Dear Friends,
For over 15 years now we have been bringing the message of the Gospel to some of the most unreached areas of the world. Some of you have been partners with us from the beginning, while others are only more recently part of our ministry. Whether you are new or old, we want you to know that we so greatly appreciate your support and partnership that is making a difference around the world.
Every month, and sometimes more frequently than that, we share with you about what the Lord is doing in lives all over the world. From Egypt to India to El Salvador and so many other places, the Lord has used your support to bless the nations of the world. But we have always believed that partnership with our ministry is a two-way street. By that, I mean that it is not just the people in these far-away countries who are blessed by our ministry, but that we, and those of you who pray for us and give to our ministry, are blessed as well. Every time a person in Rwanda comes to know the Lord, those who have partnered with us share in that joy. Every time that a pastor is equipped to start or continue his church, our partners are blessed. But even more than that, we believe that the hand of God is on our ministry to bless those who bless it. We believe that this is good ground for people to sow into, and time and again we have had testimonies of people whose lives have been blessed by partnering with the work of this ministry. This month we wanted to highlight just one of those testimonies to celebrate that this ministry is not only blessing those to whom we go, but blessing those who are helping us to go: you, our partners. So, I would like to introduce you to the Mueters family. I sat down with the Mueters this month and asked them to share some of their story with our partners. They were thrilled to do so.
Jeremy and Miranda Mueters have been married for 14 years and have four children. From the beginning of their marriage they had a passion for missions and evangelism and as a couple went on a number of mission trips. This sparked a desire to be involved in Great Commission work. They told me that leading people to Jesus is a “bucket list experience and one of the most fulfilling things” they have ever done. However, as they started having kids, their opportunity to physically go was limited. They started to wonder how they could still be involved in evangelistic work while working and raising a family. They told me, “While we couldn’t travel as much with our kids, we recognized that the burden for missions hadn’t lifted and we still felt the need to go. But as parents, our focus had shifted and we wondered what we could do. We saw that we could give. We live in the most prosperous nation in the world and we knew that we could sow into the Great Commission.” I was interested to know why they chose to get involved with Wagner Ministries International (WMI) and how their lives have been affected as a result.
What first attracted you to give to our ministry? “We have known the Wagner family for a decade, but we didn’t realize the magnitude of what you were doing. We were praying about where God wanted us to sow our finances. We wanted an organization that reached people and where we knew our money was going to be used to see people saved. We wanted a ministry that we knew we could trust. We found that in WMI. For us, the fruit is the most attractive part of the ministry. You don’t just talk the talk, but you walk the walk. This applies to the ministry, but also to the family. First Timothy 3 talks about how if leaders cannot run their home, they should not run a ministry. As we looked at Kevin and Nicole, we saw a strong marriage and a strong family with children who love the Lord. We had seen years of consistency and we knew that we could trust this ministry.”
What caused you to start financially partnering with our ministry? And how has your life changed since you’ve started giving to WMI? “We did not start giving because we had lots of excess money. It is always a sacrifice to give. But we knew that we wanted to be part of what God was doing globally and we saw the amazing work that WMI was doing around the world, so we started to give. I (Jeremy) own my own roofing company. When we started partnering with WMI, I immediately saw a change in my business. I had clients contacting me whom I had never met. We started giving at the end of 2014 and 2015 was, by far, my most successful year yet; and 2016 is projecting to be even better. We have received many times what we have given for every seed that we have sown into WMI. We know WMI is good soil, both financially and spiritually. When we align ourselves financially and spiritually with WMI, we have seen our income grow. Not only that, but while our business has grown, so too has my time with my family. This past year I have spent more time with my family than ever before. God is blessing our business and our family through this ministry.”
Is there anything else you would like to say? “The main reason why we have partnered with this ministry is because of the way you see people. There are people all over the world who are dying without Christ, and your mission is to bring the Gospel to them because you see them as valuable. We are so grateful that you take the Gospel so seriously that you would devote your life to sharing it. Jesus said the harvest is huge, and while we may not be able to physically go and bring in that harvest right now, we know that when we pray and when we give, we are helping you bring in that harvest and we are so blessed to be part of that harvest.”
As I spoke to the Mueters, I was so encouraged by their testimony. They have chosen to use their lives and their finances to make an eternal impact, and not only has God used them to bless the world, but they have been blessed as a result. And yet, their greatest blessing is yet to come, because for each of you who give and pray for our ministry, I believe you will get to Heaven one day and there will be a line of millions of people who are waiting to shake your hand and say, “Thank you for bringing me the Gospel.” Today I join with them and tell you the same, “Thank you.” Together we are changing the world.
For the King,
Joshua