School Of Missions

Dear friends,

Our family is currently at School of Missions in Springfield, Missouri. Each Assemblies of God missionary is required to attend this school before they go to the field for the first time and each time they come home for furlough. This is our third since we began our journey in 1994, and each time we have been amazed at how much God does in us during these two weeks. School of Missions is like a General Council for missionaries. It is a time of refreshing, healing, re-tooling, and continuing education.

I don't remember the last time that I have cried so much. As missionaries share their stories of God's triumph in their lives and mission fields over these past four years of missionary service, my heart is moved again and again at the awesomeness of God.

You may not realize this, but missionaries share the same type of closeness with one another that veterans of foreign wars do. When we sit down with another missionary whom we have never met before there is an instant bond because of the common threads of ministry experiences, culture shock, spiritual warfare, constant transitions, language learning, and trauma which run through our lives. We feel as if we have known each other forever.

In regard to continuing education for the missionary body, we are taught everything from how to deal with disasters to computer applications. I am a school junkie so I am having a wonderful time.

Till next time ,

Doyle