The Gift of Rice

A few days ago, I returned from Asia after Global Infusion’s first triple-country mission trip.  Part of the team began in Nepal, while the other part was in Thailand.  After our work was done in these countries, we converged on the country of India together - where even there we divided up to cover more ground.  I could go into tremendous detail about the impact our team made in three different nations, and how many hundreds of souls heard the Gospel, or were discipled, or received tangible donations from GI such as food — but I am compelled to focus on one story.

Take a look at this picture.  It is not a picture of starving, orphaned or disabled children of Andhra Pradesh, India.  It is not a shot of the bizarre, yet demonically possessed followers of Hinduism in Kathmandu, Nepal.  Nor is it a graphic X-rated photo of the hedonistic streets of Bangkok, Thailand.  You see, our team ministered in all of those places, and saw all of those things — we have those pictures, but this one is something completely different.  It is a gift.

Global Infusion rarely works in the major cities or capitals of the countries we go to.  We go where nobody else wants to go.  We reach the unreached.  There is a reason people are unreached with the Gospel — they are hard to get to, and it costs a lot of  time and money to physically get to them.  I took this picture in a remote village in India where many unreached people live.  There is a small church we worked with, and this is a picture of their weekly offering.   Since the parishioners have no money, they give what little they do have.  In this case, it is food.  This gift is also the “salary” for the Pastor for the week.  He has no other job, and no other funds coming in.  He has a wife, and two children, and has willingly moved to a desolate part of his own country to reach the unreached.  This is the type of person, place, and vision that Global Infusion regularly supports through teams, donations, and prayer.

Romans 5:6-8 says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Jesus is the epitome of giving everything you have so others might live.  Many times I feel helpless as I stand in remote villages around the world, and see the needs of the people.  If only we had more finances to make their earthly existence bearable.  If only we had more teams to go into all the world.  I implore you to pray with us and for us, and ask God what you can do with Global Infusion in the coming year, as we continue to reach thousands of people every year with the Gospel, and also help to meet their physical needs.

True Thanksgiving

Do you know what leprosy is? It is a horrible skin disease that basically eats away at your body until body parts fall off. If you had leprosy in biblical times, there were not any leper hospitals around to help you. If you had leprosy, you were required to stand about fifty yards away from a healthy person so they would not catch what you had. Not only that, but you were not allowed to take care of yourself. Your hair, your body, your clothes. None of it could be kept clean or washed because you were condemned to die outside the city walls. And if you ever did feel like moving among the healthy, you had to scream the word, “unclean!” everywhere you went.

Luke 17:11 tells the account of ten lepers. Jesus was walking through Samaria and Galilee one day, when a group of men stood up and yelled, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” This unruly, unkempt band of death-row inmates needed a miracle. They needed Jesus. As always, Jesus had compassion on them and ordered them to go see the priest. Why the priest? Because the only way a person could be ruled “clean,” was at the command of the priest. Jesus didn’t lay hands on them. He didn’t pray for them out loud. He simple obeyed the Spirit of God and commanded them to go and see the priest. With Jesus’ reputation well-known, these ten lepers did exactly what He said, because they knew that Jesus healed people. The moment they made a move to obey the command of the Lord, they were healed.

Think about what life would have been like to be a leper in the first century. Then imagine yourself getting healed. What would you do? Wouldn’t it seem right to go and find the one who restored your life back to you? Out of the ten lepers who were healed, only one of them showed a heart of thankfulness. He came running up to Jesus, fell down on his face, and thanked Him over and over again. Jesus was happy to see him, but then asked where the other nine were? Gone. They were long gone. They got what they wanted from Jesus and left.

How many of us often fall into the category of “the other nine.” God has saved us, healed us, delivered us, yet, we carry on in life, holding our breath until the next crisis, then go running back to Him for help. Thankfulness and gratitude require action. God gave away the one and only possession that was more important to Him than air is to us: His Son. How do we thank God?

We often show our appreciation to our friends and families by giving them something that brings them joy. What brings God joy? When another soul is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. When the orphan and widow are defended. When the imprisoned are visited. When the naked are clothed. When the hungry are fed. What we do unto the least of these, we do unto Him. Global Infusion focuses on all of the above, for the people around the world who need it the most.

Life as a candle

I have heard it said that we begin dying from the moment we are born. Nothing can stop the aging process. Our life is very much like a candle. At birth, the candle of our life is lit, and once the flame starts, there is nothing that can be done to extend the life of that candle. Slowly, steadily, over time the flame burns away the wax.

I have also heard it said that time seems to go faster as you get older. Our days fill up with more and more responsibilities. Our schedules get busier. Life may seem to go by quickly because we rarely check how much candle we have left — and the moments that we do check, we realize that a big chunk has burned away since the last time we looked.

