...what a tremendous reminder for all of us as we enter this Holy Season. Easter is a wonderful time to remember that Jesus resurrection was wrapped in His love for this world. We need the love of God now more than ever, and if you are reading this blog today, it affirms that you are a part of spreading His love around the world. Thank you for being a part of spreading the Good News of Jesus through the ministry of World Gospel Mission. You are a valuable part of helping to support and establish the Kingdom of God here on Earth.
We are excited to let you know about many of the things that have been going on in world missions. Just recently we commissioned 8 Global Workers, 6 of which we are mobilizing from countries other than the USA. How exciting it is to see God raising up a generation of leaders to spread the Good News around the world from places around the world. WGM has dozens of non-US based missionaries that we are equipping and mobilizing to reach others. We seek to answer God's call on our lives through the Great Commission by being the support and encouragement to each Global Worker. Many are being called and we believe more are on the way to serve! Please join us in praying for the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers.
In the coming week we will spend four full days with eight Global Workers that will be at the WGM Marion campus for Renewal. If you have followed our ministry, you know that our Member Health Team offers this time of debriefing and renewal three times throughout the year. We do this in March, July and Sept/Oct. We have missionaries come from around the world. This week we will have them coming from Mexico, Kenya, Japan, and Honduras. These folks have been out on the front lines ministering and carrying the Gospel for the past few years, and they are coming back to begin ministry to their supporters here in the USA. We are privileged to spend intentional time with them to hear their stories, share in their burdens and rejoice in their joys. We walk them through times of celebrating where God showed up in their work, and how he provided for them even in the tough times. It is an honor to debrief with them and allow them time to refuel and ready their hearts to continue their ministry here at home and as they return.
We are pleased to offer many resources to our workers through the gifts of member care. Our team consists of care givers with many years of mission experience. As a matter of fact, 301 years of ministry experience with 268 years of cross-cultural ministry is represented in the picture below. We have coaches, pastors, counselors, nurses, physical therapists and even a chef and all with big hearts to love people well. I once heard it said that most people in the world need a good listening to! This is precisely what we do. Also we realize that it is important for us as a team to care for our own souls. Earlier this year, we met for a full week to do our own soul care.
We had Dr. Jeff McCrory and his wife Barb come and provide ministry during a week of retreat. He shared with us using the Psalms and opened our hearts more to listening and receiving from the Lord. We found that we were warmed, encouraged and helped as our own souls were ministered to. It is so important. We are only as good at helping others when we have taken good care of our own souls. Dr. McCrory also pointed out to our team that we are a soul. It is not that we 'have' a soul...we are a soul and we must steward the care of our soul in a way that allows us to serve in the power of Christ to minister to others. We trust you will steward well the care of your soul.
In looking ahead in our ministry travels and what we are doing, we would love to invite you to continue to pray with us as you think of us. We know that the Holy Spirit is faithful to help and we lean on His direction. We will be celebrating Easter with our family here in Indiana. I see egg hunts, candy and ham dinner in the future as the grandkids and our kids come. Later, we have a wedding to officiate of a family friend and then on to a conference to attend in Austin, TX the end of April and first week of May. We return home only to pack our bags and prepare for a couple weeks of travels. We will be going to Albania with a stop off in London where we will spend a couple of days with a missionary that has been serving with WGM in Guatemala. It is then on to Albania where WGM will hold it's bi-annual IMPACT Leadership Conference. We often hold it stateside, but this year we will invite our WGM g Global Workers from around the world to come to Albania for this important conference. Marlene and I will be available and meeting with workers from around the world during this conference. Please be praying for us as these important days will be upon us.
We sure appreciate each person that is a part of our ministry team. We could in no way do this ministry with out you as part of our team. The prayers of our people standing with us, the gifts of our people giving to support this work mean the world to us. Thank you from our hearts! If we could sit with each one of you we would personally tell you just how much you mean to us!
May the Lord Bless you, and may you sense His loving presence in a powerful way.
Sincerely,
Ned and Marlene McGrady
Missionaries with WGM
Marion, IN
You can contact us by email at ned@straightpaths.org or marlene.mcgrady@wgm.org
To support our ministry go to www.wgm.org/mcgrady
