Stay and be salt

Our community

I am passionate about the Great Commission and that we must reach all the nations that have never heard about Jesus. I read every book I can find about missions and missionaries. I can remember my first ever mission week so well, the speaker for the week was Floyd McClung. I committed my life to missions that week and so did Rika. We dedicated our lives to missions and to go to any place Jesus would call us. Staying anywhere were not part of language, we were dedicated to one thing and that is to go. The last few years Jesus have been talking to me about staying, staying here in Mozambique and to be salt for the community we live in. He told me to live, not to preach, not to evangelize, just to live. Many times as Christians we try to convert people, but it should be our love that draws people to Christ. The testimony of Jesus living in us and transforming us for His glory, that will change the lives of those who do not know Him. The day we chose to follow Jesus, we also chose to become like Him. How can we call ourselves followers of Jesus but not change the way we love others? Do the way we live our lives draw people closer to Jesus, is it a testimony of His love for us? The life of Jesus was an example of unconditional love, He died so that we can have live in abundance. So where ever we live we must love the way Jesus loved, serve the community we live in and Jesus will draw people to Him self. The only way we will see peoples lives transformed is through love and forgiveness. So today go out and live, be the salt and love those Jesus places in front of you.

Our source

Daily our family faces different challenges here in Mozambique, some of them are greater than others. I always tend to look at the lessons that I can learn from these challenges and I know it is necessary for building my character. Jesus is always my example and reference point of how I should live my life and face the challenges that comes to me. Never should our reference point or source be other Christians or even the church for that matter. I quote Floyd McClung from his book Follow: "We must constantly return to Jesus as our source and our example for how to live life and how to do church together. Studying His life, spending time in His presence, seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and fulfilling His mission with others in community-this is how we are to experience life as Jesus intended it."

In every situation I want to understand and use the life of Jesus to help me live a life that brings glory to Him. I seek to live in a community that loves Jesus, love one another and love those that have not heard His name.

Community

Go!

The first mission week I attended changed the course of my life and the way I wanted to live my life. The speaker for the week was Floyd McClung, the International Director of Youth with a Mission at that time. It is the first time that I heard someone speaking so passionately about missions. Jesus began to stir in my heart and started speaking to me about going, to answer His commandment to go. The final evening they asked everyone that wants to commit themselves to go to the nations to come onto the stage. They gave us a card that we can take with us to remember the night we made the commitment. Being single at the time and looking around on stage I thought it would be great if my wife to be is with me on stage. So I said a prayer that my wife must be on the stage with me.

Few years later Rika and I were doing Bible study and a very familiar card fell out of her Bible. I asked her were she got the card and she said that at the end of a mission week that Floyd McClung talked at she went on stage to commit her life to go. It was really hard to keep my composure, for I knew that Jesus answered my prayers. Rika and I both knew that we were called to serve the nations, we have the same vision and dreams. The decision we made to Go, is what gives us joy and to know that we are obedient to the last commandement of Jesus. In times when things are tough we know that this very place is where Jesus wants us. I went to Nepal a couple of times visiting All Nations church planters there. I found it very hard, promising myself every time I leave that I would never want to go back again. The missionary a young lady from the United States told me she would not want to be in any other place than Nepal, because this is were Jesus wants her. Floyd McClung always said "I am planning to go, but willing to stay." Is God laying a specific nation on your heart a people group that you are starting to be passionate about? Plan to go, but serve the community where you are right now as you wait to go.

Our 2004 CPx class in Kansas City

Follow

Rika and I started our missions journey in 1997 when we joined Youth with a Mission at their base in Stonewall, Colorado. We did a Leadership Development School that was led by Floyd and Sally McClung. The last few days I have been busy reading Floyd's latest book titled "Follow". I quote from the book: " All followers and seekers of Jesus must wrestle with three simple yet profound truths. Worship. Mission. Community. They are simple, but they will affect every area of your life if you allow them to.

Once again they are:

1.  Worship:  to love and obey Jesus as a lifestyle - with passion and purpose.
2.  Mission: to love those who don't follow Jesus - with courage and decency.
3.  Community: to love other followers of Jesus - with intentionality and transparency."

How is Jesus influencing your life in these three areas? Are you willing for Jesus to touch every area of your life? Imagine a church that lives out all three these three values. In our meetings on Tuesday nights we are challenging each other to reach out and love those who is not yet following Jesus. 

"Follow" by Floyd McClung is all about discipleship. I highly recommend this book. Floyd and Sally McClung are the founders of All Nations. They currently live in Cape Town where they mentor and train, church planters.

Pascal with Floyd McClung during our CPx in Kansas City 2005