The Apostle John begins his Gospel with these verses: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5, NKJV)

As believers, we are called to be a light in the darkness. Matthew 5:14-16 reads, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

I challenge you to examine your life right now. Is it consumed with daily busyness and distractions from the mandate you have on your life as a Christian? These verses in Matthew are not suggestions. You ARE the light of the world - without shining your light, the world will remain in darkness. The world must also see your good works so the Father will be glorified. Neither of these things will happen unless we as Christians make a conscious and proactive effort to fulfill our call to reach the world.

Global Infusion regularly goes to some very dark places in the world. America may have its problems, but many of them pale in comparison to the spiritual darkness, abject poverty, human injustice, and domination of false religions and cults in the countries where we work.

Global Infusion continually reaches thousands of people every year with the life-saving power of Jesus Christ, by spreading His Gospel of salvation as well as meeting their physical needs. You can be a light by supporting us in prayer, giving financially, or joining us on an Infusion Adventure missions trip.

It's Your Turn

(Taken from Global Infusion's 2010 Prayer Journal)

What do you think they are looking at?  What, exactly, are they waiting for?  Who, you ask?  The witnesses.   There’s a cloud of them surrounding you right now.  Don’t believe me?  Then I guess you didn’t read the verses at the top of this page.

It’s your turn.  Many people have paved the way for you to be where you are in the world right now.  Some have lived in this century, and have helped you growing up, educating you, and even helping to sponsor your trip.  Others, whom you have never met, have been spiritually plowing the tough ground on which you now stand.  Others still, have been responsible for carrying God’s Word through very dark periods of history.  Some have died for their faith.  Many left the safety of their home country, their families, or the promise of a good job or great wealth.  Many endured tremendous hardship, poor health, zero amenities, and some denied themselves the privilege and benefits of marriage to dedicate every living day to God and Him alone.  Some were Jesus’ very disciples, and they were the catalyst for evangelism and foreign missions as we now know it.  But now it’s your turn.

It’s your turn to take what you believe and answer their question.  What question is that?  It is the question that the witnesses are asking each other every day:  “What are they going to do with the product of our sacrifice?”  It is up to you to make today count for eternity.  When you lay your head on your pillow tonight (if you have one), what will the witnesses be saying.  Hopefully, they will see that they did not give up their lives in vain.  They will see that every adversity they overcame was completely worth it because someone made sure the saving power of Jesus Christ was made known today.  They will grow near to the point of envy as they watch you spend time with an orphan, deliver food to the hungry, provide medicine for a sick family, repair a home, or share your faith with a person who will ultimately make a decision to make Jesus the Lord of their life.  They will smile and rejoice because they see there are more Christ-followers spreading the Gospel in the nations of the world than ever before.

And when the days get challenging on the mission field, remember to renew your strength by “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  (Heb. 12:1).  Today, it’s your turn.

An Amazing Day

Just a few days ago, we celebrated the seventh anniversary of Global Infusion. In the past three months, we have had 10 different missions teams on the field. Shortly before our actual anniversary date, we had an amazing day. For the first time ever, there were FIVE different Global Infusion teams on the field simultaneously — and because they were on different continents, our teams were actively reaching the lost around the world twenty-four hours a day! Teams were in the countries of Thailand, Guatemala, Ukraine, Egypt and Ghana. God has truly been faithful to us over the past seven years of our existence - the fruit of our labors are seeing a harvest.

You have probably heard a sermon preached, or read an article or book about mankind's search for significance. Last month, in the country of South Africa, the culmination of billions of dollars being spent on marketing, ticketing, merchandising, advertising, training, and travel occurred when one man from the country of Spain kicked a soccer ball into a net. A significant moment in sports history. Yet I think about how much time, money and energy was required to reach this moment -- and how many millions of people were involved in making it happen. Then I think about this one goal's eternal significance compared to our five mission teams on the field. While the world celebrates a goal, we are celebrating thousands upon thousands of people being reached with the Gospel, and also seeing physical needs being met.

Many of our teams are ministering among unreached people groups. If you are unfamiliar with the term "unreached people," the Joshua Project defines it as: "An unreached or least-reached people is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group."

Global Infusion teams try to reach people who do not have a church to attend (sometimes within several hundred miles), no pastor, no access to medical care, education, or even employment. They have limited government assistance, if any at all, and rarely make demands for their rights (because they usually have none). You see, there is a reason that people are unreached -- they are hard to get to, and it costs a lot of money and time to reach them.

More Infusion Adventures (GI mission trips) are coming up in the Fall and Winter, and we are excited about how God is using our teams to help build His Kingdom. It is almost overwhelming to hear the testimonies pouring from people who have answered the call to the foreign mission field. Humble, determined Christians who are actively fulfilling Jesus' mandate to reach the world for Him. Quite incredible. Very (eternally) significant.

