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SWM International
News and Perspectives from the Ministry of SWM-International
SWMI is seeking for missionaries to work among the Deaf in several different countries. But we are not looking for just any kind of person. Missionary work demands special qualities. What kind of person are we looking for?
1) People of Character – SWMI needs men and women who have Christ-like character. That means they must demonstrate the character of Christ in their daily lives.
2) People of Burden – SWMI seeks those who have a burden for lost souls worldwide, specifically for lost Deaf souls. The Deaf around the world need to know about Jesus!
3) People of Vision - SWMI wants to work with people who have a vision for what God can do with them among the Deaf in a foreign country.
4) People of Passion – SWMI requires that a missionary be one who has an excitement and zeal for reaching the Deaf and teaching God’s Word to them.
5) People of Compassion – SWMI works with those who love people and show charity and mercy to them.
6) People of Faith – SWMI needs people who have learned to trust God in the USA so that they will know how to trust God in a foreign country.
7) People of Faithfulness – SWMI seeks people who have been faithful to God, family, church, and friends.
8) People of Humility – SWMI needs someone who is not proud, someone who can work well with others and knows how to submit to authority.
9) People of Patience – SWMI knows that the work with the Deaf overseas can take a lot of time. One must be willing to plant diligently, water the seed constantly, and then wait for the harvest patiently.
10) People of Wisdom – SWMI wants laborers who are wise and discerning in their communication, activities, associations, and ministries.
All of these qualities are necessary to the ministry. It is not easy to work with the Deaf. It is not easy to work internationally where one must learn a foreign culture and usually a foreign language. Character is important. It is not easy to raise support on deputation. It is not easy to start a church or a deaf ministry. Character is required. It is not easy to work with foreign governments. It is not always easy to work with nationals either. All of the qualities listed above are vital to serving God!
Has God equipped you to be an international missionary to the Deaf?
God has called many of His finest servants back to the USA from foreign fields. Why? What should be response of the local church?
Recently I was in two missions conferences involving approximately 150 missionaries and missionary leaders. These men and women are some of the finest Christians servants in the whole world. It is a joy and a privilege to be around them and to rub shoulders with them. These are saints who have hazarded their lives for the sake of the Gospel. They are servants who have sacrificed much to take the Good News to lost people in some very undesirable, uncomfortable, and inconvenient places.
I, too, have been a missionary for 30 years. I think that I have a good feel for missions and for the ministries of missionaries. I feel that I know when to be impressed and when not to be impressed. Many of the missionaries that I have met recently impressed me greatly.
What is interesting is that God has called so many of His finest servants back to the USA to promote the cause of missions here. Most of these folks, I know as a fact, would rather still be out on a foreign field today, and not here in the USA. But they have taken even a greater step of faith than going first to the foreign field by obeying the Lord in returning to this land of plenty. When they returned, most of them left a large part of their hearts in some other country with some people they won to the Lord and who greatly valued their lives, families, and ministries. I listen to their stories and hear their hearts throb for lost souls in lands from where they came and in other lands where they have been. They do a great job transmitting their burden to others.
These are true soldiers of the faith, genuine warriors for the Lord. They are worthy of the title “ambassador for Christ!” Valiant for the truth, ready to suffer (and they have,) stout and stately men are they who represent Jesus Christ first, lost souls of some specific group or geographical location second, and their mission boards and agencies third.
These are the kind of men and women I would support if I were a pastor or a church leader. They have proven themselves faithful to God, to the cause of Christ, and to a needy people group. They have merited, yes, merited the support that many churches have given themover the years.
But I see something very sad happening to these giants of the faith, to these folks of whom future books and articles will be written, telling of their feats and exploits for God. I see them losing financial support. I see them suffering more financially here in the USA than ever before. (Now do not get me wrong; they are not complaining of this phenomenon. It is just that I have noticed it and felt that I should say something on their behalf. I hope you will understand my heart here.)
Recently a Bible College student asked me to asnswer some questions for a class of hers. Here is one of the questions she sent me, and my answer.
What is a unique experience you have had?
One day I picked up my wife from Language School in Sao Paulo, Brazil to take her shopping. We were new to the country and city and went exploring in some little shops in a Jewish area of town. Our Portuguese Language skills were almost nil, but growing.
My wife and I walked into a lady's clothing store so that she might look for new clothes. While she tried on clothes in the back room, I noticed that the young sales clerk, Asian-looking, was reading something. I looked to see what it was and saw that it was a Bible.
So I asked her, in my best Portuguese, "Do you understand what you are reading?" She said, "No." So I asked to see her Bible. She brought it to me and to my surprise, it was a Gideon's Bible in both Korean and English, not Portuguese as I expected.
I asked if I could show her some verses. She agreed. So I started looking up verses in English and then pointing across the page to the same verse in Korean. She could not read English and so she read the Korean.
She spoke acceptable Portuguese but probably had not been in Brazil very long either since she still had a strong Korean accent. So our conversation was in a language we had both learned after coming to Brazil.
During this time a few customers came into the store. She would give them prices on items and then return to looking at the Bible verses I was showing her.
Soon Vicki was finished trying on clothes, but I told her to keep trying on more things while I talked to this young lady. Pretty soon I had the price of each clothes item memorized and I began to answer the questions about prices as each customer came in. This kept her thoughts about salvation from being interrupted by customers. (She was the only sales clerk in the store.)
After a period of time and many Bible verses, this young Korean lady in Brazil prayed and trusted Christ as her Savior! Praise the Lord. What a blessing this was to us as new missionaries!
God indeed is willing to use us in our weaknesses. Vicki and I had very little Portuguese skills at that time, but He led us to a lady with a Gideon's Bible, in Korean, to help us lead her to Christ. God wants to use you also, if you will only make yourself available to Him.
You were born an original. Don't die a copy. -- Robert Schuller
SWMI now has a four-color brochure for distribution. If you would like to receive one or more, please, write and ask for the number of brochures you can use.
