MTW

"What if we could live fully in the present by entrusting our fears to a loving and sovereign God?"

Keep reading at www.mtw.org/stories/details/god-exists-in-the-whatif-spaces-so-we-dont-have-to

: Our team in Madrid, Spain, is looking for short- or long-term missionaries to reach out through the arts: theater, performance art, photography, painting, anything! This is a largely untapped community and there is in open door to meet people. Think outside the box and help us build inroads!

Learn more at www.mtw.org/opportunity-details/esm-0921-art-outreach

We’re looking for a resource team representative! This job involves serving missionaries from their approval through all phases of their service including the support-raising process. The rep will facilitate the connection of the missionaries with the MTW home office, ensuring that missionary needs are met.
This is an Atlanta-based position, and the rep will be expected in the home office once a week.
Learn more and apply at www.mtw.org/opportunity-details/resource-team-representative

Is your organization all about Great Commission work? Connect with thousands of conference-goers who have the Great Commission on their minds by sponsoring nametags (or another item of your choosing!) or by hosting a booth at the upcoming PCA Global Missions Conference.

Sign up at https://homeoffice.regfox.com/gmc-exhibitor

: The Presbyterian Medical Clinic, located in the village of Patchakan, is a ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Belize. Its vision is “help the local church grow by ministering health to its members and evangelizing the un-reached.”

The clinic is currently seeking a doctor or nurse practitioner and a nurse. Learn more at www.mtw.org/opportunity-details/bz09203-medical-practitioner

"The apostle Paul wrote about the end of his own life as the finishing of a race: 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith' (2 Tim. 4:7). In doing so, he exhorted Timothy—and all of us—to give everything we have until the finish line. The Christian life is a race not just to be started but to be run with perseverance all the way to the end. The way we finish speaks the most loudly of the object of our faith.

When you watch the Olympics this summer in Paris, think back not just on the Olympic glory Liddell won there 100 years earlier. Think about his love for China that led him to leave athletics behind for his calling there. Most of all, think about his love for Christ that carried him all the way to the end of his race."

In 2004, Chinese athlete Liu Xiang won Olympic glory for his nation as the gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdles. After his victory, he was acknowledged as the first male Chinese-born track and field Olympic champion. From the standpoint of his nationality, that may be true. If you were to go to Weifang in Shandong, however, you’d find a monument to another son of China who won track and field gold 80 years earlier.

That monument marks the burial site of Eric Liddell. Liddell was the son of Scottish missionaries who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics for the United Kingdom. But Liddell was born in Tianjin, China, and later died in a Japanese internment camp near Weifang during World War II. His picture is mounted there on a lamppost, and a large granite stone is inscribed with his achievements. In Duncan Hamilton’s excellent biography of Liddell, he calls it “a Communist homage to a Christian, a man China regards with pride as its first Olympic champion.”

𝗢𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻

There are a host of reasons to remember Liddell. As this summer marks the 100-year anniversary of the 1924 Paris Olympics, we look back on his triumphant victory there in the 400 meters.

That story begins in his rivalry with fellow British sprinter Harold Abrahams, the two entering the Olympics as favorites in both the 100 meters and 200 meters. However, Liddell dropped out of a heat for the 100 meters because it was run on Sunday (a race Abrahams later won). Liddell’s decision to skip those races for his religious convictions was immortalized in the movie Chariots of Fire.

I grew up loving that movie, the glimpse of a man who stood firmly on his faith and still emerged a champion. Liddell’s character famously says, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. When I run, I feel his pleasure.” Many a young Christian has been inspired by the fact that, for Liddell, even athletics was a place of worship.

𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮

Perhaps an even greater reason to remember Liddell is his decision to lay aside his athletic career for a higher calling. After returning from Olympic triumph in Paris to overwhelming popular adulation, he shocked everyone by announcing his intention to return to China as a missionary.

In an age when sports was becoming ever more popular in Britain, many argued he could reach more people at home than abroad. Indeed, the Sunday after he returned from Paris to preach in a Scottish church, the pews were filled with people. Liddell preached on Psalm 119:18: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (KJV).

