“Why would you choose, at this time of your life, to leave the United States and go to Thailand? It is so hot there!” That is the question so many people are asking us. But after spending 20 years as the associate pastor of the Village SDA Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan and working with WellSpring ministry within the church, we are not ready to sit back and take it easy. There is no Bible injunction that when you reach a certain age you must retire. And the gospel commission is still the same: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”

Ever since we served in Korea as student missionaries 45 years ago, the passion for missions has never left our hearts. As we began to think about retirement and what God would have us do with our time and energy, friends from AFM began speaking to us about using our experience and gifts in mission service. The more we prayed about it, the more convicted we became that this was what God would have us do.

When AFM extended the official call to us, it was much broader than what we had imagined. Because of the work we had been doing with a biblical approach to healing damaged hearts, we have been asked to combine being Field Directors for Southeast Asia, based in Thailand, with providing pastoral care for any AFM missionaries who request it. Families living and working far from their support systems and everything familiar can suffer great stress. We are thankful for the blessings God has given us to pass on to others.

When we see how many language groups live in Southeast Asia we understand the enormity of the work still to be done to reach those who have never heard the story of Jesus. Jesus told His disciples to pray for laborers because the harvest was ripe. Hudson Taylor prayed for 100 missionaries to go to China, and God provided the 100. We are praying for hundreds to take up the work of sharing the gospel because time is short. The work we do not do in times of peace we will have to do in times of trouble.

Maybe God is calling you, too, to step outside your comfort zone and go as a missionary. Don’t ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit if He is speaking to your heart. God will equip and provide for you if you say yes. In so many ways, we have seen proof of this in our own experience.

We are in awe of the way the Lord has opened the door for us to serve in Thailand. We look forward to watching Him work to save many of His honest, seeking children who have never heard the Good News of His saving love.

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