There is something about the New Year that offers hope, optimism, and a new beginning. As the owners of our startup,Trutogs.com, Bob and I are looking ahead to a bright and better year with greater confidence, especially now that the clock has reset and the race of 2019 has begun. Our biggest goal is to continue to choose God’s Kingdom first, which we believe, will help keep us centered on the core values of why we started this business in the first place. It became clear to us after visiting our kids in Kona, Hawaii at the University of Nations YWAM (Youth with a Mission) that focusing on mission work is our calling even though Bob and I are not what most would define as the typical missionaries.
Our visit back in 2015 caused us to stop and ponder our involvement in missions and how we could still contribute to the cause of “Making Jesus Known” without uprooting the entire family. We believe God puts every person in a place to evangelize and be used. It may be in your work place, your everyday comings and goings with people or in your own home with your spouse, children or family members.
We should not get caught up in just meeting the physical needs of people, which is absolutely a necessary part of showing God’s love and being the hands and feet of Jesus, but we also must look at God as the source of our inspiration towards mission work and the Holy Spirit motivate us to meet the spiritual void in people as well. There is no greater gift that you can offer someone than the gospel and God’s free gift of salvation. It is truly a miracle that should be shared with all we encounter.
Oswald Chambers writes:
What is a Missionary?
“A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us. The tendency today is to put the inspiration out in front— to sweep everything together in front of us and make it conform to our definition of success. But in the New Testament the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him— to carry out His plans.
Personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and to His perspective is the one thing that must not be overlooked. In missionary work the great danger is that God’s call will be replaced by the needs of the people, to the point that human sympathy for those needs will absolutely overwhelm the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, and the conditions so difficult, that every power of the mind falters and fails. We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ— “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matthew 28:19).
~My Utmost for His Highest
We are all called to make Jesus known, not simply because of what we feel but because it is commanded of us. As Bob and I started to see the path God prepared before us we were not at all enthusiastic. We felt fear, a lot of doubt and completely unequipped. Yet, as we were obedient to what God was speaking to us, we began to sense an overwhelming desire to please our heavenly Father. Through this experience, I learned to be obedient first and let my feelings follow. Even though you may not know the outcome of His plan, by being obedient to His call, eventually your feelings will line up with His will. There is no greater feeling than knowing you are in the will of the Father. Bob and I simply had to trust that the God who created the universe would care enough about our website.
After witnessing the dramatic changes in our own children’s lives through the Youth with a Mission program, our hearts grew for the young students that attended discipleship training school. These students prayed with such passion, had a childlike faith and were not afraid to put themselves in the will of the father daily. We were instantly compelled to please God with our own gifts and skills where we could help more YWAM missionaries have the opportunity to go and share the gospel around the world.
For most of these missionaries, the only thing lacking is financial support. This is where Bob and I felt we could put our eCommerce experience to use. Building a website from scratch takes much time and patience but it has been worth it. We not only set a goal to help fund missions but we have been able to partner with amazing businesses that are Fair Trade Certified.
Fair Trade is a global movement made up of a diverse network of producers, companies, shoppers, advocates, and organizations putting people above profit by empowering artisans with fair wages and safe working environments. These companies have found a way to restore dignity back to the craftsmen and farmers from many impoverished areas all over the world. In a whole, we bless the maker and the missionary!
We are excited to see what 2019 has in store for us! We hope to grow and pray you will shop with a purpose and help fund the many missionaries that have answered the call to “Go and Make Him known.”
