Or, "Why I am a missionary"
Jonathan Landrum
Ever since I was a small child I wanted to travel. When I was very young, my parents would take us to the airport to watch the planes take off and land. We even used to go through the concourse and sit at the gate, playing make-believe that we were about to take off on some journey. I’ve always had a vivid imagination, so this was quite easy for me! It was such a disappointment when we had to go, bags still in hand. As we walked away, I’d steal one last glimpse of the airplane and dream of being on it. It only took one sentence for me to make the jump in my mind from “world traveler” to “missionary”.
I still remember what I consider to be my clarion call, when as a nine-year-old boy I asked God what He wanted me to be, and hearing His reply in my heart, “I want you to be a missionary in China.
“ Those words shaped my future and have guided me to where I am today. And my church only served to augmented that call, further whetting my desire for the mission field.
Harvest has always been missions-oriented, and we would regularly have missionaries from Africa and South America visit and tell us all about what’s going on in their ministries. I especially loved the slide shows. Some of the missionaries would bring their projector and myriad Kodachrome slides, each containing a frozen image of priceless memories. That was always my favorite part. (It was perhaps this exposure to photographs from the mission field which led me to want to document my own travels abroad and display them here for you.)
The heart-warming stories these missionaries told for each picture left me feeling almost home-sick. I longed to go to these places and meet these wonderful people. I wanted to tell them that our tiny, little church on the other side of the world cares for them and is praying for them. I wanted to let them know that we are helping the missionary stay in their village. They need to be told that someone cares, that somebody they’ve never met knows about them and wants to help them.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
—Romans 10:13–15 (KJV)
The more I was exposed to these missionaries, the more I began to see the vast importance of missions work. Not only do missionaries tell people that our church loves them and cares for them, they also tell these people about Christ and how much He cares for them. They tell the story of Jesus and His love for the World, a love which He characterized on the cross.
Missionaries display this love of God to these people every day as they serve them and help them. Many missionaries take with them medicine and literature. Others take building materials for constructing homes and churches. All missionaries give up their life and their desires in order to serve people. In this selfless giving, missionaries depict the love of Christ.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
—Mark 16:15–18 (KJV)
I am thrilled to be a missionary. I feel that it is among the highest honors God could bestow on a person. There are times in my life when I’d like to have a “normal” life, but then I ask myself if “normal” would really satisfy me. A wife, a house in the burbs, 2.4 kids, a cat and a dog … it all sounds nice, and that works for most people, but it wouldn’t work for me.
Not that I won’t ever get married or have children, or even have a dog, but it will never be “normal.” You know, though, that’s okay with me. Because all I want is exactly what God has for me. Anything else would be ridiculous, because I’d never reach my full potential. The only way I can achieve all that God has for me is to follow His plan exactly.
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
—Mark 10:29–30 (KJV)
So, yes, I am honored to be a missionary, and all that comes with it. I get to see corners of the globe most people can only dream about. I get to meet people of all kinds of different nationalities, and tell them the wonderful truth that God loves them. How humbling it is, that out of nearly seven billion people, God lets me be the one to lead this person to Christ. I’ll still get to spend time with my family, but I only have a short period left to reach these precious souls who have never heard of Jesus.
~JonathanUpdate
When I first authored this, that next-to-the-last line read, “… That out of nearly six billion people …”. It’s time to get crackin’. Things are speeding up, and it’s coming to a head. The harvest is bigger than it’s ever been, and it’s not going to reap itself. We need hands in the field. Are you game?
Care to share your thoughts? [4]
Within this section:
- About Me
- You are here.
- About My Faith
- I am a Christian Missionary, a member of a non-denominational church, and a firm believer of the Bible (and no other holy books). Read on for more details.
- About This Site
- A quick report of why I created this website, what content you can expect to find here, and how often you can expect to find it. Fairly straightforward, eh?
- My Current Ministry Efforts
- A break-down of what I’m busy doing right now. The photos on this site are running about a year behind, so as I write this, I’m not even on the same continent as they. Check this out for something a little more up-to-date.
- The Story of Jesus
- This is the story of Jesus, adapted with permission from The Wonderful, Powerful Gospel of Jesus Christ by Jerry and Marilyn O’Dell.
