“I will go down,” responded William Carey, and included these words: “but remember that you must hold the rope.” (Emphasis mine)
This picture of Christians holding the rope is a fitting analogy for the relationship between missionaries and their supporters.
Brothers and Sisters, I appeal to you. Please bombard the throne of God on our behalf. We will go and preach the glorious gospel of the Living Lord Jesus Christ.