Tyrone climbed up the ladder to his treehouse. Once inside, he pondered what his next step should be. A missionary from Japan visited the Community Church. He knew at that moment that God wanted him to be a missionary. He was certain of this, but the question was, "where?" Doc had been very helpful by giving him several missionary biographies to read, as well as several magazines. After reading each one, he turned them into small book reports. Currently, he was spotlighting tribal mission work. With pen in hand, he began to write...
Hidden deep in the jungles of the world are tribes of people who are still living in the dark ages. Because they have been separated from the outside world, stone-age conditions exist. Primitive tools are used to do most of the work. Sickness, war, and hunger are just a few of the problems they face. Until the last fifty years, these people have been left to their own resources without much knowledge of the world around them.
Just fifty years ago, these lost tribes were discovered. Since then, God's people have risked their lives to enter into uncharted territory in South America, Irain Jaya, and Indonesia. These isolated areas have one thing in common -- people who are lost and dying. They have not heard the message that God sent His only Son to die for the sins of the world. They do not know that Jesus didn't stay dead, but rose again on the third day showing His power over sin and death. This message needs to be taken into these remote regions. Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)
Some missionaries have lost their life in the process of taking the Gospel to these regions of the world. The tribal people keep to themselves, and are wary of strangers. Many times war would break out between neighboring tribes.
The witch doctors or shamans are the spiritual leaders. They teach that there are good and evil spirits living in the jungles. And if the spirits are unhappy, then people will become sick or some disaster will happen. The shaman is consulted and he will summon the spirits to ask what to do. Satan is in control in these dark regions. Through the shaman, he is able to keep people from the truth. When missionaries arrived in the villages, the shamans did anything they could to make them leave, up to and including murder. But that didn't stop God's people from going.
Today, the message has reached many of the outermost villages of the jungle. Some missionaries lived in medical stations close to villages while others lived in the villages. They needed to know how to tell them about the One True God. Some of these tribal languages are still being translated. In order to build trust among the natives, it takes time. Many villages accept missionaries and are eager to hear the message of God, but there are not enough missionaries. People in these villages die every day from disease brought in by outsiders. Sometimes, natives must walk days to find the missionaries for medical treatment. It is very sad. They need not only physical healing, but spiritual healing from sin.
Tyrone lifted the pen to his chin. What could he do now for tribal missions? He remembered Doc Solomon saying that one of the most important things that a person could do is pray. He could pray for the thousands of missionaries serving in remote regions. He could pray for God's grace as they learn cultural differences, struggle with unusual animals, and face physical handicaps themselves.
Giving was something else that he could do. Time and money are important to give. He could write letters to the missionaries from his own church to encourage them. But ultimately, he wanted to go.
Just where God wanted him to serve was still the question. But he knew that being a missionary for God would be the most challenging career he could have in his life. Picking up his binoculars, he looked across the lake. Where would God lead him?