Many people covet front-row seats at concerts, symphonies, and sporting events. You can see the musicians and players up-close and even watch them sweat and breathe. You become more engaged than if you sat in the back. Sitting in the front makes you feel like you are really there, involved in the performance.
Being a student missionary on the frontlines of mission is like having a front-row seat. Here are a few of the perks I’ve experienced in the front.

A Closer Daily Walk with God
When I started teaching cello here in Thailand, I had two students who had previous experience. However, a few weeks into my term, I began teaching seven students who were brand-new to cello. I did not feel confident about these first lessons, knowing how important it was to start them on the right track. I fully intended to take time to prepare, but I got busy with other tasks and forgot. Realizing my oversight the night before the first lessons, I prayed that God would wake me early enough to both have quiet time with Him and to prepare for the lessons, and then I slept soundly the rest of the night. He was faithful. I awoke at six to have a good devotion time and prayed for guidance in my preparations. The Lord led me to a very helpful website that gave me a lesson plan for that first day. It was exactly what I needed to get started. The lessons went better than I could have hoped! Daily, God continues to help me in my classes and lessons when I don’t know what or how to teach. He comes through in countless other ways, too.
By its very nature, mission work drives you closer to God in prayer and Bible study. You are constantly in over your head—doing tasks outside your comfort zone, living in a culture and language you don’t understand, not knowing how best to reach the hearts of those you interact with, and being far away from your own family and support system. You sense your daily need of His strength deeper than you ever have before. Every little thing becomes a matter for prayer. And, as God comes through time and time again, you grow in your trust and personal connection to Him.

Seeing God Work Miracles
Our school/church was recently informed that we would need to vacate the building we use within three months. We were not given a reason, and we worried that we had offended the landlord in some way. Though there are plans underway for building a new facility on our own land, we would have to move elsewhere while we waited for the new facility to be built. Moving would be inconvenient and expensive, not to mention the difficulty of finding another building that would meet our needs and budget. We spent some time fasting and praying together, and some leaders went to meet with the landlord to see if we could negotiate. When they simply asked the landlord whether it would be possible to stay longer, the landlord said it was no problem—we could stay for another year! It seemed bizarre, and we all sensed it was an answer to prayer. We pray that our new building can be ready in about a year so we can move directly there.
God often chooses to work more powerfully and explicitly on the frontlines of mission than in our home cultures where we are comfortable and have everything we need. In places where the need is so obvious and people are more open, you may see miracles such as healings and deliverance from demon-possession, changes in hearts you thought were too stony, obstacles crumbling and governments yielding. Sometimes it’s a real-life Acts story being played out. But small miracles happen almost daily. These frequent workings of God assure you that He is in control and has a purpose.

Seeing God’s Love through Fresh Eyes
A recently baptized friend of mine was sitting on the couch in the school lobby reading the Forever Stories books. I sat next to her on the couch to do some computer work. After a while, she turned to me and asked for clarification on what she was reading. “So, God knew that we would sin before He made us?” she asked. “He knew that Jesus would have to die for our sins, and He made us anyhow?”
“Yes, He did,” I replied.
“Wow! God loves us so much!”
As I sat next to her on the couch, enjoying the expression of awe on her face, the beauty that she was seeing for the first time penetrated my heart anew. I had heard this truth my whole life. But seeing the newness and amazement through which my friend saw it gave me pause. As I stopped to really consider, I saw that it is amazing and precious! Knowing the cost, God said, “I am willing to pay the price. I will do anything to save you. I just want you to be with Me.”
If you have been in the church for a number of years, especially if you have grown up in the church, it is easy to take the truths you know for granted. However, when you are sitting beside someone as they discover these beauties for the very first time, seeing their awe and wonder at the love of God for us helps you see it anew for yourself. We need that—I need that. Maybe that’s why Jesus gave His disciples the gospel commission, so that the gospel would stay fresh in their minds as they continued to watch others grasp its hope. I praise God for His love and His willingness to sacrifice everything to save me. I pray that I will grow to have that same self-sacrificing love for the world around me.
Ministry is the greatest concert you’ll ever see. Sitting in the front row, you get to be part of the action. I feel privileged to have the seat I do, to watch God’s love at work and even have a little splash onto me. There are many other benefits of sitting up front, and I hope you’ll seek a front-row seat yourself. I know there’s a ticket waiting for you if you want it. 

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