Praise from the Pacific Rim

Greetings in the Name of the One who came as a Gift to the World,

It is with a very grateful heart that we write this note to you. For years each of you has directly impacted our lives and ministry. How have you done this? You have prayed for us, and we appreciate your continued intercession on our behalf. You have given sacrificially to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. By giving, you provide us a place to live on the least evangelized area in the world right in the midst of millions of people who have never heard the Gospel. You provide us with transportation that allows us to minister in some of the most remote areas of the world. You provide us with medical care that is needed when we suffer from tropical illnesses of which you may have never heard. You provide us with a salary that meets all of our physical needs. God, through your ministry of giving, is extending His Kingdom in this place and this is truly a time for celebration of the birth of His Son and all that is being accomplished in His Name and for His Glory!

As grateful as our hearts are, they also remain heavily burdened for the people of this area. There are over 20 million people here who have never heard of the love of Jesus Christ. In our area, there are 1million people, with only a handful of missionaries ministering among them. What is it going to take so that all peoples may know Him? In a word: Cooperation. The Southern Baptist Convention was founded in 1845 to create cooperation among Baptists so that the Word of Life might be spread to "idolatrous lands". This principle of cooperation is a key strength in the sending and support of the more than 5100 SBC International Missionaries currently serving on the field. We also note that the Apostle Paul sought to encourage financial cooperation among the early Christians as proof of their love for each other (2 Cor. 8:24) and proof of their ministry to each other (2 Cor. 9:13). Let me encourage you to prayerfully consider and reevaluate your privilege of financial cooperation in the expansion of His Kingdom.

Below is an excerpt from Oswald J. Smith's book The Challenge of Missions, where Smith, a great missions pastor, challenges us to give to missions based on 4 observations:
1.. If I refuse to give anything to missions this year, I practically cast a ballot in favor of the recall of every missionary.
2.. If I give less than heretofore, I favor the reduction of the missionary forces proportionate to my reduced contribution.
3.. If I give the same as formerly, I favor holding ground already won;but I oppose forward movement. My song is "Hold the Fort," forgetting that the Lord never intended His army to take refuge in a fort. All His soldiers are commanded to "Go!"
4.. If I increase my offering beyond former years, then I favor an advance movement in the conquest of new territory for Christ. While Oswald J. Smith wrote this in 1959, it is a great reminder today for us, as Southern Baptists, as we consider our financial cooperation in reaching the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal of $150,000,000.
M. and B. Pacific Rim