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Missions Discipleship

No Talents Wasted

May 1, 2021 /

John and Lois Wang are passionate about college students and have worked with them for more than 30 years. As International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries, they’re currently serving on college campuses in Buenos Aires, Argentina. John teaches engineering at a private university, and Lois teaches Korean at another university.

 

Bring Them In

Inviting students to their home for a meal often opens the door for sharing the gospel. So far, only a few have positively responded, John said, because most of the students are either Roman Catholic or atheist. Lois also shares her talents in ministry through a small group where she teaches Korean using a Korean Bible, sharing her testimony whenever she can.

 

Partners in Sharing the Gospel

Additionally, John and Lois collaborate with national churches by providing workshops, training, and materials enabling the churches to have their own successful college student ministry. Because of the pandemic, they had to cancel a series of events with JEBA (translated as Argentine Baptist Youths) that would have provided practical suggestions to initiate student ministries. Pray they could reschedule soon.

 

Challenges in Ministry

John offered practical advice for using your talents in ministry:

  • First, know how to use your talents. “God has equipped us [for] what we do now. Lois taught Korean more than ten years when we were in the US because of our kids, and God allowed me to earn a PhD in engineering before we joined the IMB.”
  • Second, be patient. “While working in a ministry that is different from what you expect, you need to keep your passion and maintain your availability with prayers until God opens a door.”
  • Third, practice self-discipline. “For us, teaching at private universities requires much time and attention, often much more than expected. As we have to spend much time in areas that are not directly involved in a ministry, we often feel like that teaching is not only a distraction from the ministry but also a disruption of time for the ministry.”
  • Fourth, further develop your talents. “Underdeveloped or stagnated ones don’t work effectively, especially when you work cross-culturally with a different language.”

 

Terri Staines writes from Ray City, Georgia. Retirement has provided more time and opportunities for her to be involved in missions.