Just because you went into the ministry doesn’t mean you are immune to all the problems of life. In many cases you are a target and the devil comes after you even harder. Our missions director, Wayne Cooper, is no stranger to trials.
Years ago his house was burned down while being away in Russia, adopting their son Nathaniel. His wife Charity has been battling an unknown health issue sapping her of her energy which persists to this day. They are also the parents of a child with special needs. This would be more than most can handle.
When asking him about the house fire, he actually mentioned that was the smallest of their trials that they’ve faced when compared to others.
When missions conference comes around as missions director he does a session with the missionaries, as many of the pastors do also. His session is on trials.
Many of them have spoken to him afterwards about what they have been through, or what others have been through, and they can relate to that. Its nothing more than 2 Corinthians 1, I give you comfort so that you can comfort others in their tribulation.
He shares comfort that he’s received from God and his heart goes out to them, he knows what they’re dealing with. That’s how his trials have affected his ministry.
Missionaries are real people, with the same kinds of frailties that all the rest of us have, and they need prayer. Because just like all the rest of us, they deal with temptations, and they deal with struggles in their family, they deal with kid problems.
As he speaks tears begin to well in his eyes, as he recounts the number of missionaries that he and his wife have read of letters from. They’ve read of their hardships. Some of them have broken health, or have had to come home from the field.
He’s grateful for a church that loves missionaries to the point that we treat them like celebrities when they come for missions conference. We give them gifts, we showcase them, but at the same time, he knows they are just humans that struggle too.
We try to encourage them with our missions team behind the scenes, with at least 3 part time workers reading letters, writing to missionaries, supporting the day to day of missions.
Sometimes people put missionaries up on a pedestal somewhere and think that they’re some “super saint”, when they’re not. God’s called them to take the gospel somewhere else, as he’s called all of us to take the gospel to the lost. But He’s called them to take the gospel to another community or around the world, and they’re answering that call.
“I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the ropes.” – William Carey
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