Reaching the unreached

This is a record-breaking summer for Global Infusion. Over the span of 3 months, we will have 10 mission teams on the field. By the time most of you receive this letter, we will have teams in Thailand, Egypt, Guatemala, Ukraine and Ghana simultaneously! For several weeks, we will have teams ministering the Gospel, evangelizing the lost, bringing food to the starving, providing medical care for the sick, caring for orphans, helping widows, training and discipling other believers, and much more!

I have recently returned from Guatemala myself, after leading one of the summer GI teams, and I must convey that foreign missions work never gets old or tiring. I will admit that this past trip was one of the most physical trips I’ve been on in a while - carrying hundred-pound bags of beans, or sixty-pound bags of assorted food items to hungry villagers in the mountains and forgotten parts of the city. I don’t share details like that for sympathy, rather, I think it is an amazing opportunity. How often does your average Christian get to travel hundreds of miles to reach the unreached? Those who have never heard the Gospel? Those who are hungry for both material food and spiritual food? If you have not come on a Global Infusion mission trip yet, you are missing out on an amazing privilege. Spending your day as Jesus did, while on the earth, is a surreal experience.

When was the last time you led someone to the Lord? Preached the Gospel in front of hundreds of unsaved teenagers? Prayed for a desperately sick person? Held an orphan? Handed children’s clothes to a widow of 8 children? Gave food to someone starving? Many of whom have no church within hundreds of miles, nor a government agency to bail them out? When was the last time you shared a life-changing experience with people you know and love? This, my friend, is what happens every day on an Infusion Adventure with Global Infusion.

Passion and peace

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). Is it honestly that easy? Will believing in Jesus give us the ability to not let our own heart be troubled?

I love talking to passionate people — I especially like those who are passionate about building the Kingdom of God, and have a heart for reaching those in other countries who are not surrounded by thousands of opportunities to hear the Gospel. I find, however, that people who truly follow through with their passions, and not just talk about them, face incredible adversity — yet they keep going.

I’ve learned that the world is full of big talkers — people who tell me about everything they are going to do for God. Yet when I check back in with them after a few months, or even a few years, nothing has been done. There are plenty of excuses, but no results. But people with passion are driven. They put their trust in God, and even in the middle of natural chaos, they have supernatural peace. Why? Because they are in the safest place in the world: the middle of God’s will.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The world will always give us reasons to be afraid — trust me, every country that Global Infusion goes to has had it’s share of everything from natural disasters, to major civil unrest. Yet we go anyway. Not because we are unwise, but because God has not put any conditions on the Great Commission. He simply said, “go.” So we go.

I encourage you to read and meditate on the entire chapter of John 14. God is calling some of you to participate in world missions. His Kingdom will not grow on it’s own. We must go, and go now.

Do we believe what Jesus says?

How many of us have been to a great church service in the last few weeks? You know, good worship, strong preaching, catching up with some of our friends. We love to go to church, don’t we? How about reading our Bible and praying? Well, I’m sure we can each improve in those areas. What about believing everything we read in the Bible, or hear preached about in sermons? Do we actually believe, or live what Jesus says?

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matt. 28:19-20

I know what you’re thinking: I’m sure Jesus wasn’t talking to everybody. Isn’t there some interpretation of this scripture that says we don’t have to intentionally go to other countries? Are there not Christians already in these places that are supposed to reach their own people? I’ve got my own family to take care of! I thought I only needed to be a “missionary” where I live and work?

“How can they hear without a preacher?” Rom. 10:14

“Look after orphans and widows.” James 1:27

“I was hungry...I was thirsty...I was a stranger…
I was naked…I was sick…I was in prison…. You did not do it to the least of these.” Matt. 25:33-40

We can spend the rest of our lives trying to “interpret” Scripture so we can alleviate ourselves from the burden of dealing with the less fortunate and focus on making sure our bills are paid. Or we can find ways to obey the mandate on our lives to reach our world as Christ would. Supporting Global Infusion by joining us on a missions trip, or donating to this ministry, allows us to bring Jesus to a very hurting world. We need you. They need you.

Be a light where it is dark

Just a few hours ago, the GI team was at the airport, watching one of our Global Interns board a plane bound for Thailand. Summer Barbely will be stationed in Bangkok for the next 6 months with one of our Thai contacts. She has prepared, trained, and prayed for this moment. It was not bittersweet for us in the least. Of course we will miss her, but our happiness superceded any sense of loss. We know that God has called her for such a time as this.

I often wish everyone could understand what it takes to do something like what she is doing, or our past interns and staff have done, by living overseas long-term. I wish everyone could see how hard our teams work to raise funds, pray, and get ready to reach the lost with the Gospel. This life you and I are living is not a game. It is not a cosmic joke, or an experiment. We live in a real world, full of real sin, full of real people who need a Savior or they will die eternally. The simple fact is this: if we do not go, they will not hear. If you cannot go, send someone else.

