A series of doctor’s appointments revealed a serious defect in Don’s* heart. He had an aortic aneurism, a silent killer that he had had since birth. The diagnosis took Don by surprise, and he began to rethink his priorities.
“It was very much a wake-up call to me,” he said. “I started asking myself very serious questions. I can’t just assume how much time I have left. What things am I supposed to accomplish in my life that I haven’t accomplished?”
This led Don to look into ministries that were making a difference. He had a friend who worked for East-West and called him to ask more about the ministry. His friend invited him to take a trip to Southeast Asia to explore a new mission field. There, Don saw the gospel opportunities in this spiritually dark region of the world. He knew the gospel could spread rapidly here, but because it was a new mission field for East-West, it needed financial support.
Don believed this is what God had called him to do. He had the means and the passion to support this region with his finances, and so he became one of the first donors to support this specific mission field. Five years after adopting this mission field, Don said he’s found incredible joy from participating in the mission in this way.
“God is building His Kingdom; He can do that with us or without us,” Don said. “But we get a chance to be a part of that and participate in what He’s doing. … Not only is there an amazing reward in Heaven that we’ll see, but there’s an amazing reward of this incredible joy here on Earth.”
God calls each of us to participate in His mission in different ways. It could be by going to the mission field, praying for the mission field, or, like Don, giving to the mission.
"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." -2 Corinthians 9:7
*Name changed for security purposes.
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