Loving the Missionaries

“So Samuel said: ‘Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.’” 1 Samuel 15:22, NKJV.

Lisa and I initially came to Thailand with the U.S. Air Force. I served at the embassy in Bangkok and worked on a Thai military base. Over the years we lived in Bangkok, we got to meet many of the missionaries working in Thailand. We opened our home to many church related events, and loved hosting missionary families for meals and over night visits when they came to town.

Over the years we also developed a deep love for the Thai people. In our hearts we knew that God was preparing us to come back to Thailand after our military retirement. God had called us to love the missionaries, just like we had in Bangkok.

After we retired, we returned to the States and started looking at the job requests for Thailand. Nothing seemed to fit us, so we settled into local church ministry. However, every church where we served knew up front that we felt called to return to Thailand. We ministered in several local churches over the next five years – then I found a job request that really interested me.

When I read the request it was like a neon light flashed around it; it seemed like the request had been written with me in mind. We started our application process with the IMB, believing that now was God’s timing for us to return to Thailand. After our application process was well along we decided it was time to announce to our church what we were doing.

Shortly after that I checked the IMB job requests, and the job I was interested in was gone! I contacted the Richmond office and asked about the job, and was told that it had been filled by a person at the last appointment service. After hanging up the phone I sat in stunned silence. I felt as if someone had slapped me across the face, and I began to question God. “LORD, what did I miss?” I asked.

I used to check the IMB jobs once every couple of months, but now I was checking it every day. We had committed ourselves to go, but we had no job to go to. As the days passed I became more and more anxious. “LORD, we have committed ourselves and there is no turning back, what are You doing?”

One day Lisa* walked into our den right as I finished my daily check of the job postings. “Any jobs for us today?” she asked.

“No,” I said, and then continued with thick sarcasm. “Not unless you want to go as a dorm parent.”

Lisa’s response was like a lightning bolt of conviction from the Holy Spirit. She said, “David, wasn’t our original calling to love and support the missionaries? Can you think of any better way to accomplish that than by caring for their children?”

While it was not what I had envisioned myself doing, I knew Lisa was right. We immediately began corresponding with the lead person for Thailand, and soon had the job reserved for us. As soon as we took that step of obedience God began to shower blessings on us to confirm His calling. I have to admit that this ministry fits my wife’s personality better than mine, but I am happy to be obedient. For I know that God is more pleased with obedience than sacrifice.

*Names changed for security reasons.

Pray that:

Pacific Rim personnel will remember to be true to their calling, even if it takes them in unexpected ministry directions.

God will bless the children of Pacific Rim personnel, especially when they are living in dormitories away from their families.

God will call out all kinds of workers to complete the task of reaching the nations in the Pacific Rim.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.