It was late, and Jesus told the disciples to feed them. The disciples looked around, stunned. Too many tired, hungry people and nowhere near enough to eat (Mark 6:32-37). Overwhelming! Impossible!
Then Andrew found a boy with a basket of food—five loaves and two fish—and brought him to Jesus. “But what are they among so many?” (John 6:9). In countless situations, we ask the same question today.
“What difference can one prayer, one gift, one hour, one person really make?”
Yet that little boy was willing to place what he had into the hands of Someone who could do the unthinkable, and that is where the story changed—the finite in the hands of the Infinite results in abundance.
Jesus did not ask him to bring enough for everyone. He simply took what was available and multiplied it.
That is partnership in mission.
AFM knows reaching the unreached is bigger than any one person. Missionaries may be the ones who go, learn and build relationships among the unreached, but they do not go alone. Behind every missionary is a community that has chosen to become part of Jesus’ continued story.
Some pray.
Prayers: seemingly invisible, but never insignificant, they travel to God’s throne room and back again, multiplied. You can pray for missionaries to be encouraged when they are tired, discouraged, uncertain or when facing doors that appear impossible to open. You can pray for people who have yet to hear the gospel and ask God to prepare hearts long before a missionary arrives.
Some give.
Perhaps your gift feels small. But the miracle of the loaves and fish reminds us that what we offer is not measured by size but intent. Every gift can become part of something larger as we prepare, send and sustain missionaries among the unreached. You do not have to carry AFM’s entire mission, but you can and should help carry a piece. Adopt a missionary. Support the Go Fund. Sponsor a student.
Some advocate.
Andrew noticed what was available and brought it forward. Sometimes advocacy means helping someone else see an opportunity and a potential. You can share AFM’s mission with your friends, family and church. You may know someone who would love to become involved if they knew the needs. You can be the Andrew who brings another into the story of Jesus.
Some volunteer.
Maybe what you have is not primarily money. Maybe it is time. A professional skill. Experience. Creativity. A willingness to help. The boy did not bring what he did not have—he brought what he had.
We should ask: “What has God placed in my hands?” and “How can I best use this to help save the lost?”
Is it a prayer? A gift? A voice? A skill? Some time? A willing heart?
The crowd was enormous. The need was overwhelming. And a boy gave what he had to Jesus, and He did the rest.
Pray. Give. Advocate. Volunteer.
God can work a miracle with what He has already given you. Place it in His hands. You can trust the outcome.
To learn more about how you can partner with AFM, contact the Development Department at development@afmonline.org.
