*In pursuit of our vision to abide in Jesus and make disciples together, we desire to be a church characterized by our 10 Markers, including being a missional church and a sending church. As a church family, we want to actively and faithfully respond to Jesus’s call to make disciples of all nations.
That’s why stories like this matter. As the F Family prepares to move to the Middle East, we’re grateful for the opportunity to support, pray for, and learn from them as they step into what God is calling them to. For safety reasons, they will remain anonymous in this interview.*
As a church, we’ve been practicing our 15-second testimonies. Can you share yours?
1: There was a time in my life when I lived for the world and its desires, but God revealed my idolatry and showed me the supreme worth of Jesus. Now I’m truly satisfied, living for the glory of Christ alone.
2: There was a time in my life when I was living in shame, thinking God could never love me because I couldn’t do enough to please him. But God showed me his love is unconditional. It is based on Jesus alone, not my works! Now I’m filled with joy and a desire to tell others about this freedom and good news.
When did missions become part of your story?
1: After going on some summer mission trips, I was struck by the spiritual poverty and darkness I saw in other parts of the world. God used that to expand my view of him as the God of the whole world, not just the God of the Bible Belt in America. I saw him at work all over the world.
I grew up in a place where there is a church on every corner, but in other parts of the world, people have never even heard about Jesus. Romans 10:14-15 sat heavily on my heart, and I felt like God was asking me to be one of the people to go and take the gospel to dark places of the world. He was inviting me into that, and it felt like a privilege to be part of it.
2: In college, I went to South Asia on a mission trip. I saw spiritual darkness that reminded me of where I had been in my own life. So many people needed to hear that their salvation wasn’t based on their works, but on the work of Jesus.
That’s when I started to really consider long-term missions. It felt very sovereign when we met and realized our similar interests in mission work. After we married and as we continued to grow in our faith and talk about the future, we both had such a willingness to go do ministry overseas. Missions became something we consistently prayed about and pursued together.
During our years working in Dallas, we anticipated when our hope to go would become reality. In the meantime, we strove to work faithfully, realizing that all labor is valuable to God’s kingdom. We thoughtfully began to take steps toward going. After much prayer and wise counsel from believers around us, we decided now was the time to take this step of faith.
What is next for your family?
1: We’re heading to the Middle East to focus on reaching college students and sharing the gospel through evangelism and discipleship. We know college students are the next generation of world leaders, and we get really excited about the impact this can make on the world. For those who put their faith in Christ, it not only impacts their eternity but also has a ripple effect through the people they will influence as future leaders in whatever field they enter. We want to be a part of raising up Christ-centered, lifelong, multiplying disciples.
2: We’ve really loved being at Watermark and experiencing the focus on making disciples here in Dallas and around the world. In preparation to leave, we’re taking language and seminary classes. We’re also in Re|engage, Watermark’s marriage ministry, to intentionally focus on our marriage before we uproot our lives and move to a different culture and part of the world. We have been sharing the gospel with college students here in Dallas as well. Most importantly, we are prioritizing spending a lot of time in prayer. Praying that God would go before us and move in mighty ways, for the glory of his name.
How can our church pray for you in this season?
1: A current prayer is that our visa approval process will be successful. We’re also praying that we’ll be able to learn the language and adapt to a new culture.
We’re asking God to bring us to students who are open, interested, and seeking truth, and students who will also influence others. We’re praying for softened hearts and fruitful opportunities with whoever we meet.
Jesus calls us to make disciples of all nations. As a sending church, we pray for unreached people groups, support international ministries, and respond to the call to go. Our aim is to be consistently engaged in advancing the gospel to the nations. Learn more about Watermark’s sending efforts, mission trips, and how to get involved.