“…And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”
Most of us know these words, spoken by Mordecai to Queen Esther, and we agree: Queen Esther saved the day! She played a pivotal role in God’s plan to preserve His people, from whom Jesus would be born. We read the entire story in 10 action packed chapters, and to us the outcome is clear; but what was Esther thinking? I would probably be mumbling something to the effect of “Man oh man, why wasn’t I born in King David’s time? Why do I have to be alive now, when everything is falling apart?”
Sometimes I do mumble that way, for it is a tumultuous and rapidly changing society in which we live, and America is no longer the safe and comfortable land it once was. But then the Holy Spirit reminds me that nothing about our lives is an accident. We are each right here, in 2014, for “such a time as this.” Never before have there been so many opportunities to witness and share the love of God with other nationalities, not only in far off places, but in our own churches. Our country is a harvest field of souls from all over the world, and you and I are the workers chosen to reap that harvest.
LIMM is excited to partner with mission fields across the globe, and eager to be even more engaged across America. We are dialoging with LCMS organizations and churches, together seeking opportunities to further develop community health education (CHE) projects as part of multicultural mission outreach. One dynamic example of such outreach, for which LIMM has pledged $7000 in 2014, can be found on the campus of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hyattsville, Maryland, and is featured on our website, www.limm.org.
My heart is filled with anticipation, because I have been involved with CHE for 15 years, and have witnessed the joy on the faces of men, women and children introduced to Jesus by someone who shared the Word and health knowledge with them. I yearn to see joyful faces here in the States, in churches where volunteers teach new neighbors how to make meals using local fruits and vegetables, or calm fearful hearts by explaining what happens when you go to the doctor. Can you imagine the delight on the faces of children when a member of the youth group demonstrates good oral hygiene, using a giant set of teeth? What if at the same time, in another room, someone is teaching a simple English lesson? And what if, after all of that, the entire group gathers for a meal and a devotion or Bible study? Everyone would be blessed!
But we cannot begin to grow without you beside us. We need your partnership. We need your prayers and financial support, and we need your thoughts and ideas. What would CHE outreach look like In your church and community? What would you need to make it happen? What could we do together with other brothers and sisters, even in a small way?
Please call or email anytime you want. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences and am always available at [email protected] or 904-806-8679.
May our Lord travel beside you as we journey toward the Cross.
Rita Nickel
LIMM Executive Director
