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Answers from Hannah Moses:
My dad, Mark Moses, is a missionary with the International Mission Board. He works in Iloilo City on the island of Panay.
How important is prayer support of folks back home?
Prayer support is incredibly important. I remember back before we had a blog and my mom would send out prayer update emails to our supporters. She had to do it by emailing five people at a time so spam blockers wouldn’t keep block them. Even though it was a painstaking process, we knew it was vital to keep the folks at home updated so they could take our needs to the Lord. I know people might consider it a bit outdated, but the analogy of “holding the ropes” for the missionary is spot-on. There is a spiritual battle being fought daily, not just overseas but here in the America as well. Prayer not only helps fight that battle, but there is a peace that comes from knowing others are interceding on your behalf.
How important is financial support to BGR, LMCO and CP and your dad’s ministry?
One of the great things about the IMB is that missionaries do not have to worry about raising support. I applaud those who do have to raise their own support, and I admire their faith. One benefit of the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is that missionaries can stay on the field and not have to be called away to come to the States and raise support. Without LMCO and CP, missionaries have a more difficult time focusing on ministry because they are distracted by financial concerns.
Also, LMCO is important in supporting missionaries because it ensures that those who will receive aid also have the opportunity to get plugged into churches and support systems. BGR can meet physical needs, but we can’t forget the spiritual needs either. With missionaries on the field, they can work with local churches so that instead of receiving a gift once, they can stay in contact with Christian nationals and find the gift of eternal life. I know that in my dad’s experience, he has found that lasting contacts are better made when you work through church systems so that aid is given and people are connected.
BGR is an excellent way to get resources to those who need it. We have seen BGR funds at work with Typhoon Haiyan. People who have lost everything can be provided for through the BGR ministry. It is great because without them, missionaries cannot always meet the physical needs of those they are ministering to. However, I would point out that BGR and LMCO need to work together. Without missionaries on the field, it is difficult to get aid to people quickly. When Typhoon Haiyan hit, my dad was out the next day gathering relief items and taking them to those who were suffering. Sometimes it takes awhile for major relief operations to get underway. When people have nothing, the timing is crucial. Having missionaries already on the field positions them for greater ministry. When the need is greatest, in the direct aftermath of a disaster, there is already someone on site who knows the language and culture of the people.
LMCO and BGR are most effective when they work together.
What are the spiritual hardships for someone in your situation?
As an adult MK, I suppose the greatest hardship is missing my family. My dad is overseas and I wish I was there. I value his guidance and though Skype helps a lot, it can never substitute from being with family. It is also hard when there are events happening in my home country and I can’t be there to help. During Typhoon Haiayn, my fellow adult MKs kept posting articles and pictures and stories from friends. We prayed for each others’ parents and kept each other updated with what little news we got. I wish I were there now and could help.
I suppose a more generic issue with adult MKs is the experience of being a Third Culture Kid. Even though I have lived in the States for the past five years, there are still cultural references and expressions that I do not know. No matter how much I learn about American culture, there will always be parts I do not know. For example, when my college put on a 1980s themed talent show, I didn’t bother going because I knew that was a decade I know nothing about! My parents went overseas during the 80s, so we never heard much about it from them either. My little sister went to the talent show, and when she came back I asked her how it went. “Well,” she replied, “It was colorful. I really didn’t know anything about what was going on. Everyone else was laughing, so I had a good time. I think I recognized one song!”
What are the blessings?
The biggest blessing is a bigger view of the world. Instead of just focusing on where I live and what affects my life, MKs are focused on the world. I may have never lived in a country that is in the news, but chances are I have met someone who has. I have a greater appreciation for the United States’ role in world affairs. I care about what the president is doing on an international scale because I know friends will be affected by it. Current issues, like immigration, affect me personally because so many of my friends have had to fight that bureaucratic nightmare.
Another blessing is a bigger view of God. Christianity is not an American or Western phenomena. We don’t need big churches, choir robes, sound systems, baptismal fonts, or programs. Those are nice to have, but it is a privilege to see the gospel in other cultural contexts. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is also the same whether in an American mega-church or a dirt-floor hut in a sweltering tropical climate. Whether everyone sings in tune or church members make up songs on the spot, the Gospel changes lives. Sometimes I feel like we get caught up in the trappings of Christianity. We feel like we need certain things in order for ministry or church to be successful. I am so thankful that I grew up in a land where sometimes all that a church had was people. Nothing fancy, no programs, just people. That’s what the church is — people. We shouldn’t forget that. People who realize they are sinners and who accept God’s grace. People who strive to live for Christ and love others as he loved them. No matter their color, language, culture, class, gender, the Church is made up of people.
Whereabouts, and what are you studying?
What about you siblings—where are they studying, etc.
I got a B.A. in History from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., a fantastic school with a solid Christian base. I am so thankful for my experience serving on student leadership there. I also went on my first mission trip through LU! Growing up overseas, the mission field was home, it was normal. I had never experienced a short-term trip before. So I appreciated that experience!
I am currently getting my master’s degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. Being an MK is impacting my choice of history, too. As I grew up in a former American colony, most of my research has been on US-Philippine relations, particularly on the education system that the American government set up in the Philippines in the early 20th century.
