Mallory recently stood before our church in central Alabama as we had a special time of prayer before she headed to Ecuador for the summer. The Sunday prior, Bryce stood before his church in northwest Alabama as he prepared to leave for his summer missions work in Uganda.
Countless congregations across the state held similar prayer moments in May and June as they sent out their young adults for a summer missions experience.
It is not only prayer for the summer missionary and the work he or she will do, but it also is prayer for his or her family. It is a prayer for peace as they release their child into the hands of missions and ministry teams in faraway places. Even a location across the state can seem far away for parents sending their young adult child out for the first time.
A real difference
A church “holding the ropes” for those serving in short-term and long-term missions experiences truly can make a difference for the missionary and his or her family.
No matter how strong your call to serve, there will be moments of loneliness and discouragement. And even the most excited of young adults are sometimes shocked to discover the difficulties and frustrations that come with adapting to a new culture, adjusting to the new area and feeling overwhelmed when they see the enormity of the work.
But knowing their church family is back home praying for them truly makes a difference when those weak moments surface.
FaceTime and Skype had not been invented when I served a two-and-a-half-year term with the International Mission Board back in the mid-1990s, but a phone call here and there, an email on occasion and definitely cards in the mail became welcomed touches from home that kept my spirits lifted. I also remember the banner Pastor Sammy Taylor hung at Mountain View Baptist Church, Phil Campbell, that said “Mountain View holding the ropes for Jennifer.” I knew their prayers continued throughout my term and weren’t only spoken that Sunday I stood before the congregation to be sent out.
As special as the prayers prayed over you as you leave are, the ones that are consistently being lifted during your missions service are the ones that sustain you.
Alabama Baptist students and young adults are serving in a variety of ways in Alabama, through ministries in many states across the nation and on missions fields around the world. They may not send back regular reports of their work while they are away, and it is easy to skip days and even weeks of praying for them without a consistent reminder.
Prayer cards, email notes and social media posts are good ways to keep the need in front of church members and others who would like to pray for those participating in summer missions. Posters, banners or other types of visuals in the church also are good reminders.
The Alabama Baptist regularly reports on students and young adults doing missions. When those stories appear, it is another good reminder to pray.
The prayers really do make a difference. I remember many times feeling a sense of strength, peace and focus I knew came from the prayers of those holding the ropes for me. I also remember the confidence and courage I felt with the love and support of family, friends and an amazing church. If someone actually inquired deeper about the experience, then my enthusiasm grew as I shared my story.
The privilege of praying daily for Mallory and Bryce this summer provides an opportunity for me to give back to the next generation of young adults following God’s call. Who will be your Mallory and Bryce?
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