(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

We spoke with George Durance of TeachBeyond, who explained how to Christians, the phrase should involve something much deeper than politics.

“These are very, very interesting times, and one could say turbulent times, even scary times, I think, in the United States,” Durance says. “The question about America being great again struck me on my travels around the world because people are asking this now. ‘What does this mean? Have you somehow changed, George? Has the organization you’re working with changed?’

“It’s strange. There’s an election, and then all of a sudden there’s this feeling that everybody in that country is somehow different. So we have to have an answer for this thing. ‘What’s going on in America, and what does it mean to make America great again?’”

The answer to that question, Durance says, is the seriousness with which believers took their faith. He says they possessed a raw passion for the Gospel and desire to share it.

“I think what made America great in the past, I would say the last 150 years, 200 years of mission across the world, was that we, by God’s grace, were able to send people to the far corners of the world who had a deep, sincere reality to their faith,” Durance says.

“These were men and women who loved God, who were willing to sacrifice even their lives because of this love for Him and His people around the world, and the Gospel that they proclaimed was active in their lives. There was integrity there. It wasn’t just something they said. It was something they lived out.”

A faith-driven lifestyle can take on many different forms. Durance says in his own ministry, they need to simplify their measurements of success. He says sometimes the best indicator of people’s faith isn’t something empirical, but rather what’s in their heart.

TeachBeyond has a variety of serving opportunities around the world. (Photo courtesy of TeachBeyond via Facebook).

“All of the tests and instruments and reports that we require and want to generate and so on to demonstrate to ourselves that we’re being fruitful and being used by God’s Spirit should maybe just be set aside, at least to some degree,” Durance says, “and we just ask our people two simple questions: Are you reading God’s Word every day, and are you praying for your ministry and the people God has entrusted to you every day?

“You know, we can have the greatest army in the world, and we do, and the best economy, and great jobs for our people. And we so much want that. I mean, we want justice and peace, we want creativity in the arts, and we want to foster that and nurture that and all these things, but it is nothing if it isn’t filled with God’s love for lost people and a life of holiness.”

If you’d like to partner with Teach Beyond, click here.

(Photo courtesy of Thomas Faunce)

Faunce is a missionary with Frontline Outreach. For decades, he has been answering humanitarian needs and sharing the Gospel. And while Faunce is often traveling alone, he depends on the Body of Christ to help him in his work. You see, he’s a longtime friend of World Missionary Press. This organization has supplied one of his major outreach tools — Scripture booklets. Faunce has also utilized the Jesus Film and audio Bibles in his ministry.

The heart of a missionary

If you spend just a few minutes with Faunce, you’ll catch a glimpse of his heart to share God’s Word. And along with this passion is great wisdom and a desire to motivate the whole Body of Christ — because as he says, all Christians are called in the Great Commission.

(Photo courtesy of Thomas Faunce)

Faunce is an avid photographer, and he enjoys capturing nature and the daily life of the people he comes into contact with. As someone who constantly recognizes God’s divine hand in all things, he says, “Everything God touches is alive. He doesn’t make dead things. There’s no such thing as a dead Christian. There’s something wrong if there’s no fruit coming out of our lives.”

The term ‘missionary’, he explains, simply refers to someone with a mission.

“It’s not crossing the seas. It’s abiding in the cross of Jesus Christ. It’s doing God’s will. And He calls each and every single one of us alone. He doesn’t call the board of directors. He doesn’t call the preacher. He calls the preacher to preach, but He doesn’t call the preacher to pick you. He calls you. He calls you and I, He’s called us by name.”

And while mission boards and pastors are all necessary components, we can’t excuse ourselves from mission work, even if it means we face trials. He gives Jesus and Paul as examples of missionaries who were alone, weary, and victims of abuse. But they kept pressing on to do God’s will.

“That is the cost, sometimes, of stepping out to do Jesus’ will. But there is no greater joy in life than to serve Him. As for me, I will never let any man stop me.”

Uganda

This is the heart, then, that drives Faunce to serve in places where others might flee.

“I’ve been going to Uganda for quite a while. I started going there up into Sudan during the war and the fighting — really bad up in northern Uganda, the suffering. But I’ve met Christians over the years.”

Uganda is a land grappling with trials like the HIV/AIDS epidemic, rapid and unsupported population growth, and ethnic conflicts. And while the country is rapidly developing, they are struggling with long-term economic solutions. The conflict in nearby South Sudan has also been a factor of instability as refugees enter the country. And while all countries face a diverse set of challenges, Faunce has stepped into this one to answer what needs he can.

He’s established a hub of ministry outreach on the ground with the help of a local pastor and his son who run a remote village hospital. “We got involved with them [and] started doing the outreach with the Jesus Film, the Bible booklets, and we put a water well in years ago.”

The well sprouted a clinic and fellowship. Faunce will be visiting Uganda again soon, and this is one of the projects he will check on.

Another project is taking place in the pastor’s village. The people here are very poor and farmers have to carry their corn and grain a long way to get it milled. Faunce has helped the village purchase machinery for a local mill, and on this trip, they will begin construction of a building to house the machinery.

“This is an opportunity for them not only to mill their corn, their wheat, but also help them to sell it to others, and they’re really excited. But it’s caused a tremendous outpouring of the love of God.”

A different village in the area has limited access to clean water, which is not altogether uncommon in rural areas. And even though there are parasites, children are often seen drinking from these sources.

“You watch people drink water out of ditches that people are walking through, riding their bikes through, cars through,” Faunce says. And so, they are working to install a well here, too. But these humanitarian projects aren’t just about putting an end to physical suffering.

(Photo courtesy of Thomas Faunce)

“These are basic needs, but helping these basic needs gives us the opportunity to spread the Word. They’re asking for the Bible booklets when we bring them in, the Jesus Film, and we’ll go out to different villages and share the Word.”

In this area, there is a large Muslim population. Faunce says he has had run-ins with them in the past. He asks that you pray for an open door, for protection, and for hearts to be open to the Gospel.

Also, please pray for the finances to fund projects like these both now and in the future. Pray for Faunce’s contacts as they are involved in continuous ministry in the area.

If you’d like to contribute to Faunce’s work, you can send a gift to the address below, or email him at Frontlineom@gmail.com. Simply make a note of what project you’d like your donation to go towards.

Frontline Ministries,
P.O. Box 618
Hillman, MI 49746

And finally, if you’d like to read Faunce’s testimony, consider purchasing his book here. Profits will go to fund projects in Cambodia and Uganda.

A ministry of faith

In all these projects, Faunce trusts God will provide the resources needed. One of the biggest resources has continued to be his partnership with World Missionary Press.

He says, “This has been a tremendous ministry. I think it’s one of the greatest ministries in the world because it provides a missionary with their right hand to give them the Word of God in all these languages.”

He encourages people to take their families to their headquarters, saying that it’s a miracle — all in God’s hands — that this ministry is able to offer resources free of cost to missionaries like him.

To learn more about World Missionary Press and to partner with them, click here.