Read: Matthew 10:37-42
Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. (v. 39)
We were visiting a supporting church in the United States. A middle-aged man said to me, “Our son wants to go into mission work. My wife and I are hesitant to endorse this. What about his material needs, his retirement?”
I encouraged this father to let his son respond to God’s call to missionary service. I shared how God had met our needs for forty-one years on the mission field, and how I knew he would continue to supply our needs as we entered retirement. What I didn’t know at the time was that both my husband’s and my home churches had prepared a generous gift for our retirement, which we used to furnish our home in the U.S.
We were both blessed by our parents’ support while in Chiapas. They prayed for us, and they gave us a priceless gift—their blessing, their approval. If God calls your son or daughter to serve in some faraway place, give them this gift. Give them your blessing. Continue to pray for them. Set them free to do what God wants them to do. He will supply all their needs.
As you have read this month, perhaps you have seen a little of how God provided for Sam and me, but even more, I hope you have seen how God provided every day for the Tzeltal believers who chose to follow him. —Helen Hofman
As you pray, dedicate yourself to following Jesus, wherever he may lead.
About the Author
Helen Hofman is a retired missionary. She and her husband Sam worked with the Tzeltal and Tojolabal Indians of Chiapas, Mexico for more than forty years. In their work, they helped set up a Bible School to train the Tzeltals, taught in the Bible School, prepared Sunday School materials, textbooks, hymnals and audiovisuals. They also coordinated the translation of the Amatenango Tzeltal New Testament and the revision of the highland Tzeltal Bible.
