Charlotte's Corner: Always GOing — Women Around Southeastern

Sweet ladies, as summer approaches there are so many wonderful things to look forward to. It may be that many of you are looking forward to GOing on short term mission trips this summer during your school break. I hope also that you will get to relax, and enjoy the beach and some yummy Blue Bell cookies n’ cream ice cream—two of my favorite things!

In May 2010 I saw up close and personally the power of James 3:18 (“Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”), for those who have seldom known peace. Danny and I went to Southern Sudan on a mission trip. This trip was a blessing to me in many ways, and it was also hard at times. We went into a village for three days with an interpreter to share the good news of Jesus. The interpreter’s name was Pastor Sam. Pastor Sam started a church in this village underneath a mango tree. He is from Uganda. When he was thirteen years old he saw his whole family killed by a rebel leader. Pastor Sam became a Christian and knew that the Lord spared him for a good reason.

The people that we met were kind and loving, and they were glad to let us share the good news with them. The people in the village also were very poor. The heat was one of the hardest things for me to handle. I realized that I am so spoiled by having air conditioning and fans.

Their school was out for a break while we were in Sudan, and every day the little children and the school aged children would come to meet us. They would hold our hands and walk with us for a mile or two from hut to hut. Most of the children did not have any shoes and some would carry a brother or sister on their backs the whole way. Their smiling faces were so beautiful.

North Sudan has waged war on South Sudan for many years. We noticed that most of the men we met were young, because many of their middle aged men were killed in the war. Even in the midst of such hard times, their hearts were open to us and to hearing about the gospel. They were wide open to the fruit of righteousness, the righteousness sown in peace by those who make peace who know the Prince of Peace.

As Matthew 9:37, 38 says, Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his Harvest. What a gift it is being part of “the sent out to the harvest to labor”.

Ladies, as we all know, the Lord doesn’t need us to do one thing for him and yet in his wonderful grace he allows us to be a part of His work to lead the lost to him.

There’s not enough time to tell you what this mission trip to Sudan did for me almost 9 years ago now. It convicted me more than ever of the vast lostness of our world. It showed me a people hungry to know Christ and how important it is to be a laborer working to plant seeds in areas that are dry and thirsty. To come alongside our missionaries that labor so hard in many countries without enough help.

Danny and I get to go overseas in August to work with some wonderful friends. We are so excited to get to GO to encourage them and work alongside of them! I will be praying for you all as you GO to share the good news of Jesus this summer, even if it’s across the street to your neighbors. Because we all know how important it is for missional living to start at home. As you GO, I pray that the Holy Spirit will be with you to guide you.

Sweet Ladies have a wonderful summer rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord, always GOing to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those around you that do not know Him and to the ends of the earth!

With our wonderful friends Mike & Joanie Buster from Prestonwood Baptist Church 2010.