In the Southern Baptist world the month of December is when we focus on International missions offering named after an incredible lady from Virginia, Lottie Moon.
This month the theme is Be Obedient. The videos are powerful and heart wrenching, I am trusting God that people will move once they see them. In preparing for this offering time I am brought back to our own "missionaries" here in the states that are on the east coast helping victims with clean-up and recovery from a monster storm named Sandy.
Some of these volunteers, especially California volunteers, have to pay their own travel fares in order to go help. Airfare is more expensive this time of year, however can be cheaper if the duration of your stay is a long one. Some of the disaster relief workers from other states like Missouri have been working in the New York/New Jersey area since shortly after the storm hit. California is scheduled to deploy December 8 and return December 17. Without the funds to do this more teams will not be able to answer their call to go and serve.
One of the videos I watched for the Lottie Moon offering month showed a young man who answered the call to serve as a missionary in China. He expressed his concern that he wondered how many people in the states aren't answering their calls. This also makes me think of our disaster relief team here in California. Without the monetary gifts, it's difficult to answer that call. We are all a team when it comes to helping our brothers and sisters.
If you would like to answer your call and Be Obedient, you can give monetary gifts to the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Ministry. You can send your donations to: California Southern Baptist Convention designated for "Sandy DR Relief" and mail it to CSBC, 678 E. Shaw Avenue, Fresno CA 93710, attention Disaster Relief.
You can also visit the website www.csbc.com and click on the disaster relief picture.
Won't you answer the call today?
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it."
Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT)
