Why missions? (Micah’s perspective)

Growing up, I always heard stories from one of my missionary heroes from the field and being an adventurous little kid I was all about running around the jungle and living among tribal people. As I grew both physically and spiritually, I had a growing burden in my heart for the lost. I saw over and over in Scripture verses talking about taking the gospel to all people in the world and here we are 2,000 plus years after Christ and still 1/3 of the world has never heard about Him. I was moved by stories of villages in remote locations who are asking for missionaries to come and how there are not enough missionaries to go. If Christ is the most important thing in my life, shouldn’t I be doing all I can to make His name known to those who have never heard? Romans 15:20 echos my desire-“and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation”. I pray that one day there will be no need for overseas missionaries and that the local church in every country will go to those who haven’t heard. But many countries do not have a local church or the training and finances needed. We in America have been given so much and have the ability to go and preach the gospel. Jesus says that “To whom much is given, much is expected” (Luke 12:48). I have been blessed by God with being born in America, raised in a godly family and raised in the Word. I know that I must use the gifts God has given me for His glory no matter where that will lead me.

Why missions? (Laura’s perspective)

I grew up in a Christian home and went to a Christian school, and I’d learned the importance of spreading the gospel to those who did not believe, but spreading the gospel to those who had never heard-now that was another story! I had no idea there were people groups around the world who had no access to the Word of God-who had no chance of hearing the Good News unless someone went to them and told them. I also hadn’t fully understood the Great Commission, in which Christ tells us to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:18) Once I realized the responsibility we have as believers, and the fact that there really are people who are dying every day with no chance to hear the gospel, I was convinced that tribal missions is the direction God is leading me in.

How our paths merged

Laura and I met at a Village Missions High School camp where I shared about my desire to serve God in overseas missions and challenged the camp to make the best use of the blessings that God had given them. Laura came up to me afterward and told me of her desire for missions but didn’t know exactly what that looked like and what the next step was. Over the next few weeks, Laura made some big decisions about her future and I was there to walk with her through it. It was during this time that I realized that I was really starting to fall for this girl and had to pray long and hard to make sure that my advice I was giving her about the future wasn’t being influenced by my feelings for her. Laura ended up going to the New Tribes Bible Institute in Jackson, MI while I did my first year of Missionary Training in Missouri. After that first year, I was sure that this was the woman that I wanted to serve alongside in ministry. We were engaged in December of 2015 and married in June of 2016.  After two years of Missionary Training in Missouri, a baby girl, and a year of raising support in our home state of Washington, our family moved to Papua New Guinea for the first time in June of 2019. In June 2020, we moved in among the Lembena People and began learning their language with the goal of seeing a mature church planted. God has blessed us with two wonderful children, Addy (5) and Declan (2).