I needed to make an important decision. It would affect my future.
A few months ago, an email from Adventist Frontier Missions popped into my inbox, prompting me to consider staying at my current project for another year. This wasn’t a big surprise because I knew the point would come when I had to make this decision.
Becoming a missionary has been a dream of mine since I was in school! Back then, listening to mission reports spoke to my heart. I knew deep down that I wanted to dedicate myself to serving in the mission field, but the question was: Should I go right away or learn a trade first? I submitted my future, my plans and my question to God.
After finishing school, I decided to become a plumber in Germany. Around four years ago, I felt God forming a plan in my mind: using my plumbing skills to not only build a career but also to help others in the mission field. When I finally got my official plumbing license over a year ago, I sensed God saying now was the time to go. With that goal driving me, I started researching different mission agencies. I liked AFM’s focus on reaching unreached people groups, especially after hearing inspiring stories about their work.
I compared the various AFM opportunities (calls) for student- and short-term missionaries. God then pointed me to a project that matched my skills and interests. I applied. A few months later, I was on my way to the States, getting trained with other young missionaries to go out into the mission field.
Here at the Pnong project in Cambodia, we use a method called the Disciple Making Movement (DMM) to reach the Pnong tribe. We regularly visit the local groups that gather on Sabbath days to read the Bible together. Our role is to support these groups with the knowledge they need to share their faith and teach others what they have learned. This creates a multiplying effect of discipleship, where knowledge and faith are passed on organically within the community.
This DMM approach is what truly excites me the most. We don’t overwhelm people with complicated ideas. Instead, we focus on creating a supportive environment where individuals can grow in their faith and naturally share it with others comfortably and authentically.
For me, it’s a nice vision for reaching many of these local people and encouraging them to share the experiences they have had with God. I can clearly see how God is working among these tribal people. In the past few months, I experienced how God works through villagers to reach even more people than we could ever reach alone.
Considering all this, I decided to extend my stay by one more year. I am so excited about the future as I continue to serve among these amazing Pnong people!
