Going The Extra Mile

Missionaries are Special People
by Torrey H. Brinkley

In a lifetime, perhaps one meets a few very exceptional people, who have an ability to reach beyond the ordinary, to conquer new frontiers, to create something remarkable, and to truly leave the customary routines of a native culture. Overseas missionaries are generally among this breed of special people. Thankfully, many such folk crossed paths with this writer from an early age, and the ties still continue with many of them.

Here are just a few who have been friends down thru the years, and who have challenged so many people with their love for people of another culture, in a far & distant land, with different life presuppositions, so that they could share the love of Jesus Christ to them.

Herb F.. was an opthamologist from Kansas, who decided to go off and serve the people of Afghanistan in the early 1970s. He developed a way of performing eye surgeries on hundreds of Afghan patients a week, in an eye center. Of course, it was hard to speak freely & openly of Christ's message of hope in a devout Muslim culture, but so many got the message anyway.

Dale W. knew that he wanted to go to an African country and teach people the Scriptures and build up the fledgling Church there. He and his wife served in more than one African country and eventually built a multi-media training center in Ivory Coast for African pastors from many countries.

Sue M. grew up in Chicago, IL with this writer, and saw the servant heart of her dear aunt, who had done missionary service. After completing her education, Sue reached across the oceans and started serving in Irian Jaya, helping translate the Scriptures into the language of these Indonesian people, also living in a large Muslim population base. She is still there almost 40 years later.

Ray P.came from a Russian province to the USA for his education, as did his wife. After graduating from seminary, he went to serve as an overseas misssionary in the Phillipines. Ray then went to do similar work in an African country (Kenya). After that he went back to the Ukraine, where he taught and helped direct a Bible school/seminary for new pastors .

Dan A. was a young husband & father, whose dad had been a missionary to the people of Mexico City. After graduating from theological schools in California, he went back to help his parents in Mexico City. Dan & his wife then came to serve in Madrid, Spain, where we were pleased to use his many talents in our work: preaching, trumpet playing and acting. He and his wife later learned a different language and decided to serve as missionaries in Germany, taking their 3 children with them.

Phil B. was one of 3 brothers in Chicago, who attended church with this author. His talent always had been music, especially playing the trumpet. After completing his education, Phil and wife Arleen went down to Guatemala,where they became Music Missionaries. They share their love of Christ thru music, performing in churches, in concert venues, and teaching in a Central American Bible seminary. Now, they do cross border work with Mexican nationals.

Barry K. was a televison engineer for Philco Corp., before going to seminary to study Greek & Hebrew. His love for the Word allowed him to reach college students at our local church in San Jose, CA. Then he taught at Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, OR. But, the Lord called him to go help plant and build churches in the Czech Republic and other eastern European countries. He still goes on overseas teaching trips, even though he is pushing 80 years old!

Ron P. grew up on a western Kansas farm, and wound up helping plant churches in a European city of 5 million people. He took his family from there to work among the poor in a poor border town in Mexico. After pursuing graduate degrees in missions, he also has served a missions agency, overseeing personnel, and then pastoring a church in rural California.

Shirley T. came to Spain to help us in our church planting work, before even finishing college. After graduation, she got married and has gone to do missions work in Peru with her husband. Her original home town was a small town of 50 people + cows in Saskat., Canada.

Roy A.was blessed to have a brilliant father, who not only pastored, but was the head of an east coast Bible college. During the time of the dictatorship in Spain, Roy went over to help show evangelical films and pass out Bibles to folk, who previously had only heard church services & Bible instruction in Latin, not their native tongue. Authorities often threw up roadblocks for their efforts to bring the Gospel to small, closed, rural villages. After leaving Spain, Roy was tapped for heading up another evangelical missions agency.