Dear Friends,

This is the third of 9 letters we are writing in support of the American Baptist Churches' World Mission Offering.This is the offering that supports the international mission work of the American Baptist Churches.In the past two letters we have tried to explain the origins of the financial crises that International Ministries is facing and what has already been done to balance the budget.

Two years ago, International Ministries had a $3 million budget deficit, which was balanced by dipping into endowments.Through staff reductions in Valley Forge and cuts in support to our international partners and programs, the deficit has been reduced by half.The only place left to cut is the number of missionaries.So for next year, an additional $1.5 million dollars is needed to balance the budget or numbers of missionaries will be reduced.We can no longer dip into the endowments.The only place this money can come from is the World Mission Offering, which means it must increase by 36%.That is a phenomenal increase, but for a phenomenal cause and a phenomenal Lord.

When last in the US doing deputation, I would occasionally do the children's message during the Sunday service.For that message, I would sometimes try to coach the kids that came forward into performing a miniature version of a "wave" like at a stadium during a sporting event.First one stands, then the person beside them stands as the first sits down.When done well, it does look like a wave is running through the stadium, an impressive sight.The waves generated during my children's messages were not very impressive, but I think people got the idea.

A wave through a stadium is small compared to what happens every Sunday morning.As the earth spins, and a new Sunday dawns, a wave of worship begins lasting 24 hours as it moves through the time zones.The wave starts in the islands of the Pacific Ocean and moves into New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, then into Asia.The wave of worship is only 3 hours old when it arrives in Thailand and the Thai Christians stand up and praise the Lord.The wave continues west through Asia, across India into Europe and Africa, then across the Atlantic and into the US and South America.

As Christians wake up on Sunday morning in the US and prepare for church, the focus is likely to be about what will happen at their own particular church.Probably not much thought is given to other churches in the community, let alone other churches around the world.But the opening hymn of each service is picking up from a hymn that just ended somewhere else.When that hymn ends a new one will start joining a 24 hour, world wide wave of worship.Our small voice is joined with the other 1.9 billion voices of Christians around the world.When combined together we offer thunderous praise and worship to our Lord and Savior.This is why we were created.When we worship we are fulfilling our purpose and are a part of something huge and wonderful.

Our Baptist mission efforts serve to strengthen this wave as it moves around the world.The Sunday wave of worship is brand new when our Japanese missionaries like the Armogosts are worshipping.Maybe their service is winding down when the Gravelys in Hong Kong are getting started.As they slow down the Millers in the Philippines start, followed by all of us here in Thailand.Midway through the service in Thailand, our Burmese brothers and sisters start worshipping.Their Christian roots are in the mission efforts of Adoniram Judson and they continue to be proud of their Baptist heritage.In Burma the army has run many tribal people out of their villages so small clusters of people worship in hiding.But like the widow's mite, I wonder if worship in hardship doesn't increase the value.

Cathy Holmes in India starts when the Burmese slow down.We may not hear much about them, but within the countries we think of as Muslim, there are many Christians adding their prayers and praise to the wave of worship through south and central Asia aided by the Baptist mission presence in these areas too.We were saddened to hear that in Beslan, Russia where so many died in the school, children of the Baptist pastor and other church families were lost in the violence.

The Wests in Africa begin worshiping about the same time as those in Eastern Europe, followed by the Kelseys in Belgium.Finally, when the day is quite old, the wave reaches the east coast of America.Aided by our brothers and sisters in Central and South America, it is finally our turn to keep the wave going.

In a perfect world, this wave of worship would be going all day, 7 days a week.But even in this imperfect world we are a part of the huge and wonderful world-wide body of Christ.Right now we have almost 140 missionaries and many times that number of local partners around the world working to build the wave of worship into the tidal wave of praise our Lord deserves.There is so much left to do, so many that are not yet a part of the wave.We need an extraordinary effort for the World Mission Offering this year and the next several years to keep our part of the work and our part of the wave going.We are hoping and praying for a wave of generosity to feed the wave of worship.

Yours in Christ,

Duane & Marcia Binkley