What do the following people have in common? Two lawyers, an interior designer, a musician, a nurse, a manager, two seminary professors, a couple of information technology consultants, a physiotherapist, and a speech therapist? All of them are cross-cultural mission workers serving with the National Baptist Convention of Brazil! (See photo taken at the closing ceremonies of the missionary training program at JAMI). Is there such a thing as a “typical missionary” in today’s world?

What a pleasure it was to be part of the instructional team that prepared these young women and men who will serve on four continents. We were moved by the pledge they recited at the closing worship service. Here is an excerpt:

God said, “I need someone willing to say no to the status quo, … to leave their families to fly to distant lands, learn a language they've never heard, to travel on crowded buses, … someone who will sleep anywhere, eat anything, tolerate the heat and fight against the cold, with a smile on their face ... just to bring the Gospel to a people that is not theirs … . I need someone who is a radical servant of all.” So God created the missionary. (Note: the rest of the pledge is below, if you’d like to read more of it).

Wishing you a blessed Christmas full of Jesus’ hope, love, peace, and joy.

Fielmente, (faithfully),

Ann and Bruce

P.S. Thank you to those who faithfully support us in this ministry. Please give generously to the World Mission Offering - you can even direct your gift toward “the support of Bruce and Ann Borquist”. Your end of the year gift will help us to reach the fundraising goal set for us by International Ministries. Just click on the "give now" button on our page.


I AM A MISSIONARY ***

In the beginning God created human beings in His own image, He walked with the man and woman in the dusk of Eden. But sin broke this union. So God created the missionary.

God said, “I need someone willing to say no to the status quo, not to dream of wealth, to leave their families to fly to distant lands, learn a language they've never heard, to travel on crowded buses, on horseback or camelback, someone who will sleep anywhere, eat anything, tolerate the heat and fight against the cold, with a smile on his face ... just to bring the Gospel to a people that is not their own.” So God created the missionary.

God said, “I need someone who is a radical servant of all – who will undertake the lowly work, wash the feet of the poor, care for the sick, and clean their wounds. I need someone to visit the prisoner, take care of the widow and the orphan. Someone who will sit in the dust with the children and tell them that they are loved.” So God created the missionary.
God said he needed someone who believes that the blind eyes can see! And that lame feet can walk! That the dead can live again! Someone to pray for long hours, and intercede into the night, with deep sighs of supplication, so that a soul can be saved!

God said, “I need someone honest and brave, full of grace, mercy and compassion. Free from fear and passivity, walking in true intimacy [with Me]. Someone burning with love and full of truth, someone who radiantly reflects the glory of God.” So God made the missionary.

God said, “I need someone who will say ‘Yes!’ before being asked. Someone who will go to distant islands, remote deserts, towns, closed nations, next-door neighbors and prestigious universities to reach the unreached. Who will scale any mountain! And overcome any obstacle!”

Because how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14-15)

So God made the missionary.

*** Excerpt from pledge made by missionary candidates at the closing service for the course Specialization in Cross-cultural Mission at JAMI, Belo Horizonte, December 2014.