Following Gods call to the Middle East

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While many young people in their 20s move to new cities for their jobs, Will* has moved to a new continent. He is preparing to serve God in the Middle East.

His commitment to God’s mission started when he was 15. Will heard a sermon preached on Isaiah 6:8: “And I said, ‘Here I am. Send me!’” Will prayed those words for himself as he sat in his bedroom after church, thinking about what that command meant for his life. Will decided to devote his life to chasing God’s glory--which meant, for Will, serving on the overseas mission field as a career instead one closer to home.

“I chose a long time ago to give my life to God for his benefit and glory,” he says. “Jesus loves [all] people, and his love doesn’t respect borders. It’s a global love.”

Will, who is originally from Australia, was living in Scotland when God caught his attention and spoke two clear words: Middle East. Will’s special calling was confirmed the next day by a phone call from his mother, who had been speaking with a missionary friend who is—you guessed it—a Middle Eastern pastor. “Will needs to come to the Middle East,” the pastor told his mother.

Following what Will considers a strong sense of God’s leading, he boldly called the pastor himself. Thirty minutes later, Will had quit his job in Scotland and was planning to move.

Will spent nine months under the leadership of that pastor working in youth ministry and discipleship, where he saw God work powerfully among the youth in a small Middle Eastern church. The youth group grew from eight members to 33, and the youth leadership team grew from three to nine leaders. Four teenagers came to faith in Will’s kitchen as the Lord gave him the words to speak.

Some people are surprised to find out that Will is only 23 years old, has completed a Bible college degree, and is already preparing to serve overseas in missions. However, in 1 Timothy 4:12 Paul encouraged young Timothy to set an example to believers in speech, conduct, love and purity. SIM’s own founders were 21, 23 and 25 years respectively when they sailed to Lagos in modern-day Nigeria to take the gospel to the unreached. From Timothy of the Old Testament to SIM’s founders to Will, age is no barrier to God in using people for his mission.

“Once I was in the country, I met the people who I would be serving, and those I would be serving alongside, and my heart was forever changed,” says Will. “I know that God has a deep and meaningful love for these people, because He has given me a small portion of that love, and it overwhelms my heart some days.”

SIM is seeking more workers to join our teams in several Middle Eastern countries.  Please contact your nearest SIM office to learn more.

Pray for:

• Will as he returns to the Middle East to live and serve more permanently.

• many more to join our teams in the Middle East, living out the love of Christ.

• encouragement and protection of churches, pastors and believers all across the Middle East today.

• more people to partner through prayer and funding to our ministries in the Middle East.

*Names changed.