How then, can people call on someone.....

....they have not believed? And how can they believe in someone they have not heard about? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? - Romans 10:13-15

In the above photo you see our friend's Paul and Sheila Gunderson. You will find their website in our 'favorites' list. Paul and Sheila are missionaries with New Tribes Missions. They are remarkable people whom we love and cherish deeply. Paul and Sheila both have a passion for foreign missions, particularly in the area of the unreached peoples of the world. Mark and I are privileged to be members of their "senders team". Paul and Sheila are home for the summer and tonight we had the opportunity to visit with them and the rest of the senders. They shared with us a video of the incredible work God is doing in the lives of the Dao people through a young couple named Scott and Jennie. Scott and Jennie have been living with the Dao people for over 3 years and recently were able to present the Gospel message in their native language. What is amazing about this, is that generally it can take up to 15 years before such a feat can be accomplished. The message..well..really the Bible up to the time of Christ's resurrection is presented in a series of daily teachings that span 2 months. As I sat and watched the footage I could not fight back the tears, nor did I want to. Watching the faces of the tribe's men and women as they heard the story of their Creator unfold. Seeing the sadness and dismay in their eyes as they heard of Christ's crucifixion, then watching their smiles as they heard of His resurrection and what that means for those who believe. One by one around the room the tribes people began to cry out, "I believe". It's really not possible to describe in words the joy that you could see on their faces.

I looked down at Sheila seated at the foot of her mother and watched as her mother stroked the head of her daughter. I was suddenly struck with how real it all was. Sheila and Paul have been in training for 2 years and will be in training in Indonesia for 2 more years before they move to their final tribal location with their young son, Nathan. They are giving up their lives here in the states to be tribal church planters, to hopefully experience the same successes we witnessed in tonight's video. What perhaps is more astonishing to me is that Sheila knew at age 8 that she wanted to be a foreign missionary. That God would bring Paul and Sheila together and join two hearts that are so passionate for foreign missions is a love story that to me is on a whole other level. I cannot tell you how these two young people lift my spirits and bless me. If you have read this post all the way through, I hope you will take some time to visit Paul and Sheila's site, as well as the New Tribes site. Perhaps God will stir in you, as He has in me, a desire to support these two as they share God's love and redemption to a world that needs to hear.