SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (BP) -- A deer meat processor and a doctor. A nanny and
a nurse. A soldier and a statistician. These are just a few of the jobs
previously held by 84 men and women appointed by IMB trustees Nov. 15
at Second Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo.
From as far away as
Thailand and as near as the hills of Tennessee, the appointees shared
testimonies of being called by God to a journey -- a journey to be the
heart, hands and voice of Jesus to the nations.
Prinna Puakpong
was born in Thailand, where she was raised in a Buddhist home. Her
journey led her first to Atlanta, Ga., and then to Chattanooga, Tenn.,
where she earned a master's in business administration with an emphasis
in finance. Disillusioned by the stock market crash of 2000, Puakpong
prayed that God would reveal Himself to her.
"I prayed, 'God, I
don't want to be confused anymore,'" Puakpong said. "'Please reveal
Yourself to me in a way that I can understand.'"
In a Bible study
for international students in Chattanooga, Puakpong met Christians who
showed her God's love, and the direction of her life changed. Now, more
than 10 years later, her journey will take Puakpong and her husband,
Jack Wattanawongsawang, to Japan to be the voice of Jesus among those
who have not yet heard the Gospel.
For pharmacist Sarah Smythe*,
her journey entailed a series of personal challenges during her college
years -- a time when she came to understand what it means not just to
follow Jesus but to rely on Him.
"I realized my need," Smythe
said. "I needed to rely on God. I needed to be in community with His
people and I needed to loosen my grip on academic excellence."
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