Missionary Talks

It was a joy to sit and talk with Bill and LaMoin Cunningham about their adventures as missionaries. While they have had many changes through their long missionary career, it is obvious in talking with them that they have trusted the Lord each step of the way as He has led them through their journey in missions. They share good advice for both new and veteran missionaries. In doing so they help the person in the pew who is praying for missionaries have an insight into some of the struggles and joys of working for the Lord in missions. LaMoin has written a wonderful book that will help the reader understand that missionaries are normal people. While the outside struggles may be different on the field from what it is back home, the internal struggle, and fleshly battles are the same no matter what country you are in. You can check out the book as well as sign up for her monthly newsletter at their website.

In this episode I chat with Missionary Philip Rogers who has spent most of his life in Chile. He was not in Chile when the earthquake hit last week, but has contacted many of his friends and co-workers to find out what relief efforts are taking place around the church members. Here are some missionaries that Phil and I know who are doing relief work in the effected areas. Feel free to contact them and see how you can help. Let me encourage you to contact any missionary that your church supports in Chile and see what more you can do to help those you are already supporting. Missionary Jason Holt Missionary Dave Disney News and information in Chile: emol.com [Spanish] The Santiago Times [English] To send money through Missionary Phil Rogers to help the local pastors with rebuilding and relief, you can send a check to Liberty Baptist Church at the following address and write "Chile Earthquake" in the memo field. Liberty Baptist Church 485 Old Hwy 84 Rd. Waynesboro, MS 39367 The purpose of this Missionary Chats episode is to help you see that you can be a real help in times of crisis. Even though the news may no longer be obsessing over the crisis in a far off land, remember that the missionaries are still there giving help and comfort as they share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Join me as I talk with Travis Snode, Missionary to Northern Ireland. Travis and his wife have been in Northern Ireland for 5 years as church planting missionaries. Like many missionaries, he is pastoring two churches; one he started and another one started by a fellow missionary. He shares with us the need for men to pastor one of the many churches in the United Kingdom that are without any kind of shepherd. Bro. Snode also talked about how he was called to missions as a young boy. Outside of building a good personal relationship with God and His word, he said that he was encouraged by his parents and an older man in church to continue to pursue the ministry that God had called him to. Travis is a good example of what God can do with a child or teen that you may know who is called to be a missionary if you will just take a few minutes to encourage them to follow God's leading. Visit the Snodes' blog to get up to date information on their ministry.

I chatted with Missionary Shane Rice about different ways missionaries can communicate with their friends and family back home. We talked about VoIP telephone systems, websites and mailing lists. One of the questions that came up in our discussion is, "How do you, the one praying for the missionary, want to be kept up to date?" Please send me an email, or post a comment with your response. Episode Links: Shane Rice's ministry website David Peach's ministry website Librivox Project Gutenberg Joshua Project Shane Rice's first interview on Missionary Talks Missionary Talks Group at Facebook Please leave a comment or send an email with any feedback you may have for Shane or I.

Andy Shinabery is a church planting missionary in Costa Rica. In this interview Andy talks with us about the two churches he and his family have been able to start. He also shares about some of the recreational activities his family have been able to enjoy on the field. Andy spoke with me when they were in the United States for furlough. He talks about how the two furloughs they have had have been different for them as a family. Listen as he shares some of his vision for the future and how he believes Costa Rica can be used by God to evangelize nations that are closed to missionaries from larger countries such as the United States.

This is not a traditional feedback episode in that I am not sharing news from you for other listeners. However, I am asking for some feedback on some possible additions at Missionary Talks. I am proposing a new show format that would be in addition to the interviews. This new format will be called Missionary Chats. The format will have me talking with a co-host. The co-host will not always be the same person. This will be a less edited conversation focusing on some particular topic. I am looking for feedback on Missionary Chats in the following areas. Would you like to be able to ask questions to previously interviewed missionaries? The Missionary Talks will stay in the current format. The Chats will be in addition to, not in replacement of the Talks. Would you be interested in only one or the other? Or, would you prefer to get all the Talks and Chats in the same "feed" like you are currently getting the Missionary Talks and the Listener Feedback episodes? Can you give suggestions for intro/outro music for the Chats? The Chats will allow more interaction for you. Would you be interested in being able to leave a voice mail that could be played, or just be able to email questions? Specifically I asked you to email me or go to one of the discussion threads on Facebook concerning this topic. Alternatively, you are welcome to leave a comment on this episode posting. The Facebook Group discussion is where I originally asked the questions. I have also set up a Facebook Page that I plan to migrate more personal interaction to. If you are a Facebook user, feel free to join the Group or Page, but know that I am going to try and push people over to the Page soon. You are always welcome to leave a comment at the Missionary Talks website at the posting for each Talk or Chat.

Mark Coleman is a pastor who thinks of his ministry as missionary work. He pastors the Deaf in Schaumburg, IL near Chicago. Pastor Coleman shares with the listeners how the Lord led him through various stages of ministry starting when he was a teenager, through college and now in 20 years of ministry with the Deaf. He urges the listener to allow God to lead in each step of their life; not to step ahead of God's leading. Bro. Mark also tells why ministry with the Deaf, even in the United States, should be considered missionary work. Visit the website of Pastor Coleman and Bethel Baptist Church for more information.

