I’ve had the opportunity to travel twice with News Service 2000 teams to Egypt and Israel to visit our Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith.  Many people ask me, what is the purpose of your trip?  I often struggle to find the words to describe the purpose in practical terms. 

We are not going to build homes or schools, to provide medical care, to feed starving children, or to clean up after a natural disaster.  Though we do tend to their physical and practical needs as we are able, our primary purpose in going is to bring encouragement to our brothers and sisters who may otherwise be tempted to give up and give in when the struggles of life make remaining faithful more difficult than we can possibly imagine.  We pray with them, serve alongside them, laugh with them, share meals with them, listen to their stories, and get to know them and their needs.  Then we come back to share their stories so that others may know how to pray for them, and so God may ultimately use their suffering for his glory. 

As someone on our team put it, no one wants to go where there is war and where the people are disadvantaged.  But if Jesus were here, that’s where he’d be – in the streets with the hurting, the disadvantaged, the war-torn, and the oppressed.  By responding to God’s call to go, we are somehow carrying the message that God has not forgotten about them.  That message renews their strength.  And when they have the strength to remain faithful, the churches in these countries stay alive and healthy to be the Light to the dark world around them. 

Brother Andrew, missionary to the persecuted church for almost 50 years and author of the book "God’s Smuggler", was himself challenged on this issue while writing his book "Light Force".  He was asked, “Just what have you accomplished?” by traveling all these years and bringing encouragement to suffering believers around the globe. 

He told a story about a Palestinian government sponsored book fair at a shopping mall in the (predominantly Muslim) Gaza Strip in October of 2003.  Amazingly, the local Bible Society bookstore was invited to participate.  For 5 shekels each (about $1.00) many people eagerly bought packages containing "More than a Carpenter" by Josh McDowell, New Testaments, and videocassettes of the Jesus movie.  But it was the visual depiction of Jesus crucified, dead, and risen again that kept the crowds coming.  Over ten days approximately 6200 people were exposed to the Good News at that book table. 

Brother Andrew says: What if there had not been a bookshop in Gaza ?  There would have been no display at the book fair, and those 6200 people would have missed the chance to see the light.  And why did this shop exist?  Because one man had a vision.  How did he get that vision?  By seeing that you could speak to Muslim fundamentalists about Christianity and they would listen.  And why did those Hamas leaders listen?  Because I went to see them in their time of need.”

What, then, is the purpose for our trip?  It is to help strengthen the Church in these lands so it can spread the gospel.  Bringing encouragement may not seem like much, but one thing leads to another, and we often never know how God strings all these seemingly unrelated events together.  One way or another, he does, just as he promises in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

So what is God calling you to do?  To pray?  To provide?  To Go?  Each of us needs to respond to God’s call, whatever that may be…

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