Mission on the Move

It is a remarkable testimony of God’s faithfulness that our TeachBeyond schools and projects around the world restarted rather uneventfully this month. That doesn’t mean things were uneventful for individuals!

As usual, I am tracking the progress of our members appointed to serve overseas and, as I watch and pray for them, I am re-impressed with a sobering thought: One must be wholeheartedly committed to following God’s call to be a missionary!

For example, one of our members going to a creative access country in Asia had to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel and then another 7 days in a home. Furthermore, she needed to be tested regularly despite being double vaccinated. Finally, 21 days after leaving home, she was able to leave her apartment. In addition to the many challenges faced by those doing cross-cultural missions, she had to push through a highly disruptive and potentially discouraging COVID barrier. This spirit of determination and commitment is what we commend and celebrate. She is a missionary on the move in spite of a long list of questions and nagging doubts that so often lead us to fear and inaction.

We can see this same spirit elsewhere in our mission.

I believe my relatively normal day today gives insight into how this is happening worldwide. I woke up to an email from our Latin America Director asking me to sign off on the establishment of TeachBeyond Uruguay where a new, thriving ministry is serving some of the most unreached peoples in Latin America. As I signed this, I remembered that this is the third new TeachBeyond country to be added to our community in this year alone! I then turned to plan a late fall trip to Bucharest Christian Academy, our newest European based TeachBeyond school. Finally, my calendar reminded me that this afternoon I am participating in orientation for a group of members who have come together to establish a new school in Ecuador this fall. The day will finish with a planning session featuring our outstanding safeguarding team, which is striving to support the development of increasingly excellent educational environments for all learners and teachers. All in one day! There is evidence everywhere that the mission is on the move.

This month, our leadership teams are on the move working to support our mission by gathering together for in-person meetings at the end of September. For the first time since 2019, our Cabinet and global departments will be together at the Global Centre in Horsham, UK. Our goal is to listen to God’s call on our mission, to plan for the year ahead, to think of ways to support our members, and to commit ourselves to plans and aspirations which are Spirit anointed and God-blessed. We want to be a Christ-centred, God-honouring, faith-filled mission on the move.