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| Minnie and friends in Cameroon
I am privileged to introduce you to my dear friend
Minnie. When I think of Minnie, two words immediately come to mind—faithful, and
fearless. At an age where many women
might begin looking forward to their retirement, she followed the Lord’s
call into ministry, and then went on to Africa for twenty years! While she has
now officially left the mission field, she is as busy as ever serving the Lord
in our church and community. Minnie also continues to be a growing Christian. A year ago or so, she shared with me how the Lord was working
in her heart to love her neighbor and how she
was trying to live that verse out in her little neighborhood. Wow. Now in her seventies, she
regularly brings women to church and spends her days ministering to many. Her
love for the Lord and for people shines through her testimony, and I hope you are encouraged in your own life's journey by reading her story.
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I understand that your mission adventure
with Wycliffe Bible Translators started on your 50th birthday. Can you tell us how God directed you?
MS Having become a Christian at age 23, I
was about 25 when I had my first understanding of what a missionary was. A
young couple just out of Bible school had come to my church saying they were
going to Ethiopia “because there are millions of people there who don’t know
the Lord.” That struck my heart indelibly, and I instantly felt that I needed
to go and tell them! But God could see the big picture, so it would be another
25 years before I would go. But the burden He gave me that day never went away.
Isaiah 6:8 became my heart’s cry: Here am
I, Lord, send me!
Years later
our singles group from church attended a variety of presentations by Wycliffe
Bible Translators, and I would come away from each meeting with a greater
burden to go and do likewise. Finally, I was reading a periodical by Wycliffe
which answered my questions and spoke to my doubts. With a face full of tears and
joy in my heart, I accepted Wycliffe’s invitation and moved forward with my
decision of God’s call, being confirmed by my pastor.
Tell us a little of your official position
and how you developed a personal ministry.
MS I came on board as a secretary assigned
to our International Headquarters in Dallas, Texas, and served there in two
different offices over three and a half years.
After going
overseas I was secretary to the Africa Area Director in Nairobi, Kenya. Saturdays I joined a lady in her work with street children and slum women.
Sundays I served Belleview Baptist Church, teaching whoever was there for
Sunday school and held a ladies class after church.
My next
stop was Cameroon on the other side of the continent where I was secretary to
the branch director. Next was a short assignment in Brazil working for the Director
of Language Programs before returning to Cameroon for the rest of my overseas
work.
Wherever I
went, I took embroidery supplies and developed a Bible lesson to go with the
needlework. That is, we referenced Nehemiah 8:10…the joy of the Lord is my strength. Exodus 35:35 reveals that
embroidery was an important addition to work in the Temple. Also, continuing in that the older
women are to teach the younger from Titus 2:4, when the student finished the embroidery
I would say, “You took these simple materials, fabric, thread and needle, and
made something beautiful with them. In similar manner, when you put your life
in God’s hands He will make something beautiful of you.”
What did the Lord teach you about Himself
while you served in Cameroon?
MS He was always there. Wherever I was, He
was already there. The larger picture was that He was as ready to give the
people of Cameroon His Word as we were. Though I was not directly involved in
translation, I was part of the administration, even though it had been decreed
that I would not serve overseas!
In
addition, my heart’s desire was to see a church started and moving forward. It
was my privilege in the last three years to play an effective role in the
establishing of Grace Baptist Church in Cameroon. God answers prayer!
Do you have any advice for other ladies in cross-cultural service? Is there anything that you might do differently,
knowing what you know now?
MS God was ever so gracious to work in my
life and prepare me ahead of time, though there were some struggles. For one
advantage, I had developed a good level of flexibility. How many times did I
make a plan and God changed it? But receiving the change as from him, made it easy.
One’s
worldview needs to include the biblical reality of demons. North American
missionaries bring our secular worldview and we don’t have a clue of what is
going on in the lives of people who have grown up with direct influence from
demons.
Another
item is getting along with other missionaries. We tend to be self-sufficient,
self-motivated and focused, but at least two important things come into play.
One is the flexibility already mentioned, another is to not take yourself too
seriously. Be able to laugh about differences, changes, issues that are not
life threatening. If you are easily embarrassed or can be made to feel dumb or
foolish, get over it before you launch out (Psalm 119:165). Learn to see humor
in any situation.
I wish I would
have had two books that could have saved me considerable struggle. However,
this first one not written until after I retired. Both are available at
Amazon.com:
1. When Helping Hurts, How To Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself, by Steve Corbett & Brian
Fikkert
2. African Friends and Money Matters, by
David Maranz
What are you most thankful for? Was there any particularly hard experience in life that helped prepare you for your ministry?
MS I am forever thankful for the 11 years I
spent caring for my mom before moving into missions. That included considerable
training in my own weaknesses and the need to be sensitive to the leading of
the Spirit. Especially in the last two years many hours were occupied with
in-depth Bible study. Someone said, “It isn’t so much a matter of how many
times you’ve been through the Bible, but how many times the Bible has been
through you.”
I am so
thankful for the privilege of serving God in this way! So glad to have had time
with people from other cultures. What an
amazing thing to not be able to speak French, yet be able to teach a church
through an interpreter. I am blessed!
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Minnie and friends in Cameroon"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." ~Isaiah 6:8 |
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