Bob Longenecker is a missionary with Child Evangelism Fellowship. His main ministry is teaching weekly "release time" classes for children in public elementary schools in Pennsylvania. He also has several week-long camps during the summer months. He is able to work with the elementary children in a two county area in all but three of the public schools. It is refreshing to talk with someone who has a passion for sharing the Gospel with the most open and receptive people group in America. I first met Bob several years ago through a mutual pastor friend. Since then Bob has asked me to speak in a couple of his summer camps. It was a blessing to be with him again this summer and to share this interview with you. Be sure to read more about Child Evangelism Fellowship and, if you are in the Estern PA area, check out the Eastern PA CEF site as well.

You will find Bro. Lonnie Blount to be very personable in this interview. As a missionary on deputation, but returning to the field, he shares with us some of the things he is looking forward to seeing and doing when he returns to Ethiopia. He and his family came home from the field due to medical needs. They were not sure that they would get to go back, but they are excited about the fact that they are now on their way to Ethiopia once again. One of the things he shares with us is a change in motivation behind deputation this time around. The thought that drives him through deputation is that, as Revelation says, Jesus Christ is worthy to recieve the praise from every nation. He wants to be a part of bringing people from the nations to Christ, because Christ is worthy.

I had the privilege to talk with missionary Jim Menkhoff and let him share about his current ministry of assembling and shipping Bibles to missionaries as well as his former ministry as a missionary in Zambia. Jim talks about how just a few dollars each month put into a Bible printing and shipping ministry like Bearing Precious Seed can be used to share the Gospel. He also talks about starting churches in Zambia. He gives a testimony of a man that he was privileged to lead to the Lord and culminates in the story of how the man was baptized in a pool of water filled with leeches. Bro. Jim closes with encouraging young people towards missions. He admits that mission work is not easy, but with the Lord's help a person could carry out the Lord's work. He also talks about the need to reach whole groups and countries of people who are currently not being reached by any missionary. You can read more about Bro. Menkhoff at his website. He has a link there where you can contact him if you would like more information about his ministry.

Thank you for your patience. I am glad to get this episode out and should be able to get another interview on the site within a few days. We have been doing a lot of traveling lately which has kept us busy in a good way. There are downsides to that as well. In this episode I explain some of the reasons for the delays and what you can expect from Missionary Talks in the near future. I also spend time thanking you, the listener, for putting value to the content at Missionary Talks. I am not here to make money off the podcast, but one of the listeners has recently sent a generous gift. While I appreciate the money and it will go to fulfill a need, it helped me understand that Missionary Talks is being used to minister to people. While most of the listeners never write to tell me how Missionary Talks has been a blessing, I am thankful to God for allowing me to see in a real way that people put value to the content that I am trying to provide. At then end of the recording I also share a story from one of the future guests at Missionary Talks. Enjoy!

Greg Yoder is the Executive Director of Mission Network News. He talks with us about how the Lord led him to Mission Network News through several steps, but specifically by taking a short term mission trip. Greg also shares what he believes to be some of the most exciting missions opportunities today. He shares in his ending comments about all of us having the same responsibility to be an effective witness, no matter what our calling and occupation. Please take time to check out some of the stories on the Mission Network News website. For those interested in missions around the world, MNN does a good job of sharing about the victories and needs around the world. As a podcast listener, you will be interested in subscribing to their podcast. Greg Yoder is now the Director of Keys for Kids ministry. Another great radio program.

Bob Ingram is a missionary working at a Christian Service Center just outside of Ft. Benning, GA. Bob shares with us how God led him to work with the US military. He talks about his original intentions as well as the great opportunities that the Lord has since opened up to him and his ministry. He also talks about some practical things that you, as a listener, can do to help him and other service centers in your area. Or, how you can reach out to the military in your own local ministry. Take some time to get to know Bob Ingram and his ministry through the Christian Service Center's website or through his blog. You can also email Bob directly if you have further questions of how you can help his ministry or the soldiers around you.

Nathan is a third generation missionary kid (MK) who grew up in Nigeria where his mother and grandfather were also raised. Nathan shares with the listeners about the ministry in Nigeria as well as his thoughts about growing up on the field. He shares some great insight for other MKs about taking advantage of the opportunities they are given on the field as well as some thoughts on returning to their home country. One question I posed to Nathan was what he thought was needed, as far as types of missionaries, on the field. I was surprised by his answer. Instead of specifically mentioning types of work that needed to be accomplished by missionaries, he talked about the personality and attitude that is needed in missionaries.

Katie talks with us about her preparation to go to Japan. She shares a great story about how the Lord has led in her life and some of the ways that He has shown Himself in control of each step of her journey. Katie is an artist and plans to use art as a way to minister in churches on the field. She also shares a great story of how the Lord used her to lead a lady to Him who had just been released from prison that day. Through Katie's witness God granted the lady physical and spiritual freedom all within a few hours. Check out Katie's blog to keep up to date with her deputation as she prepares to go to Japan.