Missionaries serving locations ranging from Yellowstone National Park to the Philippines and Mozambique challenged participants at the 2008 Woman’s Missionary Union missions celebration to join them in sharing Christ’s love with their communities and around the world.
Brad Lartigue, an 18-year veteran resort missionary with the North American Mission Board, described his work in the resort community of Big Sky, Montana, and in Yellowstone National Park.
“God has given us freedom to color outside the lines,” Lartigue said, referring to his call to reach people outside the walls of the church. “In this day of extreme recreation and adventure sports, the possibilities are endless.”
God has given him a passion to minister through skiing, snowboarding, swimming, hiking, backpacking, kayaking and mountain biking, Lartigue said.
“I am overwhelmed when I get to be an instrument used of God to help usher someone into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ,” he said. “Is God’s love contagious in your life? When people see you, are they drawn to our Father God? Do you need to work on being a reflection of Christ?”
Jeff and Kim Cruse, International Mission Board missionaries to the Philippines, described their work teaching English at a university, training Filipinos as English teachers, providing a coffee shop ministry for young adults, leading a campus Bible study for professors and hosting a house church in their garage.
“We try to meet a need – (Filipinos) know they have so that we can meet a need they don’t know they have,” Kim Cruse said. Twelve professors who participated in their campus Bible study have trusted Christ as Savior and now take turns leading the study, she reported.
Her husband told of their visit with Alan, a Filipino student, while sitting under a covered picnic table on a university campus. “God sent a torrential rain, which stranded him with us for three hours,” he recalled.
The missionaries shared the gospel, and the student received Jesus as Savior. Less than a week later, he shared his newfound faith with his friend Mark, who also became a follower of Christ. Now Alan is on an international cruise ship, witnessing and discipling others on the ship. Mark is in Cyprus, sharing the gospel with his co-workers.
Jon and Mindy Jamison, NAMB missionaries in inner-city Des Moines, Iowa, spoke about the ways they reach out to their community by providing clothing, food and English classes.
“As we meet these needs, we endeavor to share Christ,” Jon Jamison said.
The couple asked for prayer as they reach out to the growing gang population, many of whom have begun to play basketball at the center where they work.
“Keep praying for Des Moines, that God will transform lives and change the hearts of those who live there,” Mindy Jamison said.
During a business session, Kaye Miller, a member of Immanuel Baptist Church of Little Rock, Ark., was unanimously re-elected as president.
Also, Deborah Kidd, a member of Southside Baptist Church of Huntsville, Ala., received the Martha Myers award. Kidd, who suffered a debilitating stroke a few years ago, has been a GA leader for 24 years and served on the Alabama Children’s Resource Team.