The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. 

Isaiah 35:1–2

Last month, I had the opportunity to meet Jaime Morrison, the executive director of African Enterprise. When we first met at the restaurant, he asked me, “Where are you from?” I replied, “Korea,” and he smiled brightly and shared an unexpected story. He told me that his grandparents, Harold and Gertrude Voelkel, served as missionaries in Korea from 1929 to the 1960s, and that they had been mission partners of Tenth Church.

Jaime shared that his grandfather had shared his passion for missions with Dr. Donald Barnhouse, senior pastor of Tenth, and that is how Tenth ended up supporting them as missionaries to Korea. Jaime expressed his deep gratitude for Tenth Church’s faithful commitment to global missions—not only for supporting his grandparents in the past, but also for currently supporting Michael Cassidy, the founder of African Enterprise, where Jaime now serves. 

This year again, through our Easter Sacrificial Offering and your faithful support, churches continue to be established in dry lands, and streams of God’s Word are flowing in places where there was previously no gospel. Miracles are happening in mission fields all around the world. 

As Dr. Jonny Gibson often asks us at the end of his sermons, are we experiencing and encountering the God of miracles daily in our lives? Is the living water of God’s Word flowing into the barren places of our hearts, and are we living in the love of God the Father who, through the cross, makes each one of us his church and rejoices to dwell within us? 

Hearing about the big and small things the Lord is doing around the world can help refresh our faith with the living water of the Gospel. Whether you feel spiritually dry or are regularly refreshed by the showers of his love, I sincerely invite you to attend one (or more!) of our global partner lunches this summer. Several of our mission partners will visit us to share testimonies and stories of God’s work in their fields. Please come to hear their stories, celebrate God’s faithfulness, and witness the One who brings flowers to bloom in the wilderness. As we listen to their testimonies and witness God’s work, I pray it will be a precious time of praising and exalting the God who make us his church. 

Upcoming Dates: 

• June 1 – Don (Kenya) 
• June 29 – Bruce and Anne (Dominican Republic) 
• July 13 – M & E (Asia) 
• August 10 – Moses and Eunice (Taiwan) 
• August 24 – Koji and Marcia (Japan) 

Each partner will speak during the Living Church segment at the 9 & 11am worship services. A partner lunch will follow in Fellowship Hall after the 11am service. We ask that you RSVP for the lunches you will attend to help us plan accordingly. 

We could use help preparing these lunches! If you would like to donate food or help cook for a partner lunch, please contact me for more details.