My siblings are all stateside now. My older brother, David, is a computer programmer at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, TX. My older sister, Sara, is a graphic designer for Neiman Marcus in Los Colinas, TX. My little sister, Martha, is a nursing major at Liberty University. She hopes to take her nursing skills with her overseas to whatever mission field God calls her to. Jonathan, my little brother, just began community college in Fort Worth, TX. I think he is getting a degree in computer networking or some other technical field that I do not understand!
Though I am stateside for the time being, I have a yearning to live overseas. As of yet God has not called me to full time mission work and I know the United States needs missionaries too. Yet whatever I end up doing, the Philippines and the world is always going to be part of me. I constantly want to just hop on a plane and go live somewhere else and explore a new culture. When I consider living the rest of my life in the States, I feel discontent. However, I know God will give me grace wherever he wants me to be.
Answers from Martha Moses:
Greetings! My name is Martha Moses. I am a junior right now at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Describe the value to your dad’s ministry.
Dad works in the Philippines to plant churches and disciple others to grow in the Lord. While there are many people where we live who have access to the gospel, there is a great need for discipleship and personal growth.
How important is prayer support of folks back home?
Prayer support from people in the U.S. is so important to ministry. God delights to work in the prayers of His saints. There are many spiritual strongholds in the lives of people in the Philippines that pose as a hindrance to accepting the gospel and living for Christ. Dad also needs wisdom with where to go, to whom he should, and what he needs to say. Truly, we all need prayer. Recently, with typhoon Haiyan hitting the Philippines, Dad has needed much prayer for how best to distribute the relief goods and God’s leading in the situation.
How important is financial support to BGR, LMCO, and CP and your dad’s ministry?
I grew up as a missionary kid keenly aware of how the financial support from people in the U.S. helped us in the Philippines. I remember when I was little, our family going to churches and talking about the Lottie Moon Christmas offering and how it supported missionaries around the globe. Now, I get to sit on the other side, in the pews of the churches and am even more humbled to see people giving so generously.
It has been incredible to see people come together with the Baptist Global Response for relief efforts after typoon Haiyan. I was talking to Dad on Skype a few days ago and we discussed how they are distributing the food and roofing supplies to Filipinos hurt by the storm. I am so thankful. Some of these people are friends we know quite well.
What are the spiritual hardships for someone in your situation?
There are not any extreme spiritual hardships that I can think of for someone in my situation. I am currently in my third year of college and many of the adjustments I am making are the same adjustments as anyone my age as they live away from family and learn to make decisions with greater independence. With time differences and Internet connection problems it can be hard not being able to contact my dad easily when something comes up. But in times like that, it often comes down to learning to rely on the Lord and grow in my relationship with God. I miss my dad very much and I value the time I am able to spend with him when I do.
What are the blessings?
One of the unexpected blessings of living in the U.S. with Dad on the mission field is that we have the opportunity to make family anywhere we go. So many people have been generous to open their homes to us that we are able to learn from and enjoy the fellowship of many different people and church families. When I do get the chance to reconnect with my family, it makes the time all the more precious.
Is there anything you would like to add that I didn’t ask you about?
Learning to live on your own and away from your parents is a common experience. It does mean that when breaks come around I don’t get to go home, but it does mean that I get to learn reliance on the Lord and others in the family of God. I miss being connected with all my family, but I know this is where the Lord has each of us, and I am grateful for what he has given.
Answers from David Moses:
Describe the value to your dad’s ministry
Dad’s job description is “church planter,” but in practice he has more of a support role among existing churches within the local association. The area of the Philippines where Dad ministers has a relatively large number of evangelical churches, but many of them are small and under constant threat of closing due to lack of members and growth. Dad travels to the various churches to encourage them, support their ministries, and counsel their leadership. He recently completed a project that involved translating discipleship materials into the native dialect so that lay ministers and church members could mentor new attendees. The churches where Dad ministers desperately need encouragement, leadership, and growth.
How important is prayer support of folks back home?
While technology has certainly closed the communications gap, the mission field can still be a lonely place, especially now that Dad is now ministering by himself, without a family. Knowing that prayer warriors back home are covering him in prayer and lending their support is incredibly comforting.
How important is financial support to BGR, LMCO and CP and your dad’s ministry?
While the Cooperative Program helps fund regular missionary activity and is incredibly beneficial in supplying a steady and predictable foundation for ministry, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is essential for funding larger initiatives. Large disasters like the recent typhoon in the Philippines call for an equally large response in giving, and BGR teams can provide services that go beyond what regular missionaries offer.
What are the spiritual hardships for someone in your situation?
Dad is the spiritual leader of our family, and under his leadership we have all been challenged, guided, and encouraged in our spiritual growth. His absence is deeply felt, and our prayer is that God will continue to draw us toward him and deepen our faith, while protecting our father from harm and discouragement overseas.
What are the blessings?
Having our father ministering overseas makes us, his children, more sensitive to the needs outside of the US and more appreciative of what we do have here in the States. Knowing that dad, an introvert who prefers conventional food and dislikes travel, is willing to follow God’s call to be a missionary overseas challenges me to confront my comfort zones and take on tasks that I would normally avoid.
Is there anything you would like to add that I didn’t ask you about?
Please pray that Dad will find strong Christian men to lead and disciple, so that they may in turn lead and encourage our fledgling churches in the region.
