We are so glad you asked. So many of you pray for us and support us financially in ways that bless us beyond what you can possibly realize. We travel 1,000's of miles on the ground and 10,000's of miles in the air every year to minister to God's people serving around the world. Your partnership in this work is so important.
A typical day for us will almost always include turning on our computers and checking what is going on around the world. There is a Hot Spots email that comes to our inbox every morning that lets us know what is going on in the area of safety and security around the world. Often that email lets us know if there is any potential danger to our missionaries and allows us to have an idea what is going on around the world. This information allows us to insure that WGM is aware of any hot spots and if there is any potential interventions that may be needed. Along with that email the inbox usually fills up with communications from missionaries around the world. Prayer requests, special needs and just words of greeting and encouragement are daily shared via the media of email. When we go to bed in Marion, Indiana, places like Nairobi, Kenya are waking up and email keeps us in touch.
Facebook is a very important means of communication for our Pastors to Missionaries work. Many of our missionaries have facebook pages about their ministries and often contact us via this medium to ask for prayer, counsel and simply a listening ear. We have countless opportunities to write prayers of encouragement and Godly counsel to them as they minister on the frontlines.
Skype is a great avenue in media to speak personally in real time with our missionaries. This Voice over Internet option allows us to support and encourage these servants in ways that just a few years ago would have been impossible to do. Facetime for our missionaries with IPhones allows us yet another manner to speak in real time with our global servants. What an exciting time that we live in that allows us to sit in our office and speak about the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is going on in remote places around the world. And even the telephone which has been around years, gives us a chance to connect with our missionaries.
While these means of communication are very helpful and allow us to accomplish much, we realize that there is no substitute for an actual visit to the mission field. We are privileged to travel to countries and spend quality time with each of our missionaries. We make periodic, regular visits to mission fields every year to provide support and encouragement. We often provide seminars, sermons, as well as pastoral support, counseling and prayer through retreats, visits, meetings etc. Just last year our team of missionary pastors visited Honduras, El Salvador, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Taiwan, Kenya, Uganda, Spain, Hungary, Texas Border, Southwest Indian Ministries in AZ and NM, Inner City missions in Stockton, CA. Muslim ministries in Dearborn, MI.
In between visits we provide times of refreshment and renewal for our missionaries. In the months of January, July and September we conduct a Renewal retreat at the WGM Headquarters in Marion, IN. for missionaries returning from the field to their Home Ministry Assignment (HMA). during this time we have a time to celebrate their ministries, debrief their experiences and give them some useful tools as they transition to ministry in their churches and amongst their team of champion supporters. Following this Renewal time, we assist with the Champion Building (CMS) which is a week of preparing for HMA. We also assist our new missionaries twice a year in January and July through the Orientation Camp as they prepare to go out for their first term of service to the field.
We have responsibilities during the missionary Candidate Review Weekend that is held three times a year. Here we assist a team from WGM that processes and appoints new missionaries desiring to serve God in cross cultural ministry around the world. At this writing we are in the midst of CRW with 9 potential candidates being assessed for service as missionaries with WGM.
We also provide a concentrated effort to minister to all of our missionary kids (MK's) as they are a part of the work and ministry of their parents ministry. Our team partners with our MK's to provide spiritual and emotional support to our MK's. We have a great group of MK's at WGM.
As we write this blog this month, we are reminded that we have a wonderful ministry, and we often say we have the best job in the whole world. Loving and caring for missionaries! What greater calling and what greater partnership can we have together with you to impact the world for Jesus Christ than this work of investing in the lives of God's choice servants - Our missionaries.
Thanks for being a part of our team! You truly are our champions in this ministry. Thank you.
SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS - PRAISES
1. Pray for God's timing for us to visit Africa. We know that God has a perfect time for us to be there and we ask an interest in your prayers to know His timing.
2. Pray for our visit to Bolivia for a Discipling Nations Conference July 7 - 11 as we will have opportunity to see all of our South American Missionaries in one location.
3. Pray for the month of July as it is packed with Renewal - OC and CMS. We also will be attending a Child Safety Conference in Colorado Springs and making some visits to champions in that area.
4. Pray for our MK's - that they will be healthy and whole in their lives as they serve with their parents in ministry.
1. Praise for God's touch on Marlene's mother who had hip surgery to fix a break. She is currently in rehab in Largo, FL.
2. Praise for your prayers for our family at the recent death of Marlene's sister. God has been faithful to meet the needs of the family and provide great comfort and support through the Body of Christ.
3. Praise for new supporters in this work and ministry. We have heard from a couple of churches that we had not since we left Ecuador in 2010. We are grateful for every champion supporter. We welcome our newest church supporting us, the Edgerton Wesleyan Church, in Woodville, IN. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Ned and Marlene McGrady
World Gospel Mission
Directors of Member Health - Pastors to Missionaries
Box 948
Marion, IN 46952
727.459.2966
ned@straightpaths.org
arborhillsmm@yahoo.com
To make a secure on-line gift to our ministry go to
www.wgm.org/McGrady
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