When Marge and I were appointed as missionaries, we were blissfully unaware of the roller coaster that the first two years of pre-field would be. I thought it would only take two years of pre-field ministry and then we would be in the Czech. As a painter it took me years to figure out how long it would take to paint a room. I always underestimated. So it's no surprise that I underestimated this. What I didn't realize is the learning and maturation that would take place during pre-field. It is a training ground for us, and a ministry to the churches we visit.
What has happened in these first two years. Well we started out the first year and a half with me juggling a full time job and pre-field. That meant, while at Pfizer, rushing to find an empty conference room and with my cell phone and note cards seeing how many churches I could contact on a break. In a good week I might contact 40 churches and send out ten information packets. Then, Pfizer gave me a flexible work schedule and each Tuesday, from home, I would contact 60 churches. My position at Pfizer was restructured last December and I was let go. Some weeks since then, but not every week, I've contact 150+ churches. It has really accelerated the process of setting up meetings.
In 2008, we spoke at 12 churches. In 2009, we will probably speak at about 30+ churches. These meetings are where we have a chance to share about the Czech and why we feel called to go there. Some churches, after praying, will sense that God wants them to support us financially or through prayer. Some individuals will also make a decision to support us.
Another thing that has developed over the last two years is our ability to articulate our two fold message. Part of the message is about our mission to the Czech, but the second part is that at every church we are encouraging people to value Christ above all else. So, even when a church doesn't feel called to support us, we have the opportunity to encourage and challenge people in their Christian faith. We do this in morning services, sunday school lessons, and concerts. We also challenge them to realize that God is at work all over the world in ways we don't often realize. At each church we have also had opportunities to be a listening ear and to counsel with people. In that way, pre-field is much more than fund raising. It really is a mission of encouragement to churches all over the Midwest.
The two years of pre-field have been a maturing process. Spiritually, as necessity has driven us more and more to prayer and acts of faith. We have seen God provide our needs such as the time our car broke down on the road, and the church at which we were speaking covered all the expenses through a special offering. We are learning how to trust in God even when He doesn't act on our timing. It is stretching and deepening our faith. We are maturing in knowledge as we study the Bible and teach others. Our patience and ability to stay calm when confronted with obstacles has grown. That's something you need lots of on the field. We've also learned how to be more organized and prepared.
There have been low points and low low points when we lie awake at night and wonder how in the world this will all turn out. Or wondering if we are really missionary material. Through it all our resolve to continue on this road, working hard and praying harder, has not abated. It may take us another two years. In fact God may have more for us to learn or other churches in which he wants us to minister. In that regard then we will remain faithful to this pre-field ministry until such time that God calls us across the ocean tot the next stage in this adventure.
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