I first heard about Heidi Baker while on my short-term missions trip to Honduras last July. Some of my fellow missionaries were talking about the tremendous work God is allowing Heidi to do in Africa.
Of course, I was intrigued.
Just a few weeks ago, I got to watch the movie about her life called “Compelled by Love.” It’s the story of her 20+ years as a missionary to Mozambique and other nations. (Please see the film trailer above).
The movie was a wonderful testament to what God can do through a yielded life! What made the evening even better was that Heidi was there and spoke to the audience afterwards. What a blessing to see her spend most of her time on the stage on her knees, before her open Bible. She ended the evening praying for those called into full-time missions, the NYC leaders and pastors that were present, and others.
She’s a humble woman, yet powerful! She walks in the authority God has given her. That’s inspiring to see.
I’d like to share just a few lessons based on the film and what Heidi said to those in attendance:
Live a Life that Continually Says, “YES” to God– Heidi knows she has a BIG God and she’s not afraid to say, “Yes” to Him. She has made a habit out of continually surrendering to God. We’re called to do the same. No, we don’t all have to move to Africa, but we are called to obey and be led by the Holy Spirit.
Be Compelled by Love – Heidi doesn’t serve God because she’s afraid He’ll be angry with her if she doesn’t do everything He says or because she’s trying to earn His love. She does it out of her extreme love for God. Once we understand God’s love for us, we are set free to serve Him out of our genuine passion for Christ.
Spend time with God – Heidi shared that she makes it a priority to spend 5 or 6 hours with the Lord every day. She knows that we need to be filled before we can pour out to others! We may not be able to clear our busy schedules to spend hours with God, but we can make some adjustments to be with our Maker. We can also talk to Him throughout the day.
Work with God – Heidi said she sometimes pictures herself as a little girl who is standing on her daddy’s shoes and walking with Him. (Guess she’s a Daddy’s Girl too!) She’s thrilled to be a part of what God is doing on earth. Many times it seems we’d rather wrestle with God or try to somehow boss Him around, instead of simply joining Him in His plans.
Heidi’s story reminded me what a privilege it is to be about our Father’s business. God is looking for willing vessels to fill so we can overflow into other’s lives.
Your mission field may be right in your office, on your block, or under your roof. I encourage you to be faithful. Love those around you. Obey God. Shine for Jesus. Trust Him to do the rest.
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)
Did this encourage you? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please hit “Like” or share a comment below.
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I’m an author, speaker, life coach, Bible school instructor and evangelist who wants to encourage and inspire you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams! I’m also an author for Our Daily Bread. My NEW book God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) is available wherever books are sold.
My books Feisty Faith, By Faith, Crossing Your Jordan River, Waiting on God Well and Abounding Faith are available on Amazon. To learn more about Abounding Faith’s books, coaching, online training, the Abounding Faith for Today podcast, online store, YouTube channel and more, visit AboundingFaith.com. Join my email community today right here. Blessings!
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the book “Kisses from Katie” by Katie Davis, who at 18 left for a short-term missions trip to Uganda for a week and ended up moving there. She adopted 14 girls, nurses sick children and adults back to health, and helps provide education to hundreds of kids! She’s still just in her twenties!
Last weekend, I got to see the movie “Compelled by Love,” which focuses on the amazing work that God is allowing Heidi Baker and her husband to do in Mozambique. (More on that next week).
Both women are humbly serving the Lord in the unique areas where God has called them. Both work with the destitute. They see poverty, illness, and extreme need up close and personal on a daily basis.
I can’t help but think that there will be a special place in heaven for Katie and Heidi!
God bless them for answering the call and saying, “Yes” to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus in Africa!
But you have to wonder, how can they keep from being overwhelmed by all the needs?
The common themes that I see in their lives are that they trust in God’s strength wholeheartedly, they are sold out completely for Jesus, and they choose to love the one right in front of them!
They know they can’t solve all the problems and meet all the needs. Not all at once. Not with just their own two hands or even with a large team. Instead of getting discouraged and giving up, they live to love the person in need that God places in their path at that moment.
I’m reminded of the parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus told where He illustrated what loving your neighbor looks like. The Good Samaritan’s plans were interrupted. He was traveling and going about his day when he saw the man who was beaten, stripped of his clothes, and left to die on the road. The Samaritan could have ignored the man as the priest and the Levite had done. But he chose to take action.
“… when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’” (Luke 10:33-35)
My, what compassion he had on the man!
