the last frontier

Having travelled so much on my own, perhaps it would take much to ruffle me. Yet I find that my human nature is still prone to its fits of flurry and panic. I find also that I am often alone in my school of thought, although I admit that this is of little consequence to me. I am referring to the human inclindation of travelling in numbers. Of course, there are advantages of travelling in groups, but panic also tends to multiply in greater numbers. Not only that, it has a tendency to bring on a wave of 'what if's' and 'should have's'. I admit that in my solitary travel, there are moments of weakness where I have much desired a companion, especially to share the responsibilities of travel. However, there is also solace to be found. I find that I tend to rely more on God than on the flesh. It becomes easier to draw on the peace and strength that God has given me. Eventually when the sandstorm subsides, I always have ample time to screw my head back on.

Sometimes others think I have been on 'more than my fair share' of mission trips - at my age no less. Do I deny it? Indeed not! I have been strangely blessed. My age is no limitation to God, He will use me anyway. But I have come to find that God's ministry is like a drug, you can't get enough of it and you want more each time. So what do I mean by 'strangely blessed'? It is the most befitting term for the peculiar way all my trips have begun - things lost, flights delayed and all sorts. But this is just God's way of reminding me that his favour is upon me.

I've just completed the Condensed World Mission Course, and it's been nothing short of amazing. It is so refreshing to find that the dreams you have are nothing new, that there are so many others who have already gone before me. I've found difficulty putting this passion into words, but I found this beautiful article called 'apostolic passion' by Peter McClung, director of YWAM, which describes my exact sentiments, down to the very last letter.

"Apostolic passion, therefore, is a deliberate, intentional choice to live for the worship of Jesus in the nations. It has to do with being committed to the point of death to spreading his glory It's the quality of those who are on fire for Jesus, who dream of the whole earth being covered with the glory of the Lord... If you have apostolic passion, you are one of the most dangerous people on the planet. The world no longer rules your heart. You are no longer seduced by getting and gaining, but devoted to spreading and proclaiming the glory of God in the nations. You live as a pilgrim, unattached to the cares of this world. You are not afraid of loss. You even dare to believe you may be given the privilege of dying to spread his fame on the earth. The Father's passions have become your passions. You find your satisfaction and significance in him. You believe He is with you always, to the end of life itself. You are sold out to God, and live for the Lamb. Satan fears you, and the angels applaud you. Your greatest dream is that His name will be praised in languages never before heard in heaven. Your reward is the look of pure delight you anticipate seeing in His eyes when you lay at his feet the just reward of His suffering: the worship of the redeemed."

Oh I could go on and on about it, but when you have such excitement burning in your heart, could you possibly keep from imagining that someday God might consider you worthy to share in the crown of life? Impossible! I have no desire to be a renegade, a hero, a rebel or anything of the sort. I just want to answer this calling that I have been given. Now I know what it feels like to be a burning coal in the bonfire. And there is no other feeling in the world quite like it. Here there are so many who burn even more brightly than I do, and their fire only seeks to fuel mine. How wonderful it is indeed!

Palawan is well known as 'the last frontier' in the Philippines. Exactly so. Here we are learning about how we need to go to the unreached nations, to be tentmakers, to the very last frontier. There are still thousands of people groups still unreached all over the world today. I am not the first to go, nor will I be the last. But go we must, and go we will.