Stepping into Mission
24 Feb 2021
God works in mysterious ways to call His sons and daughters to the mission field. For my husband Kurt and I, this call was crystal clear—and God connected our paths in ways we couldn’t have planned ourselves.
Both of us have pasts filled with wanderlust, a love of adventure, and a passionate pursuit of Jesus. I guess you could say our call to missions was inevitable!
Kurt was called by God to go to Indonesia when he was 19. At first, he responded like Jonah: aware of what God was saying but unsure and reluctant to obey. At the time, uni, work and other priorities came first.
But God’s call is irresistible. Eventually, after hearing a YWAM group speak at his church, Kurt knew it was time to obey. He went to Indonesia for a whole year. And soon after that, he returned to serve for another full year. Some time on, Kurt served as a young adults’ pastor at his church and led seven teams to Indonesia during that time.
So, for Kurt, there was a specific location that God put on his heart; a specific people group; and a specific organisation already operating in Indonesia.
For me, it looked quite different. I happily travelled anywhere I could—especially to places like India, Nepal, and South-East Asia. But through all this travel, I didn’t know Jesus personally. Over the last few years, God has turned my love for travel into a calling to mission.
While we were still dating, Kurt and I visited Indonesia in 2019 to conduct a “scout” tour and see if the land Kurt loved was somewhere I was called too. Kurt sat back and let God do in me what he needed to. And the answer was clear: this calling to Indonesia was for both of us.
Kurt and I are now married and preparing to serve long-term with this organisation in Indonesia. I will direct and run an Early Learning Centre, which we have fund-raised for and will have built by the time we arrive. I’m looking forward to discipling children under the age of three and their parents in this region which is in great need of good quality preschool education and childcare.
Kurt will teach in the Christian school run by this organisation, along with preaching and discipling the young people, and helping run the child sponsorship program there.
We’ll be sent by our church in Adelaide, Hills Baptist. And our sending organisation is Pioneers Australia, with whom we’ve recently become appointees. The journey with Pioneers has been smooth but immensely helpful and inspiring.
Obviously, we are preparing to leave at a very interesting time: there is still much uncertainty with borders between Australia and Indonesia. But we are trusting God and know that where he calls, he opens doors.
The first step into missions will look different from everyone, just like everyone’s walk and journey with God looks different. But for us, the keys have been consistency in prayer, walking daily with the Lord, and going in His timing.
Angie, a Pioneers worker.
Is God calling you to join the mission field? Get in touch.