Do you think of yourself as missionary? How do you submit to the Great Commandment of “Go and make disciples”?  As a mom of three little ones, I consider myself productive if I can round them up to go to the store, shop, and head home just in time for naps so that they don’t turn into little gremlins.

“Go?”

Go where? I can’t go. I have wee little ones at home. I admire those who can go.

Truth is…

You are a missionary at home. You are on a mission to bring up your children as arrows for the kingdom of God. You are to point your little ones toward the gospel and suit them up with the full armor of God.

Now stretch your perspectives with me…

Even when you feel like your children mean the whole world to you, they are not. There is a bigger world out there that every woman – regardless of your marital status and number of children you have – is called to: to make disciples of all nations.

In her book Missional Motherhood, Gloria Furman challenges us to realize that “nurturing” involves discipling, serving, caregiving, mothering, teaching, showing hospitality by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Stretch with me just a littler further …

Mission is not a job. Mission is a lifestyle. Missional opportunities are everywhere… even at the grocery store with your children.

In the last century, God has really changed the landscape of global missions.

The 2015 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange found the number of international students at U.S. colleges and universities to be the highest rate of growth in 35 years, increasing by ten percent to a record high of 974,926 students in the 2014/15 academic year.

Wow! Those 974,926 people are from all nations…that’s almost a million in the USA! How many of them are in neighborhoods where you live? I live in a college town where there are about 10,000. I see them at the store, and they smile at me as I corral my kids into my shopping cart. Chances are that you have international students near where you live.

The landscape of global missions boomerangs from going overseas to going shopping in your own hometown.

These international students arrive in the US with two suitcases filled with anticipation, dreams of their future, and an eagerness to learn. Many of them are not only here to achieve academic goals, but desire to learn new concepts and “the American way.” Let us pray that they will refill those two suitcases with the gospel. Let us show them that the American way starts with one smiling nod, two helping hands, and perhaps one very messy family mealtime with your children.

Take them shopping with you to the store. Let them hold your baby. Let them read Mother Goose nursery rhymes to your child. They may ask, “Why in the world would someone bake 4 and 20 black birds into a pie?” Be prepared to answer that, but also be prepared to talk about your story, your faith, and your Salvation through Jesus Christ. They will remember you and your story, and perhaps share it with their friends and family when they return to their homeland. They will remember the way you teach your children when they have their own. They will, if the Lord chooses, turn to your God when they face their unknown future.

Better yet, create a Bible study group with them. I have experienced countless “aha” moments where we learn about God with my Love God Greatly Bible study group. We are “going” and “making” disciples via our interactions with international students from all over the world.

By doing so, YOU are a missionary.

YELLOW COUCH

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” ~ Hebrews 13:2

Cheers,

Yating Chang Haller

Yating is a former international student who arrived to the USA 20 years ago with two suitcases. She and her husband – with three little children in tow – now serve as full-time missionaries at Purdue University, reaching out to international students arriving with two suitcases of hopes, dreams, and anticipation. You can contact Yating at [email protected]

Maybe this year God is calling you to open your home and welcome some international students into it…

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Friends, our brand new BOOK, You Are Forgiven, is now available on Amazon!! Order your copy TODAY, invite your friends, and plan to join us for our NEW Love God Greatly Fall study… starting on MONDAY!!

“In this broken world we are all touched by shame, guilt, and difficult relationships. But God has a better way. Whether you are in need of the forgiveness and new life that Jesus extends to each of us, or you are longing for relationships that are free from blame and strife, this book is for you. Through the lens of God’s Word plus real-life stories, You Are Forgiven poignantly reminds readers that what Jesus did on the cross is the only thing that frees us from the prison of unforgiveness.

In this 8-week Love God Greatly Bible study, you’ll learn about how Jesus obtained for us the forgiveness of sins and what that means in our everyday lives. We’ll examine many of the different facets of forgiveness, including: Why do we need it? How do we get it? What is the extent of our forgiveness, and how should it change us?”

Dare to believe that you are forgiven… and then let that life-changing truth transform your life from the inside out.

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Angela Perritt

Angela Perritt

Angela Perritt is the founder and director of LoveGodGreatly.com, a nonprofit online Bible study ministry reaching thousands of women in over two hundred countries around the world with God’s Word through their translated Bible studies. She and her husband live in Dallas, Texas with their three daughters. Angela is passionate about God’s Word and believes one woman in God’s Word can change a family, community and ultimately a nation. Her greatest joy is to encourage her children and others to love God greatly with their lives one day at a time. You can connect with her on Instagram.

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