Barry and Sarah currently serve at OMF on the Canadian homeside. Having been on missions overseas in the past, God has called them to serve back home this season. In an interview, Barry and Sarah share their missions story. Their journey reveals that no matter where we are or what life stage we are in, God always provides opportunities to be on mission for Him. In this current period of time, Barry serves as a mobilizer at OMF Canada, while Sarah’s main mission field is family:
Barry: I help people understand what mission is and how they can be involved. This includes cultivating missions awareness through facilitating online and in-person conferences, walking with people who are interested in missions, visiting Bible colleges, and co-leading a high school Bible chapel.
Sarah: Currently, my ministry is supporting Barry and his role as a mobilizer. In this season, my main ministry is also being a mom to our two boys. I’m raising two disciples here in our home and it’s a blessing.
Sharing Christ Wherever We are
Barry and Sarah explain that even though ministry and day-to-day tasks look different in every life stage, God’s mission for them remains the same:
Sarah: It wasn’t until university that I really understood what it means to follow Jesus. The first time that I felt God igniting my heart for missions was actually on a short-term trip to East Asia. God challenged me to consider these questions: am I willing to die to myself completely? Am I willing to give up my family and any thoughts of my future for God’s plan for me? That was when God changed my heart attitude to be willing to do whatever He asked of me and go wherever He calls me to share Jesus.
Wherever I am, that is where God has me to share Jesus with others. After that trip, I served through reaching out to international students in university—that was a season of my life. Then, there was a season of our lives where we worked with youth. There was another season where we actually were overseas. Now, I’m focusing on my family, but also still praying for opportunities to be on mission here in Canada.
The Lord Establishes our Steps
Change is a natural part of our lives. 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Genesis 45:8 help Barry and Sarah remember the bigger picture—that it’s God who leads our lives, and that everything should be done for His glory:
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31.
Sarah: This verse challenges me to recognize that even in my role at home, in everything I do, I can still glorify God. Missions ultimately serves to glorify God in bringing people to relationship with Him again. We can glorify God in our faith and our heart attitude every day. So, my current mission is to serve as a mom each day.
“So it was not you who sent me here, but God.” Genesis 45:8b
Barry: I didn’t really have a vision for what I wanted to do after finishing school, but God led me into missions. I just wanted Him to lead and guide my life. That’s how we ended up on overseas missions. We then experienced a difficult relocation just like in Joseph’s story. Joseph never planned to be in Egypt, but God planned for him to be there. Similarly, through a long series of hardships, we never planned to be in Canada, but God called us to be here.
Barry and Sarah’s story reminds us that God purposefully places us where we are for His glory. Whether it is for a short season or for a long one, we can be intentional in sharing Christ at all times.
Missions doesn’t start once we hop onto an airplane. We are called to be on mission everyday wherever we may be.
What can you be doing right now, in your current season of life, for the glory of God?