It is very important to be a light wherever you are, but it is also important for us as Christians to intentionally go places where the light of God is very dim; places that do not have a church on every block, a downtown rescue mission, or hundreds of assistance programs to potentially lean on.

What goes through your mind when you read verses such as Luke 14:26-27? “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” Apparently Jesus is quite serious about following Him and building His Kingdom. I encourage you to partner with Global Infusion, as we continually reach hundreds and thousands of lives with the Gospel. We can change the world, together.

God's economy

I believe that when we get to Heaven, our eyes will be opened. We will have a greater understanding of God’s love for us, and the love He has for the entire world. I believe that besides the great men and women of the Bible, there will be little known heroes of Christianity who will be brought to our attention. We will see and meet Pastors and believers from nations such as China, India, Thailand, and Egypt. We will finally understand the sacrifice they made throughout life, simply to call themselves a Christian.

If we could only stop our busy lives to understand how God’s economy operates, I believe we would live our lives quite differently. The commodity of Heaven is souls. The commodity of Earth is time. The cost for obtaining either is extremely high.

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17). God, the Father, would not waste the life of His only Son on something He did not view to be priceless. In order for us to have “time” to do something, it
often requires great sacrifice.

The staff, interns, and volunteers of Global Infusion have traded getting a “regular” job, for serving God daily in vocational ministry — because of this trade, we are entirely dependent on the financial support of donors. We do not profit from our mission trips, nor sell any product.

We have more mission trips this year than ever before. We will literally reach thousands, if not, tens of thousands of people with the Gospel. We will also feed the starving, provide medicine to the sick, care for the orphaned and widowed, bless the poor, make disciples in many nations, and reach the unreached. A soldier is not sent into battle with the burden of fending for his or herself. Each one is properly trained, prepared, and sent to accomplish a mission with all the necessary resources.

I am compelled to carry out this vision which God has given me for the rest of my life. I understand that God is our source, and that as a ministry, we are dependant entirely on God for our
financial support — but I also know that God uses people. People like you. For those who have been faithful givers to Global Infusion, I gratefully thank you. The world is in a desperate place. They need a Savior. The field is ready for harvest, and we need more people, like yourself, to join us in prayer, mission trips, and giving. Together, we can infuse the world with God’s love, the message of Salvation, and see His kingdom grow.

A Cost Worth Counting

In Matthew 16, Jesus says, 24 If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

There must be a few months of sermon material in those verses alone. I have just returned from China with a Global Infusion missions team. I met people there who have seriously counted the cost of becoming a Christian — and I even had the privilege of interacting with several Chinese who are considering becoming a Christian. You see, becoming a Christian in a country like China is not a flippant decision one makes. It radically changes many aspects of one’s life.

The Cross of Christ is not given to us; we must go after it, and take it up willingly. We must reject what the world has to offer so our soul is saved. Every day, the news reminds us that there are plenty of people who exchange their soul for temporary earthly pleasures.

While I have heard these verses in Matthew 16 quoted many times, verse twenty-seven is often left out. Jesus tells us that He will one day reward us according to our works. This is an entirely separate event from the judgment which determines our entrance in to Heaven. What “works” did you accomplish for Christ in 2009? What are you planning to do for Him in 2010? Don’t let the year pass you by. Life will always be full of challenges, and I believe God meets the needs of the righteous — so make a conscious decision to do something for Him today.

Life is a Garden

In Genesis 2:8, the Bible says, “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man he had formed.” Imagine God Himself planting a garden, and He did it for Adam! After Genesis 1 outlines the mind-blowing magnificence of Creation, Genesis 2 shows us how much God cares about us, and how important details are to Him. One phrase I like to tell our mission teams during training is, “Details make the difference.”

Our lives are like a garden. What we put into the ground as seed will determine what will grow up in the future. How we invest our time, money and energy determines the path of our lives. It always seems like things will be taken away from us if we make bad decisions with time and money. If a person unwisely spends more than they make, they could have their house taken away from them by the bank, their electricity cut off, their car repossessed, or late charges assessed (more money being taken from us) when bills are not paid in a timely manner. Look at Jesus’ parable of the talents. The servant who buried his talent had it taken away from him.

On the other hand, if we invest our time and money wisely, there are many blessings to reap. Spending time in prayer instead of watching television. Reading the Bible instead of the newspaper. Attending church regularly, getting more education, and spending less that we make (sticking to a budget), dedicating quality time to spend with family, are all good seeds for your life garden.

In Matthew 13:38, Jesus says, “The field is the world.” In 2009, Global Infusion reached thousands and thousands of people with the Gospel, and met many physical needs. When you invest in Global Infusion, you are planting seeds for the Kingdom. Be careful where you put your time and money in 2010. Pray, and let God help you plant your garden.