I remember a mission trip many years ago in India. I was excited that day, as I was finally assigned to a team of OMers after spending a week of summer camp in Mumbai. The team comprises members from Gujarat, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra. We then embarked on a trip which took us more than 3 hours on the road, and arrived at a church on the outskirts of Pune where we would spend the night.

At sixteen, Amy served as an usher at a GoForth conference – these were mega Missions conferences held at the Suntec Convention Centre and thousands came each night to hear what God what doing all over the world. The speaker on the last evening was James Taylor. Imagine her shock when he started his greetings in Mandarin and the Chinese pastor next to him translated that into English.

One of the most important lesson I learnt in my journey as a missionary is that God is more interested in His work in me than my work for Him. I, like many missionaries, was willing to make the necessary sacrifice because I was motivated to make my life count and do something significant for God. This performance-oriented motivation was the first thing that had to die in order that the life of Jesus may be manifested to the people around me.

A presenter at Global Conference on World Evangelization (GCOWE) remarked, “If you are not on fire for God, you’re fired!” He underscored the importance of our hearts being set aflame for Missio Dei, the mission of God. Now we stand at the threshold of ushering the 3rd decade of the new millennium. The question remains: Where are we in reaching the lost and the least reached?

The Great Commission has spoken to many women and men with a passion for global mission over the centuries. It ends with a beautiful promise by Jesus: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is much more than a “BTW” (By The Way) or a “P.S.” It is a word from God to His people that, as we go about His Kingdom Business, we are assured of Jesus’ presence, protection, provision and power.

In 2001 a group of us were fellowshipping after SCEM (SCGM as it was known then) Monthly Breakfast Meeting. We agreed that it was time to organise a National Missions Conference (which became the GoForth NMC from 2002). We formed an organising committee and started planning. The budget came up to $400,000. We started with no money and no bank account. The targeted date for the NMC was nine months away. We started praying.