Something that could only controlled by God’s sovereignty happened in the last 36 hours. I’ve been involved, in small ways, in preparing to have tribal church planters Mike and Libby Wild, speak during chapel here at NTBI this Thursday morning. I met Mike and Libby almost exactly 4 years ago. We had just arrived to allocate to the region and prepare for ministry as a part of the support team there. We were wide eyed and in culture shock and at the same time Mike and Libby and their four boys had returned from the US and were preparing to move into a tribal group called the Wano. They were an encouragement to us, new as we were and we prayed for them as they moved in amongst those people.
Plans panned out much differently than we thought and over the last four years, we settled into a fruitful ministry here, preparing more people to go to tribes like the Wano. For the Wilds and the Ingles, God also produced much fruit through their ministry. They lived amongst the Wano, investing their lives into relationships with the families that make up that people group and God through His Truth, set that tribe ablaze with the light of the Gospel and over 30 Wano’s believed God’s truth and at this very moment, there is a church amongst the Wano, halfway around the world in that rugged mountains
But…part of how the Wilds, Ingles and many other Church Planters in this region (amongst them are some of our dearest friends!) are able to live and work, is through the support of Mission’s aviation. It’s likely one of the most dangerous branches of aviation and every supply flight, medical evacuation and other flight, is concrete chance to trust God, not the aircraft.
Sadly though, in the last 36 hours one of the planes piloted by a man who served many of my friends along with two others, crashed and all those aboard died.
Only through God’s sovereignty can this loss of life be reconciled. Only through God’s sovereignty could this man, a major part of the church in Wano being born, losing his life, bring God glory as this man literally gave his life, serving the church!
Mike Wild stood and challenged us this morning in chapel to not waste our lives, but to redeem the time, serve God whole-heartedly and consider the needs of the world…all while he in his mind, dealt with the only hours old news of one of his closest friends having just been killed.
In my mind is a new song I’m learning called “Your Love Never Fails.” If that song weren’t true, we’d all be in the wrong job at the wrong time. But that song is true!