Story number 4 for 6 Aug 2001

(USA) — Meanwhile, today’s short-term mission activity may not be the largest short-term mission movement ever. Don Richardson, of Don Richardson Ministries explains. “Hundreds of thousands went out as service persons in the Second World War. Those that survived came back home with memories of the spiritual need of the nations where they went to serve. Thousands of them applied to missions and went out as career missionaries.” Richardson says that may explain why there aren’t enough missionaries to replace those retiring from the field. He says that short-term movement is proof that cross-cultural work is motivating. “I think that there are many who sense a call to go back. At the very least they’ll be more aware of people from other countries living right next to them here in the U-S or Canada. And, they will, I think, be more interested in reaching out to foreign students and this is a very major need.”