Saying Yes to God and Yes to Missions

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By Lauren (Name changed)

Six years ago, God called me to a life of ministry. At the time, I had no idea where that would lead me or what my life was going to look like. But in a small hotel room in Macedonia, I said yes to God, and yes to missions. The past six years have been quite a journey. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to different places, learn about missions in college and on the field, and grow in my faith along the way. Each new chapter of life that I have stepped into has provided a new layer of preparation and foundation for a life of ministry.

Two years ago, I was working a difficult job that was exhausting and empty. I felt so discouraged and stuck where I was, not knowing how to keep moving forward in the call that I knew God had given me. There was a series of events that led up to this decision, but eventually I decided that I was going to take a step of faith and pursue a job in missions, even if it meant doing something scary like partnership development. I applied for a job with OMF in the short-term (Serve Asia) program as a coordinator, and about a month later I accepted the job.

That decision to take a leap of faith has opened so many doors in ministry and I have seen so much fruit come from that decision, both in my personal walk with the Lord and in my community as well. When I joined OMF as a Program Coordinator, I was brought into the world of missions mobilization and I learned so much about missions that I had not known before. Being on the administrative side of missions opened my eyes to how much goes into this task of declaring God’s glory among the nations. My passion for missions continued to grow as I worked with OMF, but I started wondering whether God still wanted me to be overseas, or perhaps stay in the US and mobilize.

While I was asking these questions, an opportunity came up for me to move to Atlanta and take part in Missionary Training School with Global Frontier Missions (GFM). OMF has a strong partnership with GFM, and I was presented with the option of going through the training school on behalf of OMF. Over the span of a few months, God made it clear that this program was going to be another tool to prepare me for a life of ministry.

“An international student that I met agreed to read the Bible with me! She came from a Buddhist background but has been enjoying reading the stories of the Bible with me and learning about who God is.”

Missionary Training School is an intense five-month program that prepares cross-cultural workers for the field by focusing on head knowledge, heart and character growth, and hands-on experience in the community. The goal of this training is to prepare cross-cultural workers to be more effective and long-lasting. Since I’ve been here, my eyes have been opened to many things that I had not even considered regarding living and serving overseas.

I started this program at the beginning of August and already have learned so much. I have grown in my confidence in sharing the gospel. I have grown in my knowledge of the Bible and love for God’s Word. I have also been made more aware of my need to pray—and be prayed for—and to allow the Holy Spirit to work.

Furthermore, I have grown in my love for people which has made me eager to be bold in my conversations with them. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned since being here is a simple one: we truly do have Good News to share! If we’re not convinced that this message of Christ is good news, then we won’t share it.

I’m so excited for the next few months to see how God will continue to move and work in this community, and how he will work in my own heart as well.

(Learn more about the Train & Go Apprenticeship program from OMF or GFM.)