A well known, Statesboro couple, Brandon and Anna Walker announced plans to commit spending the next two years of their life sharing the gospel and bringing clean water to the people of Nicaragua.
They were both born and raised in Statesboro. Anna attended First Baptist Church and Brandon attended Statesboro Primitive Baptist Church. They met in high school at Bulloch Academy, fell in love and began an adventure that has led them through West Point, NY, Athens, GA, and now to Lawton, OK where they have found a church home at First Baptist East.
They will be joining an amazing organization called Amigos for Christ.
https://vimeo.com/328654427
While one-time donations are accepted and greatly appreciated, their goal is to build a team of supporters that agree to monthly contributions for the duration of our time with Amigos for Christ.
The work that they will be doing is made possible by the generous gifts of God’s people, and it their prayer that God will use the people of this church to make His glory known in Nicaragua.
DONATE NOW and help support this impressive couples call into the mission field in such and extraordinary way.
Here is Brandon and Anna’s story in their words:
Why?
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!.” – Psalm 67:1-3
When you decide to quit your jobs, put almost everything you own into storage, pack a few bags, and move to Nicaragua, you receive the same question a lot: “Why?” While it is a fair and expected question, the first few times that we were asked, we found ourselves stumbling through half-hearted answers that did not do justice to the convictions that we truly feel. As we have spent the last few months deciding, applying, and preparing to pursue missionary service, we have also spent time together in prayer, asking God to strengthen our hearts so that we might be able not only to serve Him as we feel called, but also to understand why. In our lives, we have been blessed, but we know that these blessings are for a purpose that extends far beyond our own comfort or glory. Ultimately, we are compelled to go because we believe three fundamental truths: the holiness of God, the brokenness of man, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Holiness of God
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” – Revelation 4:8b
A.W. Tozer writes, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” 1 If this is true, it should affect every part of who we are. Our understanding of the One for whom we live will naturally define every part of how we live. R.C. Sproul argues that the “failure of modern evangelicalism is the failure to understand the holiness of God.”2 When God becomes small in our thinking, our lives become small for His purpose. For far too long, we held small views of God that allowed us to focus more on serving ourselves than on serving Him. The entire world falls under His lordship, and we as His image bearers hold the responsibility of reflecting His holiness to all nations.2
Understanding the holiness of God is a difficult task as the very word itself presents the idea of being separate. God is separate from us because he is transcendent – far beyond what we can even comprehend. 2 As Christians who grew up in church, we learned about the many attributes of God. We heard sermons on the mercy of God, sang songs on the love of God, read books on the justice of God, and so on. However, we often failed to see how our daily lives were affected by His holiness. The holiness of God is not merely another attribute in this list, but rather it is a defining characteristic of all the others. His love is a holy love, His mercy is a holy mercy, His justice is a holy justice. 2 We believe that God is holy, holy holy, and that His holiness has real and significant implications for all of our lives.
The Brokenness of Man
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23
The evidence of our brokenness from sin is all around us. From the moment our plane landed on our first trip to Nicaragua, we saw the desperate physical need. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the entire western hemisphere. Economic hardship, health complications, and political turmoil continuously impact the lives of over six million Nicaraguans. Material poverty is a vicious cycle, fueling feelings of inferiority, hopelessness, and fear among those affected by it.3 The need is great, and those with the means and ability to help are responsible for doing so.
However, this brokenness is not confined to physical need, nor is it restricted to the borders of Nicaragua. American Christians today enjoy unprecedented levels of material blessing. Unfortunately, rather than being fuel for the global mission of Jesus Christ, these blessings have too often been crushed under the self-sufficient and materialistic promises of the “American Dream.”4 Christ established His church as a battleship, ready and equipped to engage in spiritual warfare in the world, but we have used it as a luxury liner, indulging ourselves in the comforts of the world.4 In Scripture, we read countless accounts of God’s great love for His children and the blessings that flow from it. However, these blessings are never intended to center on His children, but rather to flow through them to all of creation. God blesses His people for the sake of His praise among all peoples.4 We believe that the blessings of God in our own lives are meant to flow through us to the brokenness that surrounds us.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20
We have found no better summary of the gospel than the simple proclamation that God saves sinners.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is not an outline of what we must do, but a proclamation of what God has done. It is not merely the ABCs of the Christian faith, it is the A to Z of the entire Christian life.6 Through sin, our world has fallen under a cosmic curse, the evidence of which is all around us. However, Jesus Christ has overcome sin, defeated death, and is even now at work in this world, calling for us to believe in Him, die to ourselves, and live for His kingdom. In light of the gracious gift of salvation that we have received, we are compelled to present our lives as living, breathing sacrifices to God. The gospel changed our lives, and we now seek to use its power to change the lives of others.
As we work alongside our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua, we do not go alone. We go with the love and support of the church that sends us. We go based on a calling from a holy God who deserves glory, honor, and praise. We go to a world that is broken, physically and spiritually shattered from sin. And finally, we go knowing that we carry with us the only means of reconciling this great divide: the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord.