What about you and me? How are we doing with loving our neighbors? We don’t have to go all the way to Africa to help people (although if God calls you to do that, by all means GO!) There are people with needs all around us. It can get overwhelming to say the least.
But it doesn’t have to.
As you’re reading this, perhaps the Holy Spirit is bringing someone to mind and prompting you to help that one person. Not everyone. Today, it’s just that one. That friend, co-worker, senior citizen, wayward teen, etc…Maybe the Lord is asking you to call them, visit them, take them out for a meal. Will you obey that prompting? Will you stop and reach out to just that one?
I pray that God would soften our hearts so that we would respond to the needs we see around us and pour out the love of Christ. Yes, that we would shine for Jesus wherever He places us.
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25: 37-40)
Did this encourage you to be a blessing right where you are? Feel free to leave a comment or hit “Like” below.
To get these posts e-mailed straight to your inbox weekly, and to get my free e-booklet MiraculousLovely Abroad: Lessons and Snapshots From the Mission Fields,click here. You can find MiraculousLovely on YouTube, Pinterest and Facebook. For more encouragement, visit www.aboundingfaith.com.
I’m an author, speaker, life coach, Bible school instructor and evangelist who wants to encourage and inspire you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams! I’m also an author for Our Daily Bread. My NEW book God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) is available wherever books are sold.
My books Feisty Faith, By Faith, Crossing Your Jordan River, Waiting on God Well and Abounding Faith are available on Amazon. To learn more about Abounding Faith’s books, coaching, online training, the Abounding Faith for Today podcast, online store, YouTube channel and more, visit AboundingFaith.com. Join my email community today right here. Blessings!
I’m just days away from my short-term missions trip to Honduras. I will be one of almost 2,000 missionaries that will flood the nation of Honduras with God’s love. Although I’m so excited to be going and ministering to the high school students there through testimonies, skits, and prayer times, I still marvel that I am going. As I pack my suitcase this time around, I’m reflecting on how I even started going on these trips and why I go. Blessings!
I must say I am an accidental short-term missionary. At least in my eyes. I never grew up wanting to go on missions trips. I certainly didn’t know any missionaries. Over the years, I did discover that I enjoyed traveling. My goal years ago was to travel to the cities that hosted Olympic Games. And God allowed me to go to the modern Olympic Games stadium in Athens, Greece and the stadiums in Sydney, Australia, Salt Lake City, Utah and Los Angeles, California. Not bad! I am so grateful for all the wonderful places I’ve gotten to travel to over the years.
But God had different plans for me. After years of traveling for vacation and for work and after my amazing time in Israel in 2007, I knew it was time to “give back.” Before I could even ponder where I might go, God introduced me to Tyler Burkett from Extreme International.
Tyler was in town with his wife and a group of teens who were on a missions trip to New York City. I was guiding his team on an outreach through the New York School of Urban Ministry (NYSUM). During our lunch break, the kids mentioned that they had been on a missions trip to Ecuador. I was intrigued. My Dad is from Ecuador so I asked them which part they had gone to, and they proceeded to say the name of my Dad’s hometown! What? Of all the places in the world, these kids had gone on a missions trip to the place where my Dad was born and raised? When Tyler said he went there often and invited me to join them, I didn’t need to see a burning bush in front of me. I KNEW that I would travel with him one day. The next time I saw Tyler, it was two years later. I was in the airport in Ecuador with my teammates from Texas for the missions trip in 2010.
In between meeting Tyler and traveling with his group, Steve and Dianna Butcher from Amazon River Churches came to speak at my church, and they made an open invitation to go build a church in the Amazon jungle in Brazil! I wrote here how tough it was for me to decide to go, but again God had already softened my heart towards missions. I had no previous desire to travel to Brazil, but in 2009 I packed my bags and went on an adventure of a lifetime!
After going to Brazil with Steve and the team in 2009 and Ecuador with Tyler and the team in 2010, I was open to Steve’s invitation to AFRICA, which I wrote about here.
All this talk about traveling can sound kinda glamorous to some, but it’s not always easy to get on a plane, leave all your loved ones behind and go to some foreign country. There are shots to take beforehand (and sometimes gigantic malaria pills to swallow during the trip!), money to raise, vacation time to be used. There’s also lots of prayer and fasting to get ready for the spiritual battles that will take place.
Surprisingly enough, sometimes the toughest battles are fought long before even setting foot on the plane!
So why do I go? Seriously. Why worry about mosquitoes and critters and what the sleeping conditions will be like? Why go to places where I have to brush my teeth with bottled water and avoid certain foods? And WHY go to places where I have to carry toilet paper with me and drown my hands in hand sanitizer??? (Just trying to be real folks! Don’t worry, many times I’m also shocked by how modern some of the cities are!)
