And if the ear should say, “Because
I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.If the
whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body
were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the
members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If
all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many
parts, yet
one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I
have no need of you,” nor again the head
to the feet, “I have no need of
you.” 1
Cor. 12:16-21
The
body of Christ, the church, is an amazing thing. It is alive with the breath of the Holy
Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ.
We all have a role.Those roles
look different and they may look different at various points in our walk with
Jesus.God can use even the most
seemingly insignificant role to bring Himself glory. It is an awesome privilege we have as
followers of Christ to be allowed to participate in His kingdom work. Mission work is just one of the many
examples of the church working together to further His kingdom and bring Him
glory. One of the most important things
missionaries do, whether they go for days or years to the mission field, is to
invite others to join them on their journey of obedience. One of the most significant tools we have
used as a team is to engage others through support letters. It can be overwhelming to see the
dollar amount it takes to go on a mission trip. Then the thoughts of panic arise when
faced with raising such an amount. But faith steps in and we allow God to take control. And then the people of God, the
body, accepts the invitation. We see God
working and providing for our longing to show Him to the world and we stand in
awe.
Friends
and family, near and far, through God’s leading, have
played an integral part already in reaching the orphans of Ethiopia, to provide
for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. We would not be going if it were not for
their obedience in putting their blessings to use for His kingdom. God’s
provision and faithfulness is clearly evident in the gracious giving of so
many. It is hard to ask for help and
even harder to specifically ask for money. But if we had not, we would have robbed so many of the privilege and blessing
of being a part of His work. We would have taken away the joy that comes from
helping and giving to others. We would
have never allowed those who gave the opportunity to play their role in the big
picture God is painting. Thank you to
all who gave in response to our letters. Thank you for your obedience and for allowing God to work in your life,
in our lives and the precious little lives we will meet in Ethiopia.
Written by: Keri Bosch
