It is said that there are six degrees of separation between everyone in the world. In the last couple months of visiting with churches and attending regional events, I have found that it is true, and within the American Baptist family those degrees are even less! It truly is a small world after all (sorry that you know have that song stuck in your head). You might not know me well yet, but I’m sure you have picked up on the fact that I am a very social person. I love meeting new people, hearing their stories, and I love seeing how stories intertwine with one another.

Over the last couple months I’ve enjoyed sharing my call story and sharing about how God is at work in the lives of leaders of the House of Hope to reach at-risk children and women in Bolivia through partnership with International Ministries. At every church and event there were people that I met and found out that we know the same people. One connection I made that really touched me was at Ross Point during a pastors conference. After sharing about the House of Hope a pastor named Manuel came up to me and said “I’ve been to the House of Hope when it just became a ministry project of former missionaries Mario and Iris Morales.” He was a old friend of theirs and was able to share with me more ministry stories that I hadn’t heard before. It was so cool! He was so glad to hear that it had grown and that it’s becoming a non-profit.

Sarah Nash, Jae Stockton, and Gregg Sneller representing the IM table at Mission Northwest conference.

These connections that I have made with people aren’t coincidental, they are planned because God is with us and allows paths to cross. I am reminded by the Great Commission passage at the end of Matthew’s gospel. Jesus commissions his followers to go and make disciples of all nations, to baptize them, and to teach them to obey everything he had commanded of them. Then, Jesus says these most comforting words, “remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

International Ministries has sent Global Servants (missionaries) to the ends of the earth for 203 years, but we have never gone alone. God has and will be with us. We go because God is at work and is inviting us to be a part of it! We are allowed to share God’s love and  incarnationally live out the gospel to the marginalized because people like you. You commit to prayer and financial partnership and together we participate in God’s mission to the world.