Missions Challenge

Philemon is a short little book that not many people pay attention to. Thankfully our pastor did, this past Sunday he finished up a 3-message series on the book. That’s when I realized Philemon is an incredible “missionary” book.

As a Sunday school book, it’s all about a crook who “got religion.” Paul probably got his evangelistic hooks into Onesimus (the crook) when they were in jail. Now, Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon, probably the person Onesimus had robbed  earlier.

As a Theology book, it’s all about “imputation.” Imputation is an accountability term, it has to do with transferring or in-putting/imputing something onto someone else’s account. Adam’s sins were imputed to us. Then they were imputed to Christ. Lastly, as a believer, God’s righteousness or justice has been imputed to us (Romans 5:12).

As a Missionary book, it’s all about “missions.” Paul, as a great missionary, is commissioning a new believer (Onesimus) and he is challenging the church that was in Philemon’s home. The book of Philemon is Paul’s prayer letter. Missionaries write prayer letters for a lot of reasons but mostly because they need your prayers. Without your prayers, support, and encouragement we could not do what we do. You are part of our team. I want to focus on verses 20, 21, and 22.

Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you. (Philemon 20-22)

1) Paul was unashamed in seeking benefit from his supporters. Sometimes as missionaries we are cowardly and don’t dare think to ask for any sort of benefit. But Paul was unashamed because it wasn’t a self-centered thing. It was a benefit from the Lord. Your generosity is a reflection of God’s generosity. Someone once said that you are never more like God than when you are giving.

2) Missionaries need to be refreshed in Christ. Your encouragement keeps us going. It cheers us up whenever we get feedback from you about our letters, our ministries, etc.

3) Missionaries need to trust the Church. After all, it is God’s vehicle for impacting the world through evangelism and the discipleship of believers. We need to trust that you, as the Church, have our backs. That you pray. That you give. That you visit. That you help. That you read. That you respond. Like Paul, we need to trust that you will do even more. The Church can go above and beyond for what is asked or needed.

4) We need to count on your prayers. They help keep us on the field. They help us get home. They give us the rest we need. They give us the courage we need. We earnestly count on your prayers and need to count on them seriously.  Paul asked for “lodging” (accommodations) even before his release from prison because he took their prayers seriously. That’s faith. When we pray, we need to pray with faith.

The benefit we need from you in the Lord, the refreshment we need in Christ. Our Christmas Wish this year is 5 dollars. Twice a year we host a 5 Dollar Challenge. Our winter challenge is really simple. All we are asking you to do is forfeit a cup of coffee, sacrifice a snack, to invest 5 dollars to help keep us on the field. We trust that you, the Church, will give 5 dollars to help our ministry.

This year we have added a new element to our 5 Dollar Challenge. We’ve never done this before, but this year we set a goal. Our goal is to raise 500 US Dollars. Our deadline is December 31^st. We think you can help us meet our goal. Please share this challenge with others in your Church. With your gift and serious (faith-filled) prayers, we can meet this goal. If you would like to donate, please go to: https://scoresponsor.org/missionaries-staff/shop/carter-charles-ashley/

Us with one of the children at Pasitos de Jesus Orphanage, Rosemery

Our GAP students of 2013-14

Echoes of Eternity

I’m not going to lie, this has been a hard week for us. Sunday morning we found out that fellow missionaries, and friends of ours, “lost” their little girl.

 Giovanna was born in the Dominican Republic with a heart condition 19 months earlier. And we, along with many others, donated funds and other resources in an effort to get her to the States for a costly and difficult operation. It was a worthy investment. The operation was successful. Then, this Sunday, she passed away.

Neither Ashley nor I had been to a child’s funeral before, and this was our first funeral in the Dominican Republic too.  The viewing is the same day as the passing, and the burials are typically within 24 hours of the person’s passing. During the burial, I translated for two different speakers. The following night at her memorial service, I translated for four different speakers. None of this was easy for me; it’s hard to speak while choking on tears. We prayed and wept often during the days that followed.

At the same time, my sister arrived from Uruguay to be with us during that same week. She had gone to a conference in Honduras and on her way through, she stopped by to spend a week with us here in the DR. We hadn’t seen her in over three years! It was great to let her tour our ministries and favorite places. We loved spending time together with her.

The sad tears for Giovanna’s passing were soon mingling with the happy laughter of being with my sister again. And life is like that sometimes. There is both sorrow and laughter involved. Yet there is something in us that knows that it shouldn’t be like this.

Thankfully, right now, things are this way, we have a capacity for sorrow and joy. Our tears are a valve for us to relieve some of the stress of grief; they are an outlet for emotional expression. But although we appreciate them, we do not enjoy them. We know that this is not the way things should be.

The echoes of eternity resound loudly in our hearts. We know that there needs to be more to life than what we have at the moment. Saying goodbye to Giovanna was so hard, and eventually we had to say goodbye to my sister, after dropping her off at the airport. Once again, the tears were there and again, it was extremely hard to say goodbye. As a Missionary Kid who’s spent most of his life traveling, I’ve had to say goodbye for more than my fair share: and it’s not gotten easier. It never will – not in this life, anyway.

Those echoes of eternity seem to ring loudest when we have to say goodbye because we know that we were never created for goodbye. Mortality is a terminal disease that affects us all, and although you can live your life any way you choose, you know that you can only live it once.

Right now we may have to grieve, but we do not grieve as those without hope (I Thess. 4:13). Instead, we look forward to Heaven knowing we’ll never have to say goodbye again. Why? Because our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Or, as the text tells us: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus (I Thess. 4:14).

But the text continues and at the end of I Thessalonians 4; it exhorts us to encourage one another with talk of Heaven.  So please be encouraged by these words and set your heart on home – because Heaven is right around the corner! Peter tells us that we are sojourners in this land. In other words, just passing through. Heaven is our home. “And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and thought you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible…” (I Pet. 1:8). We have authentic hope even in our grief. We also have great joy even in our limitations.

We talk about Heaven being so far away.

It is within speaking distance to those who belong there.

(D.L. Moody)

           Picture below: Us with Carter's sister (Abigail)