Today is a bittersweet day. Our friend (and our missionary) Beka is on an airplane bound for the Philippines and she does not plan to return for at least 20 months.
I first met Beka in October of 2010 during my own introduction to Haiti. At the time, Beka was a One Mission Society missionary working at headquarters in Communications - writing for the official OMS website and the agency's various newsletters and magazines. She joined our church's mission team just before we headed to Cap Haitien, going with the purpose of researching the work occurring in Haiti in general and the "Homes for Haiti" program specifically.
Well, she quickly proved to be a real joy and a valuable addition to our team and when we all returned to Indiana at the end of the week, Beka told me about a weekend retreat she was helping with at OMS headquarters: an event for those considering missionary service. Melissa and I were just hitting the point where we were ready to say Yes to the Lord regarding serving Him in Haiti full-time.
In the course of that great and valuable weekend, Melissa and Beka got to know each other and before long, they were the best of friends.
It's been two full years now and we consider Beka a part of the family ... and more. Melissa and I had financially supported missionaries in the past from time to time, so the idea wasn't a new one when Melissa told me a year ago that she thought we should officially join Beka's support team. (I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago that we are convinced that every believer is called to SEND workers into the harvest field ... and so we do. The really cool part is that even though we have dropped down to one income, God continues to provide the funds that we have committed to our missionaries on a monthly basis.) So currently Beka is a friend AND one of our missionaries. (I will tell you about our other missionary in a separate post!)
Recently, Beka has heard the call to serve the Lord overseas. She and her friend Lauren will be working in the Philippines among women and children in impoverished neighborhoods around Manila. The discipling work they will do is aimed in part at stemming the tide of human trafficking and the sex trade which is so prominent there. And we consider it a privilege to play a part through financial support and prayer.
So today is bittersweet. Bitter: saying goodbye to Beka, not knowing when we will meet again. Sweet: rejoicing that she is fully funded and ready to embark on a new chapter in her walk with Jesus.
By the way, apparently the name "Manila" evolved from an Arabic phrase meaning "God's protection" - and that is what we pray over Beka and Lauren as they leave Indiana today and carry the Gospel to the poor of Manila.
P.S. I so greatly desired to include a picture or two of Beka but there's some blogspot glitch preventing it for now. Rats!
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