*Note. Due to the opposition that faces missionaries in Laos, our writer’s name has been withheld. To hear more about his ministry in Laos, click here to sign up for monthly updates.
This Summer, my family and I will board a one-way flight to start a new life in Laos. In the eyes of most of the world, Laos does not matter. It’s a small country of about 6.9 million people, broken into over 80 indigenous language groups. Most people wouldn’t be able to find it on a map –I certainly couldn’t, until God gave me a heart for this often overlooked place. The truth is that this small, seemingly insignificant country is cherished in God’s eyes.
Only a few of the 80 language groups in Laos have access to gospel-centered, reproducing churches. Linguistic diversity, an oppressive government, formidable landscape, communal pressure, and dark spiritual forces have long stood in the way of the spread of the gospel.
In spite of these challenges, I have hope. God is faithful! He’s promised to bring blessing to all the nations, and I’m confident that He will do what He says. The gates of Hades will not overcome the church (Matt. 16:18), nor will any of the challenges awaiting us in Laos.
Training for Impact
Eternity Bible College was the only college I applied to when I was in high school. Even then, I knew God had given me His heart for the nations, and I knew I needed training. Eternity has been foundational in my growth, and has prepared me to bring God’s love to the world in many ways:
- I am debt free! If it wasn’t for Eternity (and the generosity of donors) I would be delayed from going by student debt.
- Eternity surrounded me with like minded teachers and students, and exposed me to organizations that are passionate about bringing the gospel to all the nations.
Eternity helped me understand God’s global heart. I learned that the church is bigger than what I’ve experienced here in the states, and that my calling is to plant gospel-centered New Testament churches, rather than replicate my experience here in America. When I board that plane next summer, I’ll be 27 years old, a husband of nearly four years, and a father of two children under two. I’ll be 11 years into this journey, eager to finally touch down and bring the seed of the gospel to virgin soil in Laos.
I’ll continue to be thankful for Eternity and everyone who makes its vision and mission possible. It’s never been about a degree, or an institution —its all about the name of Jesus. When the people of Laos gather around the throne and the Lamb with all the nations and sing, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10), it will be Jesus that they remember. I’m thankful because EBC embraces this reality. They know their role in Eternity: equipping the next generation of saints for the name and cause of Christ.