Clearly, missions trips should not be confused with your typical vacations!
I go for so many reasons including:
I see God move in miraculous ways! I have seen Him heal team members and keep us out of harm’s way! Yes, that means that team members have gotten sick and been healed while being out on the field. Some have come on trips defying their doctor’s orders, and God has kept them healthy! Other times He has held back the rain for us during the monsoon season, and He has kept us safe in the jungle in Brazil, on the mountaintops in Ecuador and in the slums of Ethiopia. Of course, I see God move in miraculous ways here at home, but there is something so special about how I see Him work when I’m abroad.
Families at the inauguration of the church in Brazil
Kids at a service in Ecuador
School kids in Ethiopia
I meet amazing people! From the sweet kids we get to play with and minister to, to the humble pastors we meet who receive meager salaries and little recognition, to the full-time missionaries we get to come alongside and encourage, there is no shortage of wonderful people to befriend like I wrote about here. Some of the heroes are the missionary kids who adapt to life “out there” and embrace the local kids as if they were their family. Speaking of local kids, in Ecuador there was a little 4-year-old who was the daughter of a local pastor. She came with us during all our home visits and she was such a delight. What a trooper! She climbed up and down the mountainside without any complaints.
My teammates also inspire me. They leave behind family and the comforts of home and sacrifice the little money and vacation time they have. They set aside fears of insects or of long flights, lay down worries about health issues, and just go and love on the people!
My faith g-r-o-w-s! God speaks to me extra clearly when I’m “out there” and I love it! I know that I am in the palm of God’s hand and in the center of His will for my life when I’m out there. And I know that we are covered in prayer. That’s why I can be at peace in the middle of the jungle while we’re painting the church in Brazil or while we’re swerving along the mountainside on winding roads without guardrails in Ecuador. That’s why I can feel God’s presence during an impromptu service in a junkyard in Ethiopia! That’s why I can talk to complete strangers about Jesus and pray for them on the spot!
I am so encouraged to see how the locals love the same God that I do. It reminds me that as Christians we really are one family with the same Heavenly Father! I am so blessed to be able to travel around this beautiful world that God has created! And I am humbled and honored that I can be the hands and feet of Jesus in any small way while I’m there.
Because God says GO! It’s all over the Bible. It’s some of the last words Jesus said to His disciples after He resurrected and before He ascended into heaven. That should be reason enough for all of us to Go! When God opens a door, it’s best to go through it! The peace comes from knowing He goes before us and is with us! That’s His Promise to us!
Some of you may be thinking about and praying about going on a short-term missions trip. I pray that God will confirm things to you and swing the doors wide open for you.
Below are a few verses that are near and dear to my heart especially as I prepare for mission trips. I pray they will bless you as well!
“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.” (Joshua 1:3)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!'” (Isaiah 6:8)
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'” (Matthew 28: 18-20)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
“…Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'” (Romans 10:13-15)
If this encouraged you, please feel free to leave a comment below. If you’ve already been on missions trips, I’d love to hear a bit about your experiences!
I’m an author, speaker, life coach, Bible school instructor and evangelist who wants to encourage and inspire you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams! I’m also an author for Our Daily Bread. My NEW book God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) is available wherever books are sold.
My books Feisty Faith, By Faith, Crossing Your Jordan River, Waiting on God Well and Abounding Faith are available on Amazon. To learn more about Abounding Faith’s books, coaching, online training, the Abounding Faith for Today podcast, online store, YouTube channel and more, visit AboundingFaith.com. Join my email community today right here. Blessings!
As my next short-term missions trip gets closer and closer, I’m taking some moments to reflect on past trips. Blessings!
In November 2011, God allowed me to travel as a short-term missionary to AFRICA. Africa, China and India have always seemed like such faraway places that only “professional” missionaries go. Why in the world would God want me to go to Ethiopia? I wasn’t quite sure what awaited me in Africa. All I knew was that God kept reminding me that He would be with me.
He’s always spoken to me in such special ways when I’ve been abroad so I was looking forward to seeing all the mighty ways that He would show up in Africa. I kept saying the victory for me would be simply getting on the plane and also setting foot on the sixth continent that God has allowed me to visit. The rest would be icing on the cake.
Leading up to the trip, all I kept hearing from God was to “Go Forth!” He used people at church and even my niece and nephew to quote Joshua 1:9 to me to remind me to be strong and courageous on the trip. God encouraged my heart so much, that by the time the trip was a week away I could barely wait to GO!
