The weekend before I almost declined the call to missions was brilliant. I got home from a surfing/camping trip over the weekend away at Elands Bay with a friend and our wives.
When I checked my emails on Monday morning (28 September), I found an email from John Leach which he had sent before the weekend. He had sent an official letter written on his mission organisation letterhead. It bore the title: “Formal Letter of Consideration”.
As I read his letter, I initially felt somewhat offended by his persistence. “Why is he asking again,” I thought, “I have told him ‘No‘ so many times already!” “Doesn’t he get it? I am not going to join him.”
I reflected briefly on all the numerous times I had declined his request.
Numerous Previous Requests Declined
I had previously done my cross-border missionary training under John at Frontline Fellowship in 2010-2011. He taught me so much and we got along well on the various overland mission trips he took me on as part of my training.
When he left Frontline Fellowship in 2012 to start his mission base in Chavuma, he asked me to join him. However, since I was committed to Frontline until 2015, I declined.
In 2014, he met me in Lusaka at Eureka Camp as I was returning from an overland mission to Congo (DRC). There again he asked me to come and join him on the mission base in Chavuma as the needs were many and my skills and talents matched the needs. However, my committed to Frontline continued for another year, and I had also developed a desire to focus our ministry attention in Malawi. So I declined again.
He asked again and again on various occasions, in person, via WhatsApp, and on video calls. Each time I declined.
The last time I declined, I told him in no uncertain terms that I would never be interested in joining him as I feel that my time in missions is over and I want to serve the Lord in local church ministry.
My crucial mistake!
I was about to respond to John’s email with an abrupt message indicating that as I had told him so many times before, I am not going to join him. However, I hesitated. With my fingers hovering over the keyboard, I paused to think. “What if God is using John’s persistence to get me to think about this carefully. Maybe I should pray about it and seek guidance from my church leaders.
So I made the crucial mistake of replying to John in these words: “I receive your letter with an open heart. I will seriously and prayerfully consider your proposal. I will also ask my church leaders to pray with me in this matter.”
When I say that it was a mistake to respond like this, it is because as I prayed about this, God made it abundantly clear to me that I should go to Zambia a s a missionary to serve in the least-reached areas where John is serving. I did not want to go!
