Missionaries

february 21, 2026

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19, 20. 

You probably noticed that I am gone. I’m currently away in Indonesia. I was invited to teach the Bible to a group of young missionaries here. The 1000 Missionary Movement East Indonesia campus is located in the city of Minahasa in the province of North Sulawesi. This organization is an official missionary training center of the Northern and Southern Asia Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists. They recruit young missionaries twice a year, train them for seven weeks, and are sent to mission fields for 10 months. 

The name ‘1000’ came from the vision of sending 1000 missionaries each year, but in reality there are about 70 to 100 missionaries from this organization. While 80 percent of the nation’s population is made up of Muslims, the majority of the people in North Sulawesi are Christians, and the Adventist presence is huge here. And with Minahasa being located 800 meters above sea level, the city always has cool temperatures, making it an ideal location for training missionaries. 

I came here to give Bible studies so that they can go out to present Jesus to communities that never heard about Him. They are diligent in learning and are excited to go out and preach Jesus. I am so proud of them. They decided to give one year to the Lord in the most energetic time of their life. Please remember this group and pray for them. I look forward to being back home to be with you. 

Footsteps

february 14, 2026

It snowed the night before, and I wasn’t expecting it. When it was time for me to go out for a run, I had to pick which shoes to wear on snow. I wasn’t sure if the trail was plowed or not, but I decided that I should be ok with my regular running shoes that I usually run in. Well, I was wrong. The trail was still covered in snow and I knew my shoes would be wet by the end of the run. 

There were fresh tracks of footprints on the trail covered in snow. By looking at the rhythmic distance of the footprints, I knew that this was a runner’s print and the stride showed that this was a fast runner. I stepped on every one of this person’s footprints. With the long stride, I had to run faster. In the end, my shoes did not get wet because of that and I also got to run at a quicker pace which put me to good training.

1 John 2:6 tells us, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” Discipleship starts by following the footsteps of Jesus. It’s a response to the calling of Jesus, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19. Jesus’ footsteps do not guarantee an easy life. In fact, He said there will be trials and difficulties all because of following Him. But the greatest joy and gift in doing that is simply that you are walking with Him. I don’t know if there’s a better Valentine’s Day happiness than that. May we all walk in the footsteps of Jesus, and we will abide in Him.

Connection

february 7, 2026

The other day at our online prayer meeting, Jenny asked me to read Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” This is a verse I used to memorize when I was young, and I appreciated reading the verse at the meeting. To me, it speaks of community and connection with one another.

I was working on my computer when I suddenly got a call from an old classmate. It was completely unexpected, and I answered the call. We exchanged greetings, and he told me he called because he thought of me all of a sudden. Truly, it was a pleasant surprise, and we got to visit over the phone for some time after that. Honestly, it felt really good.

Jesus did this really well. He even visited and connected with sinners. Surprise! When Jesus stopped at the sycamore tree and talked to Zacchaeus, people said, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Luke 19:7. This speaks volumes because to Jesus, they are all His people, for “He was moved with compassion.” Matthew 9:36.

There’s something special about connecting with people that we care about. It doesn’t take much to do that: a simple text message, a phone call, or a short visit. Whatever its form, that connection creates a strong bond between the parties. May the Holy Spirit speak to your heart today and find someone to connect with in the next week.