The Traveling Team (Day 1)

Today The Traveling Team gave us a visit at BSM at UTPA.  It was an amazing experience to listen to this group of people and listen to what they have to say about   m i s s i o n s.

The Traveling Team is a group that travels across the country giving conferences about going overseas doing missionary work and being a "World Christian."  Being a world Christian is about going global and getting out of our comfort zone to reach out to others who have not yet heard the gospel.

One of the Traveling Team Members talked a little bit about the different cultures that exist in the 10/40 Window and the importance of why we need to send missionaries to make disciples around that area.  

To tell you the truth, I had never in my life considered going to an Islam or Asian country to present the gospel, but when this person told us about this area of the world, my views changed completely.

Here is what I learned about this area of the world:

The majority of the unreached people in the world live in an area of the world called "10/40 Window."  This is a simple term used to describe a region of the world with 10 and 40 degrees latitude from Western Africa to Easter Asia.  If we draw a map, the top would go from Portugal to Japan and the bottom would go from Guinea to India all the way to the Philippines.  This is an important region to think about as missions-minded believer because most of the people who have not had an opportunity to hear the gospel live right in this region.  The majority of these people do not know Christ.  They are unreached in the sense that they have not had an opportunity to hear the Gospel.  The issue?  The lack of access to the Gospel.  

In this region we have:

• Tribes [250 million tribal regions]
• Hindus [787 million]
• China [900 million atheists]
• Muslims [724 million]
• Buddhists [240 million]

There are 3.6 billion "unreached" people in the world today.  Of those 88% live in the 10/40 Window.  Only 2.17% of these people live in North and South American combined.

this area of the world is largely unreached for several reasons.  These people do not live in a spiritual vacuum.  

According to the traveling team, if we send 100 missionaries over seas, only 4% are sent to the "window."

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few..."

When I heard all this information, I was shocked.. all this time I have been wanting to go on missions to other places of the globe without even considering the need of these people.  

I strongly believe that going on missions is a job that the Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to do.  Missions is for  e.v.e.r.y.b.o.d.y.  To make disciples around the world.

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit." ~ Matt. 28:19 

"And He said to them, "go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." ~ Mark 16:15 

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the world." ~ Acts 1:8

So what to do??

• Pray Pray Pray !! 
• Give!
• Welcome Internationals.
• GO!!!!

I know that my work here on earth is not done, until I finish the command left by the Lord Jesus Christ.

www.thetravelingteam.org

P.S.
Throughout the conferences I was thinking of you :)
Suheily and Eunice!!! :')
Love you and I'm praying for you!!!
my girls serving in "the window."
:))

His,
Lani.