In your letter you asked if I believed there was a call upon your life to become a missionary. That indeed is a difficult question to answer. It is a question that every heart-driven minister has wrestled with, and truly is a question that only our Lord can confirm in your heart. I am afraid that in the whole scheme of things my thoughts on the matter are really irrelevant. However, I can share part of a story of a beloved friend of God and missionary to China, Hudson Taylor.

For Mr. Taylor an immovable witness in his heart preceded his service to China. At the tender age of 5 he was to be heard on many occasions to say, "When I am a man I will be a missionary and go to China." His young years were hindered by poor health, yet his ambition to be a missionary persisted. So severe was his illness that even his parents abandoned hopes of their son fulfilling the desire of his heart. As the years passed the witness in his heart continued to grow and to take deep root. Prior to even stepping foot on Mainland China the Lord had molded his heart into one of compassion, sacrificial trust and dependence upon Him.

The thrust of Mr. Taylor’s ministry was centered upon his willingness to completely trust God and not compromise his strong convictions. He founded ‘The China Inland Mission’ and testified that the Mission was born of prayer, nourished by prayer, and sustained only in answer to believing prayer. He reported, "We rest on God’s promises. We do not publish donor’s names, we make no collections, we have no reserve funds, we never go into debt; our path now is as much walking on the waters as it was in the beginning."

This God trusting missionary was truly the tip of the spear toward evangelizing China during the 1800’s. Where others had failed, by the end of his second year, 34 missionaries were serving in China.

Even though each year presented various trails of faith, Mr. Taylor was relentless in his pursuit to evangelize. Within a short number of years, nearly 500 carefully selected missionaries, were stationed throughout China. Their work, stands even today as a witness of our Lord when simple faith is exercised.

Throughout his life the power and provision of God was declared over and over again.

But the truth is that the fruitful service of his life began with a simple burden upon his heart that was nurtured through faith and prayer. Psalm 37:4 and 5 testify, "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord: trust also in him: and he shall bring it to pass." A call to declare the precious gospel of Jesus Christ is an honor in itself, one that should never be taken lightly, and should always be proven through prayer and faith.

Josh, I encourage you to continue with serious prayer, and ask others to partner with you. I will gladly take up the privilege of praying with you over this matter. The fields are indeed white but the laborers are few. Write when time permits and send my love to your mom and dad.

God Bless You.

Tim