Freely Speaking with Karen

In the 1970s/1980s, there were Christian comic books that made the stories of foreign missionaries easier for children to read and understand. I loved these as a girl! One issue grabbed my attention more than the rest. It was titled “God’s Smuggler.” It was about a courageous Dutch Christian called “Brother Andrew” whose mission was to smuggle Bibles across Russian borders through the “Iron Curtain.” I was scared on his behalf, but I also admired him and his willingness to follow God wherever He might lead, even at the risk of his own life. For my Sweet Sixteen Birthday, I only asked for one thing: a Russian Bible. I determined that I, too, would be an epic superhero missionary to Russia!

My favorite Bible verse is Acts 13:47 (ESV), which says, “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

I had the right idea, but the problem was that I wasn’t called to foreign missions at all; I only thought I was because of an exciting comic book. Instead of listening to God and following Him, I married too young to someone I thought would please my family and who seemed to be heading to foreign missions in Russia and Eastern Europe. Because I wasn’t tracking with God, my choices as a young adult led to disastrous consequences.

I’ve attended and worked for many Evangelical churches in the decades since. Along the way, my walk with God continued to mature. At long last, I was able to place the Russian Bible I asked for all those years ago into the hands of a Russian in need- Not in foreign missions, but in Alaska, USA. I have learned that while some are certainly called to missions in foreign lands, God brings the mission field directly to the rest of us right here at home. If we listen to the wisdom and teachings of the Holy Spirit, we’ll inevitably find ourselves in God’s ministry wherever we are.