Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Summertime Ministry at WGM

Summertime Ministry at WGM is always a great time to invest in the lives of our missionaries. We spend many weeks of the summer welcoming back missionaries from their terms of service around the world as well as attending various training events and presenting many opportunities to help enrich the growth and development of our missionaries. God is doing some amazing work in the lives of our missionaries.
We have had opportunity to debrief and hear the stories of the victories won and the lives that have been transformed for Christ around the world. It is amazing what is happening around the world as God is at work and eternity is being impacted each and everyday. It is so wonderful to be a part of what lasts for eternity! A life changed by the power of Christ, a soul saved from the chains and bondage of sin and transformed to a hope for eternity. It doesn't get any better than that, and you are a part of it. Your support and prayers for the work we do counseling and pastoring our missionaries is increasing our impact for the Gospel. Now more than ever we must pray for more workers into the harvest field and for the enemy to be defeated. We love our missionaries! We love investing in their lives! We love hearing how Jesus meets them just at the point of need and time and time again He proves Himself faithful. To God be the Glory and thanks to you we together make a difference in the world.
It is through times of fellowship and times of sharing that we find God is enough for every circumstance. During the month of June we had a week long conference for all staff in the area. The week was entitled Work Hard, Rest Well and was a wonderful teaching to support the practice of Sabbath. Sabbath is a major emphasis we make at WGM. We know there is much to do and much to accomplish and we often focus on what is done, but the Sabbath teaching is a time to BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

Hey, for a fun little exercise, take a moment a pray this scripture dropping off one word each time you pray it. Ready? Take a deep breath! Here we go!

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT
BE STILL AND KNOW
BE STILL AND
BE STILL
BE

Just BE! Now that is where God wants us and that is where He wants you. We work hard so that we can rest well. We strive to work out of our rest instead of resting our of our work. We look at 24/6 as a goal for each week allowing that emphasis to be on Jesus and being in His presence. Sabbath means STOP and BE. Oh how we work to emphasize the rest - resting in the Lord.

During the month of July we had three weeks of work with our missionaries at WGM Marion. One of the coolest things for us was working with Jordan as he has returned from McAllen, TX to build his ministry team for support to return to the mission field on the border. We are so excited for Jordan and thank God for the growth we see in him for the things of God and the desire to serve Jesus through sports ministry and physical education through the Taylor Christian School and Taylor Community Center in McAllen, TX. He is busy making contacts and would love to speak with you and share one on one, in a Sunday School Class, Youth Service or even a morning service. He is passionate about his call to go and ready for folks to join his team. You can contact Jordan at jordan.mcgrady@wgm.org or at 517.395.0455. If you already know you want to support him financially you can go to www.wgm.org/jordanmcgrady and sign up to support this ministry on the border. God is up to something really big and the border is a place where the love of Jesus is needed in a huge way! Won't you be a part! Contact him right away as he plans to return there in January 2019.

We want to thank you so much for your interest in this work. God has made missions the heartbeat of our hearts. We have had the privilege this year of being in Mexico, the Border, Uganda and Kenya and we know that you are the ones that have made this happen. You have prayed for us and you have supported us with your financial gifts and we are humbled with gratitude for your faithfulness. You are the testimony of God's faithfulness lived out through you. We remember when we were preparing to go to language school in Costa Rica in 2006 and Jordan was working with us to help raise support, he was 13 years old and he would speak at every church service. He said, "Thank you for your prayers they mean so much, but the last time I checked American Airlines did not accept prayer as payment for tickets." We would shake our heads, hold our breath and the congregations would burst out in applause! God has used you and your generous hearts to literally send us around the world in mission work. Thank you from our hearts for your faithfulness in giving and in praying. Your prayers are answered daily through the help God grants us to do this ministry.

On Monday we will be heading to Europe. We will stop off in Rome for a few days and will be joining Ned's brother and his wife who are long time supporters of ours, for a couple of days vacation to celebrate our 33rd anniversary with them. We will leave them there to fly on over to Tirana, Albania for a week long retreat for all of the WGM missionaries serving throughout Europe. We will have opportunity for great conversations, one on one time together as well as times of corporate learning and worship. It will be a tremendous time for us to do what we love to do, serve our missionaries. We return to Indiana on August 26.

We ask a sincere interest in your prayers as we gear up for travel to Europe. Pray for our travels to go well and for the opportunity to be a witness for Christ wherever we can and for us to have ears to hear the hearts of our missionaries and speak life to them.

Thanks you for you and remember BE!

Love and Prayers,
Ned and Marlene McGrady
Directors of Member Health
World Gospel Mission
Box 948
Marion, IN 46952
727.459.2966