Go Beyond

David in Tanzania | 2007

Who | David Lynn

Where I Have Traveled with Kingsland | God has given me opportunities, primarily through Kingsland’s missions ministry, to serve Him in places that I otherwise never would have gone to. And, He has used me (in whatever small way) to further Christ’s Kingdom in countries like Tanzania, Bangladesh, and the Darfur region of Sudan. God has also allowed me to travel to Iran, twice.

Why I Am Interested in Last Places First | In my case, God told me to “go.” Prior to His call, I had absolutely zero interest in foreign missions. And, having heard His call, I had no idea just how far Beyond He had in mind for me to go! Now, having been to some incredibly remote (not to mention potentially dangerous – specifically, Darfur and Iran) places, I can gladly testify that God is great and He has removed any fear I may have had about going wherever He calls me to go to. Those people who are in those places Beyond our normal frame of reference, those out past the end of the road, or in hard to reach or politically difficult areas, are just as valuable to Christ as anybody in the free civilized world and I have seen the hunger that people in those places have for the truth of Christ.

The Most Troubling Thing About Darfur | To me, the most troubling thing about the situation in Darfur is that the people are so isolated from the rest of the world. The logistics of simply getting there, much less with any kind of significant relief effort, are incredibly difficult. The fact that hundreds of thousands of people are in refugee camps is only the tip of the iceberg. Their entire way of life has been violently altered. Their homes and villages have been destroyed, their friends and family members have been killed, and their farming capability has largely been wiped out. Those people are virtually 100% dependent on support from the rest of the world for their daily survival. The level of need there is beyond description.

The Most Encouraging Thing About Tanzania | The Tanzania trip was the absolute spiritual mountaintop experience of my life. There are three main things that stick out to me about our visit there. First, that trip was irrefutable proof of the truth that God’s word does not return void. We were so far out in the bush that the safari company that was guiding us had never been there, yet the people were so receptive to the Word that many came to faith in Christ during our visit and twenty house churches were started. Second, the in-country missionary couple that hosted us were such a fantastic demonstration of how lives are impacted when we conduct ourselves as Jesus did. Every village we went into welcomed us with open arms because they had either already had experience with that missionary couple and their ministry or they had heard of their reputation and were thrilled that they had come to visit them. Third, the missionaries had trained a group of men from another tribe to share their faith and those guys went to great lengths (at significant personal cost/effort) to be involved in not only this initial missions effort but to also continue on in spreading and growing the faith among the people we witnessed to. Their heart for sharing Christ continues to amaze and encourage me today!

The Most Challenging Thing About Bangladesh | To me, the most challenging thing about Bangladesh is the spiritual warfare that goes on there.  As the country has a solid Muslim majority, the spiritual oppression and outright opposition to Christianity makes for a challenging environment to work in. However, there is no god like our God and the spiritual darkness that exists in Bangladesh only serves to let the light of God shine that much brighter! One thing that really struck me in Bangladesh was the stark difference in the spiritual lives of Muslims and Christians. As a direct result of the tenets of their faith, Muslims are, by and large and in my estimation, a relatively joyless people. By contrast, the Christians we met there were filled with the joy of Christ and that light truly does shine from their faces!

Why We Should Pray, Give, and Go Beyond | First, because the love of Christ compels us, as Christians, to want to share His love with others. What greater gift could any of us give to someone than the gift of eternity? Second, having been on several mission trips, I can testify to the power of the Word, the power of prayer, and the fact that God is working wonders in the world every day. Going Beyond is one great way to put yourself in the position of being used by God to participate in His miracles and to impact the world for Christ. The absolute best meal I have ever eaten in my life was the spaghetti served to us by a missionary couple in Sudan on our way back from Darfur. That meal, as simple as it was, was not only physical nourishment but was a spiritual ministry to me, too. In closing, I would want to encourage you that God is alive, He is working in people’s lives every day, and that each of us can participate in His works, whether through our time, our resources, or our prayers. Go Beyond!