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In the last few months our family has had a few opportunities to learn about missionaries and their work around the world.

• Open Doors representative came to town and showed a short film on persecution in Pakistan
• HCJB actually have a broadcasting station here in Kununurra.  This week they had visiting people from India who shared how the radio broadcasts are meeting people’s needs in their country.
• Our local church is supported by missionaries and volunteers from the organisation Bush Church Aid – we often don’t see people working in our own country as missionaries – but they are.
• A visit from missionaries  from Bolivia supported by our local church

In these few extra opportunities that came our way our children saw:

• What it costs to be a follower of Christ.
• Different challenges of sharing the gospel – as well as the joy when people respond.
• The global church  – we are all in this together
• Their hearts were touched to pray for both the persecuted Christians, the missionaries and the people without Christ.

Our country is so comfortable, and spiritually unawares.  Our country needs missionaries too – not so much a missionary from another country but we, ourselves, need to see the needs around us and respond with a missionary heart.  A missionary is a person who shares the good news of Jesus with people who need it.  We can be missionaries in our own neighbourhood.  There are people who need Jesus all around us.

One of the things we need to start doing more as a family is praying for the people around us – the people who need Jesus.