Our journey started with a short flight from New York City to Washington D.C. As three of my teammates and I boarded the small commuter plane to D.C. to meet up with the rest of the group, I looked to my right and was surprised to see that my luggage was being lifted onto the plane at the same time that I was climbing up the steps. So just in case I had any last minute doubts, I felt like God was saying that me and my bags were right where we needed to be and there was no turning back!
Amazingly, once we were in the airport, God sent one of my Bible study students — a man that had come to class only once during the previous summer — to the same café our team was eating in. He prophesied over our leaders and encouraged me in the café and even during the plane ride to Ethiopia. Wow, I could already see God’s fingerprints everywhere, and I still hadn’t even set foot in Africa!
God did not disappoint me in Ethiopia. He was with us every step of the way. From visiting an orphanage named AHOPE for kids with HIV, to being surrounded by a sea of girls – more than 300 to be more exact – at a government run home for abused and abandoned girls, to being able to share an encouraging word and worship together with the young men who live in a shack in a garbage dump, to getting to pray for the Pastor in the impoverished community also located near a large trash dump, to getting to read scripture aloud during a service at a temple for messianic Ethiopian Jews, each place we visited is a story in itself.
Every day, I felt God adding personal touches to show me that He had ordained for me to take this trip. For now, I’d like to focus on one of the most special “God moments” for me.
As the trip grew closer, I learned that we would be attending the wedding of our team leader’s daughter who was living in Ethiopia. I must admit that I wasn’t thrilled about that. I didn’t know the bride or groom and I was having a hard time reconciling that I was going to be staying at a fancy resort during a missions trip.
By the time we got to the wedding, which was during our final days there, I had gotten to know the bride and groom much better. And after all that pouring out during our outreaches, I had no problem soaking in all the beauty and peacefulness at the resort. Everything was going great until I arrived at the ceremony and I saw that it was being held outdoors.
Since Ethiopia sits on the equator, the sun was really beating down on us. I have been in the sun at the equator in Ecuador and I got a major sunburn because of it, which was not fun. Many times I have also come close to passing out after being in the sun for too long so I started to panic. I tried to sit in the shade for as long as I could but once the ceremony began, I quickly started to wilt. I jokingly said to my teammate, “The sun shall not smite thee by day, as long as you’re sitting in the shade.” (Psalm 121:6) As usual, Dad was listening.
Finally, I had no choice but to run back to my room. I figured I would have to grab my water bottle and wear my baseball cap, but who wears a cap to a wedding? All these thoughts were running through my mind when I reached the bungalow that I was sharing with one of my teammates.
As I walked to the outdoor seating area in front of our room, I could hardly believe what I saw. Hanging on a little hook outside our door was a beautiful umbrella. I had noticed it when we had first gotten to our assigned rooms earlier that day, but I never thought that I would use it. Now as I looked at it I saw the perfect parasol. I thought, “Wow, this resort really has all the bases covered. They even have umbrellas for their guests.”
So with that, I got my water bottle, grabbed the umbrella and I ran to my teammates’ room to my left so I could get their umbrella. But when I got there, I didn’t see anything. So I ran to my teammates’ room to my right, and again I found nothing.
Then it hit me. That umbrella was there just for me! My Heavenly Father knew that I would need something to protect me from the sun and He knew that I would be the only team member that would run back to her room. A simple umbrella never meant so much to me. For in His great love for me, God provided exactly what I needed and He did so at just the right time.
When I told the story to my teammates during our devotional time the next day, one of them remarked, “God likes you.” I quickly answered, “I like Him too!” Of course, that is a huge understatement!
So yes, at a wedding all the way on the other side of the world, God showed me once again just how much He loves and cares about me and reminded me that He can provide for even the smallest of my needs!
God will do the same for you. Look for God’s fingerprints in your life. He really is all around!
“The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” (Psalm 121:5-8)
Did this encourage you? Please feel free to leave a comment below!
I’m an author, speaker, life coach, Bible school instructor and evangelist who wants to encourage and inspire you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams! I’m also an author for Our Daily Bread. My NEW book God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) is available wherever books are sold.
My books Feisty Faith, By Faith, Crossing Your Jordan River, Waiting on God Well and Abounding Faith are available on Amazon. To learn more about Abounding Faith’s books, coaching, online training, the Abounding Faith for Today podcast, online store, YouTube channel and more, visit AboundingFaith.com. Join my email community today right here. Blessings!
