Africa (MNN) — Hundreds of African believers are ready to join the mission field. Unfortunately many of them don't have the means to do so just yet.
One Zambian missionary heard God's call to minister to Muslims in Tanzania. He would need $500 for start up fees, which included a bicycle, a mattress, and roughly $50 per month to support his needs. His excited church, made up mostly of farmers living on less than $1 per day, took an offering to support the missionary. Their tithe amounted to 50 cents.
Determined to send the believer on his way to the mission field, the congregation decided to sell second sets of clothing and deny themselves a third meal every day. After a few weeks, they were finally able to get their brother onto the field.
This man's story and call represents the desire of hundreds of people across Africa to go into the world and spread the Gospel. The characteristics of many African believers of being personable, passionate and willing to go wherever God takes them make them excellent candidates for mission work.
Operation Mobilization has caught on to the vision that many African bodies of believers have to become truly missional churches. They have seen many missionaries use innovative ministry techniques, like one man who has taught poor communities agricultural skills interspersed with the Gospel message. OM Africa has been overwhelmed by the number of people eager to go with the Gospel across the continent.
"100 missionaries are all saved, they know the Lord. Those missionaries could've reached 60 or even more. That's 60 people per missionary this year. We had to look at it from that point of view: we are not just missing 100 missionaries; we are missing 6,000 people," says an OM Africa Associate Director.
So now, OM Africa has a plan. The ministry hopes to send 150 indigenous missionaries out to various African nations in 2011. Over the next 10 years, they plan to send 5,000.
Thousands are waiting to hear the Gospel, and thousands are ready to share it. They just need the resources to be able to do so. Learn more about this ministry in a video at the OM Web site. Prayerfully consider sponsoring an African missionary. Pray for these new missionaries as they are sent out.
