Missions Splashed All Over the Service.
Amazing! One word describes this mornings service. Erected on the side of the mountain overlooking the Caribbean Sea, stands our Fellowship Baptist Church. A church on the mission field of St. Vincent, this church stands for the Word of God. The people are loving and hungry for the Word. This morning, I gazed across the faces and saw many different nationalities; people from Japan, Guyanna, Africa, USA, England, Canada, China, Vietnam and several of the islands in the Caribbean. All colors were represented.
We sat side by side. Some young black Caribs came in late, yet walked forward to the second pew to sit by me. I gave the girl next to me my Bible to use. She slowly inched her way closer to me, so I slipped my arm around her as we listened to the message. Tim told a joke while preaching and I looked across at the folks onthe other side of the auditorium and we chuckled together. We had our welcome song and moved round the room, shaking hands and embracing one another. The key word, "fellowship", rang over and over in my mind. During communion, a Chinese medical student slid next to me, entwined her arm in mine and hugged me. We enjoyed the breaking of bread together. Later she sang in Mandarin and the tears flowed down my cheeks. She gave testimony that her great grandfather had been led to the Lord by missionaries and had prayed that each descendent would trust Christ as Savior. She said so far everyone in her family had been saved and were abundantly living for Him. It dawned on me that most likely, her great grandfather had been led to Christ by Hudson Taylor or one of the missionaries with China Inland Mission. One man shared his testimony how he had been led to Christ through the faithful witness of a missionary. Our assistant pastor was led to Christ through a man who had been led to Christ through a missionary. The man is now starting the first mission agency in the Caribbean that will send out nationals missionaries into the uttermost parts of the world. Another Vincentian led a quiz on general Bible knowledge, which brought laughter and intense thinking. I rejoiced in the work of missions that had so grounded our people in the Word.
Missions brought about the unique way in which we all believe and live. We were all seated together because of the work of missions. We enjoyed the fellowship, the church ordinances, the unity and love, and the doctrinal oneness because of the work of missions.
I was so overwhelmed, I only longed to get to my computer where I could log these intense responses to the mornings events. Missions, the very heartbeat of God through the ages. Shouldn't we desire the thing that is closest to the heart of God?
