By Kelly Carr

Ever since she was old enough to understand, once a week during bedtime prayers our daughter has thanked God for the missionaries our church supports. She lists the specific names of seven different families in Poland, Pakistan, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, and the U.S.

Our daughter has met almost all of these missionaries. They aren’t just names to her but actual people who’ve stood next to us in worship, who’ve given of themselves in service to God’s kingdom. We took her to ICOM a couple of years ago, and there she saw a water pump demonstrated that’s used in Africa; she received a piece of fabric that reminds her to pray for Japan; she got a bank where she can save up her change to send to South Sudan.

I say all this because it’s been a learning experience to determine how to teach our child about God’s love for the whole world, how to instill in her a global mindset for God’s kingdom. It’s part of equipping the next generation so that they’re ready to go and make disciples of all nations.

What a monumental task to go into all the world. Yet each day that’s what Christians near and far are doing. Through humble servants, God’s living and active Word continues to go forth and change lives from the most remote lands to the most powerful cities on earth. It takes teamwork, from those who send, from those who support, from those who go.

At the end of our family’s prayer, we ask God to help the missionaries show his love to people in their countries. We then pray, “Help us show your love to people around us too.” Because we recognize that we are all living as missionaries in our context. We are all on the mission field—whether at work, at school, or in our communities. We are all called to demonstrate God’s love, to build relationships, and to follow God’s calling to make disciples who will make disciples.