worthyˈwəːði/ adjective -having or showing the qualities that deserve the specified action or regard

Worthy….that’s the word we have chosen as our theme for this mission to Southeast Asia.

In the last few years I have learned a lot about worth and value and the lies that we believe when we don’t see ourselves as valued by another person. It is easy to take that opinion or criticism or abuse and turn it into a story that we believe about ourselves.  That belief can then cause one to become stifled in the very thing that God has designed for us to do.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 

God saw each of us as worthy of His Son’s life. Not because of anything that we would ever do, but in spite of all that we would do.  Our worth is far beyond anything that one could pay for with money or gifts. We were worth His very life.

Our hearts are for those that we are traveling across the world to see. Many have been told that their worth is no more than the equivalent of $2. Men will exploit women and girls who have been sold and held by traffickers. Some of the precious lives that are exploited are women who have been pushed by poverty to a life that has been lived by their mothers and their grandmothers before them.  Nightly they service customers and most have no one to protect them.

The news we bring is from Psalm 12:5: “Into the hovels of the poor, Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks: “I’ve had enough!  I’m on my way to heal the ache in the heart of the wretched.”

My heart cry is to say: Dear ones…you are valued. Your life is worth my Jesus’ life spent for you. He saw you as worthy and paid the highest price.  There is no choice that you could ever make that would make you less worthy of this gift. There is no accuser whose voice could ever rival the Creator of your life who says “I see you, and I am on my way.”

Please pray for our team. We are ready and excited for all that God has been showing us through our preparations. We have members of our team from every decade from 1950s to 2000s. It is fun to see how He has woven each of our gifts and lives together to carry out His plan.