It was plausible that staying in Britain and continuing his athletic career might fit hand-in-glove with Liddell’s desire to preach the gospel. When asked why he’d give up such an opportunity, he’d simply reply, “Because I believe God made me for China.” The next summer, he traveled the Trans-Siberian railway overland from Europe through Russia and down to China. He would serve there for 20 years as a missionary.

𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯-𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘌𝘳𝘪𝘤. . . . 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘖𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘈𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘌𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦—𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘴.

Liddell was able to minister for many months until finally he was rounded up with more than 2,000 others and taken to an internment camp in Weixian (the modern city of Weifang). Even there, his ministry flourished. Despite appalling conditions and death all around him, he poured himself into ministry with the young people of the camp. Langdon Gilkey writes,

The man who more than anyone brought about the solution of the teen-age problem was Eric. . . . It is rare indeed when a person has the good fortune to meet a saint, but he came as close to it as anyone I have ever known. Often in an evening of that last year I would pass the game room and peer in to see what the missionaries had cooking for the teenagers. As often as not Eric would be bent over a chessboard or a model boat, or directing some sort of square dance—absorbed, warm and interested, pouring all of himself into this effort to capture the minds and imaginations of those penned up youths.

This is a snapshot of a missionary faithfully at work. At this point, Liddell was already physically suffering from the brain tumor that would eventually take his life. But he was still engaged in ministry to others—leading Bible studies, counseling others, doing physical labor to meet practical needs. Thus he continued until February 21, 1945, when he died.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲

The apostle Paul wrote about the end of his own life as the finishing of a race: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). In doing so, he exhorted Timothy—and all of us—to give everything we have until the finish line. The Christian life is a race not just to be started but to be run with perseverance all the way to the end. The way we finish speaks the most loudly of the object of our faith.

When you watch the Olympics this summer in Paris, think back not just on the Olympic glory Liddell won there 100 years earlier. Think about his love for China that led him to leave athletics behind for his calling there. Most of all, think about his love for Christ that carried him all the way to the end of his race.

("𝗢𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹’𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟬𝟬" by Mark Collins. Only have time for the best-of-the-best from TGC? This weekly email includes an editor’s pick for the one newly published resource you shouldn’t miss, as well as a list of the six most popular pieces of content from the week. Sign up to stay in the loop at tgc.org/newsletters!)

Happy ! We are so grateful for our interns who have served this year — thinking especially of our summer interns who are finishing up their time in various countries of service. Please be praying for them as they say goodbyes and return home!

We want to see you at the Global Missions Conference, November 1-3 in Atlanta! Register today at www.mtw.org/gmc

: Our Tokyo team is looking artists and musicians of all kinds who can perform, teach, integrate faith and art, and lead church arts programs. You’d be working with , an organization that is using musicians and artists to break down barriers of communication and connect people to each other and to the gospel through the arts.

Learn more at www.mtw.org/opportunity-details/jpt06161-art-and-music-tokyo

We recently hosted Kingdom Foundations Orientation for new missionaries at our Atlanta office. Join us in praying for this group (and three others not pictured due to serving in sensitive locations). If you’d like information on receiving their newsletters or supporting them, send us a message!

: An international K–12 university preparatory school in the Middle East region has an immediate opening for a counselor for the upcoming school year. Your degree could be in counseling, social work, or psychology. Any kind of counseling experience with some connection to youth and/or families would be helpful!

Learn more at www.mtw.org/opportunity-details/senme0619-school-counselor

Don’t let the fear of raising support keep you from pursuing a call to missions. It may not be easy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good.

Read more on our blog at www.mtw.org/stories/details/anxious-about-support-raising-remember-these-5-things

: Interested in a cross-cultural sabbatical? Are you able to provide training on one of our fields for a few months? Would you like to explore a possible call to a second career in missions?

We have multiple fields with many opportunities ranging from 1-11 months. Learn more at www.mtw.org/opportunity-details/pastoral-resident

"Haiti has had trouble with gangs since the 1950s, when a dictator named François Duvalier used them to scare and silence dissidents. But the country also struggles with political corruption and persistently high poverty. Why is Haiti always in trouble?"

