My daughter the Missionary

My heart is torn right now between feeling joy and sadness. I just left the Baton Rouge airport and in 15 minutes an airplane carrying my daughter, Melissa, will take off and she won't reach her final destinationof Mesken, Cameroon, Africa, until sometime early Sunday morning.


I am filled with joy at the very notion that my precious child has a heart for missions. I am filled with joy that she overcame many obstacles to get to this point in her life. I am filled with joy that she will spend the next 9 weeks ministering to others and doing things way out of her comfort zone.


My sadness comes as I realize that my child will be a very long way from home. My sadness comes as I know how much I will miss her in the next 9 weeks. My sadness comes as I realize I have no control over what could happen to her from this point forward.


Melissa will be volunteering for Medical Centers of West Africa. She will be in a muslim country dealing with muslim people and traditions. She will be working very closely with the patients and their families. She is going to be involved in something that she has never experienced before. This is a wonderful chance for her to work in the medical missions profession, as this is what she wants to do once she gets her medical degree.


I am so proud of the decision she made to apply for this opportunity and very proud of the fact she was accepted and did what she had to do to make it possible. She will not only be working at the hospital, but will have the chance to minister and share the gospel with many people. She will be living out the Great Commission.


The last thing that our precious Lord told us before He ascended to heaven, was to go into all the world and preach the gospel. That is our mission. That is our privilege as Christians. That is what we were made to do.


I've been thinking alot about witnessing lately. My friend J.D. was probably the most awesome and most dilligent person I know as far as sharing the gospel. He witnessed in the ambulance. He witnessed in the hospital. He witnessed at his house to the man who delivered his hospital bed and won him to Christ just one week before he died. At J.D.'s funeral, 2 people were saved. He even witnessed in his death. He was a true disciple of Christ. He lived his faith out loud.


I want to be more eager and willing to share the gospel of Christ with others. I want to minister more to the needs of other people. I want to be more observant of those around me and be more discerning of peoples hearts.


I desire a heart for Jesus. I desire a heart for ministry. I desire a deeper love for my Savior.


Oh, sweet Father, send your Holy presence down upon me and make my heart more like yours. Fill my heart with love for others, hunger for You, desire for ministering and contagious joy.


".... for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12)