~ Make Me Willing ~

After 28 years as a missionary in the Far East, (including more than three years internment as "guests" of the Japanese during World War 2), I was quite prepared to remain in the States. Then my husband presented me with the proposition of going to the Middle East where my parents had been missionaries for 43 years. Recovering from an illness and weary in body, I had absolutely no desire to pack up and go abroad again. It all seemed too much !

How I struggled ! I really wanted to obey God if this move was His will - but it was just too hard for me. While in the throes of decision-making, we were invited to speak and show slides to a ladies' group. Taking her text from Deuteronomy 1, a woman, who could not possibly have known about us, challenged the group to move on in their Christian experience. She read, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain" (verse 6). (We were living at Nyack, the "mount of prayer and blessing.") She continued, "Break camp and advance into the hill country . . . and to Lebanon" (verse 7). (It was to Lebanon we had been asked to go.) "Bring me any case too hard for you" (verse 17). (Everything was too hard for me.) God let me know that my next step was to be willing to go and He would open up the way ! I had to cry out to the Lord that the best I could do at that moment was to be willing to be made willing.

Needless to say, we went to Lebanon and saw God perform miracles in the lives of individuals. Now I can say that those 15 years in Lebanon, despite uncertainty, destruction and constant danger, were some of the happiest I have known.

M. Taylor

"As thou goest - step by step - I will open up the way before thee (PROVERBS 4:12, Old Hebrew Translation)."

* IllUSTRATION ..

"I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation" (ACTS 10: 34-35).

"We had been asked to leave our mission field and serve on our board's administrative team in the States.

FOR a year, Ev served as a guest professor at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky. When his teaching assignment ended, he was asked to become vice-president of field ministries. As I suddenly realized that I would not be going back to Korea, I prayed, "Lord, don't take Korea out of my heart, but stretch me to love other countries just as much." God did exactly that. An encounter on a flight from Singapore to Manila serves as an illustration.

A young family sat near me on the crowded plane. The beautiful mother had two small boys. NEXT to me sat the father, and before we were off the ground, he asked who I was and where I was going. He then told me that he worked for Gillette in the Philippines.

He began to ask questions about Christianity - not just, "Who is Jesus Christ?" but rather, "If God created us, who created God?" We talked at length about cults and Christianity. Before we parted, they invited us to their home.

At dinner around their lovely table, they accepted Christ. Two big tears trickled down the mother's lovely face - a sight I shall never forget. The following day, they met our missionaries, and later they were baptised.

My stretched heart included him, not a Korean but a Chinese from Malaysia who spoke impeccable English, lived in Manila and later emigrated to Australia.

THIS couple represents our world. Affluent? Yes.
But they had the same need to know Jesus.
(Jesus needs our love to reach others like them.)"
CARROLL F. HUNT.