(Photo by New Tribes Mission)
Papua New Guinea (MNN) — Often times when we can’t understand something that God is doing, we spend a lot of time questioning Him. How often does that questioning attitude get in the way of our doing good works for the kingdom and our growth in Christ?
Mina Strebel recently read David Platt’s book, Radical. It challenged some aspects of her understanding of God. “He asks the question, ‘What happens to people when they die if they’ve never had the chance to hear the Gospel?'”
Strebel’s answer up to that point was that God must have a special plan of exception for these people.
She continued to read: “As David Platt goes through the book of Romans, he concludes, going through Scripture, that the reason that people go to hell is not because they heard the Gospel and say ‘no.’ The reason people go to hell is because they’re sinners.”
It was a new, difficult thing to grasp: “And so he says just because somebody didn’t have the opportunity to hear the Gospel doesn’t save them from going to hell.”
Rather than spending time questioning God’s character, she realized the extreme need for preachers all around the world. She realized that she, as a follower of Christ, was needed in the battle just as much as any other Christian.
Strebel says, “I started praying and saying,’ Lord, if there’s something You want me to do with this new burden, You need to show me.'”
That burden turned into a passion for Strebel as she says, “Just in the course of when I started praying, ‘Lord, You know, do something with this passion,’ He just started bringing people all over me that seemed to have gone with New Tribes to Papua New Guinea or were going to New Tribes Bible Institute or all these things that had to do with New Tribes. And I thought, ‘You know, I’ll check it out’.”
A little research helped her find a two-month mission trip with New Tribes Mission called Interface. She explains, “Interface is a six-week program designed for college students to get a real-life work at tribal church planting.”
While in PNG, Strebel will be taking accredited classes each morning in intercultural studies. “We learn how to establish a functioning church, linguistics, how to teach people the Bible that have never heard who God is, who Jesus is.”
After studying various principles and techniques in the class, the students have an opportunity to act them out. “After classes are done, in the daytime we’ll actually get to go out into the community and be the hands and feet of Jesus in that place. And so we’ll not only get to go and share with them the Gospel, but we’ll also get to go in and just be a part of the community and help them with whatever [they need].”
After this six-week period, Strebel will take a two-week nursing internship. She hopes to become a full-time nurse in missions.
Strebel leaves for a mini-training session in Los Angeles on June 12 and then departs for PNG on June 14. She will return to the U.S August 8. As of right now, she is still looking for support.
Financially, she has $2800 more to raise. If you’re interested in making this trip happen for Strebel, visit her missionary profile here on NTM’s Web site.
Strebel also says, “I definitely appreciate prayer even if I don’t know who is praying for me. God is using it anyway, and so it will be really cool to see that manifested.”
You can be praying for Strebel’s heart and the rest of the students as they embark upon this journey. Pray for safe travels, adequate preparation, and for the remaining funds to be raised. Pray that God would make it clear to all the students who He has called to go into full time missions.
Strebel is looking forward to seeing how God will grow her: “I think what I’m starting to get most excited about is just really getting to know the Lord in a way that I’ve never gotten to know Him, just in having to trust Him.”