Keep reading at www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/turmoil-hope-haiti. Special thanks to The Gospel Coalition for interviewing MTW missionary Esaïe Etienne for this story.

: A Presbyterian church plant is seeking to reach Lecce, Italy, with the hope of the gospel and solid theology. And it is seeking help ministering in the community.

Come work alongside an Italian pastor to reach people with the gospel and support the needs of the local church. Learn more at www.mtw.org/opportunity-details/itl-0423-church-planting-assistance

“Warm welcome—teranga in the Wolof language—is ubiquitous in Senegal.

Teranga gets first mention in tourist guidebooks as hospitality extended to strangers and neighbors alike. It’s being welcomed to any meal. It’s a door-always-open-so-join-us expectation. It’s even in the name of the laureled national soccer team, the Lions of Teranga.

A new church plant is sharing the biblical teranga of grace, one rarely heard in this West African country.”

Keep reading at www.mtw.org/stories/details/sharing-the-teranga-of-god-among-the-wolof-people

“It is illegal to convert to Christianity in Iran. Converting to Christianity is a crime equivalent of treason. There are no visible Christian congregations, and the Bible is outlawed.

Yet by His miraculous power, God has used these conditions to pave the way for Christianity to flourish among the Iranian people. Over the past two decades, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have come to faith in Christ, making the Iranian Church the fastest growing in the world.“

Keep reading at www.mtw.org/stories/details/0618-resilient-servants-how-persecution-led-to-radical-growth-of-the-iranian-church

: Our Chiba team is searching for administrators and long-term teachers (in all subjects) to work at a growing bilingual and international Christian school. If you’re gifted in teaching and/or administration, love children, and want to serve in missions, this is a great way to use your training and gifts. Learn more at www.mtw.org/opportunity-details/jpc06161-educators-for-christian-school

You’ve got just under 14 hours to sign up and save! Register at www.mtw.org/gmc

If you’re a pastor, church leader, or missions committee member, consider joining us a day early for the On Mission Leadership Summit. Learn more at www.mtw.org/gmc-summit

Been putting off your registration for the Global Missions Conference? Today’s the last day to save with early registration! Sign up now at www.mtw.org/gmc

Thank you to all who attended our lunch today at ! The focus was Thailand, and we’re grateful to Trey Adams for speaking.

Even if you missed the lunch, you can still pray! Check our last photo for prayer requests and learn more about what God’s doing in Thailand at www.mtw.org/teams/asia-pacific/bangkok-thailand

If you haven’t grabbed your free hat today at , come grab it today!

Missed us yesterday at ? Come see us today and be sure to grab a free hat!

Come see us today at !

: Church planting efforts in a South Asian mega-city of over 8 million people, where believers are few and far between, is thriving! We’re looking to form new teams, which will include a teaching elder, plus a university ministry and business-as-missions component.

Interested in learning more? Visit www.mtw.org/opportunity-details/sensa-0422-new-teams

Attending PCA General Assembly next week? We want to meet you! Swing by our booth and pick up one of our hats!

Please join us in praying for the family and loved ones of MTW missionary Heather J, who died June 4. Heather has served the Lord faithfully with her husband and three children in West Africa for the last 12 years.

If you would like to send condolences to Ian and the children, please direct message us for instructions.

: Workplace Ministries is partnering in MTW’s summer internship in Rwanda for a weeklong focus on the role business can play in mission work. The Workplace Ministries portion of the internship will take place July 15-19. Share about your experience using business as a part of your ministry.

Interested? Email [email protected] for more info!

"Engaging in global missions helps us to see things from a different perspective. Very often our missionaries and national partners help us see the gospel and our Christian faith in new and powerful ways. They remind us that we have a common enemy who seeks to thwart our mission. They inspire us to join them in seeing the darkness pushed back, Satan’s kingdom destroyed, and the gospel of the kingdom advance through the world."

Keep reading at www.mtw.org/stories/details/0528-from-the-coordinator-a-more-important-decision-this-november