The Latest News from M2M

Much has happened with M2M in 2008 – the following is a quick rundown…

• In September ‘08, Living Waters Ministries in Springdale, Newfoundland blessed us with an office space to use for M2M operations.
  
• Barnabas International is partnering with M2M and is providing a team to minister to the missionaries at our event.
  
• We began building a website, which we hope to launched in January ‘09
  
• Several volunteers have been blessing us with their time and talents
  
• Interest and curiosity in M2M continues to grow locally

We also began a gift registry so that people can purchase gifts for blessing the missionaries at the retreat (see previous blog). I tried it myself and it was kind of fun!

So things are coming along. We’re faithful that God will provide and put all the necessary details we need together. In 2009 you can expect to hear about M2M on Christian radio stations and read about it in Christian magazines. We will be promoting M2M also via this blog and our new website (address TBA). There is also a possibility that other bloggers might promote M2M to their readers.

Bless a Missionary with a Gift.

M2M would like to bless the missionaries with baskets that overflow with wonderful gifts. Here is a list of suggested items we would love to give to the visiting missionaries:

Visit Registry

Why minister to Missionaries you ask?

Researching through several statistics that have been collected over many years by the WEA, I learned that our missionaries today fall victim to a whole host of complex issues. Over time, these missionaries go from being enthused by the Lord's calling on their lives to a state of hopelessness, fatigue, exasperation and need. Some missionaries will stay in missions for six months, some close to ten years. What pushes some to leave so soon and what helps others stay much longer? In short, our missionaries are becoming, in many cases, the people they are trying to reach - the orphans. Thus they become orphan missionaries.

My perspective into this subject comes from my own personal experience in the mission field and also from the World Evangelical Alliance Missions Commission (WEA). If you would like to read more on my sentiment on this matter, you can read up on it on the last page of my last three newsletters linked below:

• June-August


• Sept-Dec


• Jan - March

What is M2M?

Mission to Missionaries (M2M) is an international retreat purposed to encourage, empower, and revive global missionaries. It will be an opportunity for churches and Christians everywhere to celebrate missionaries and their calling. All missionaries are invited to attend.

M2M is taking place September 2009 within Gros Morne National Park, NL. The attending missionaries will relax in hotel accomodations and enjoy the best in Newfoundland hospitality. They will also have opportunity to experience the sights, sounds, and activities of this land through various outdoor activities. A missionary-sensitive team from Barnabas International will also be available at M2M. They will accompany the missionaries and gently encourage their emotional and spiritual health.

Missionaries often sacrifice comfort, family, careers, and friends to serve those in other countries. Their work can be demanding and sometimes dangerous. A major objective of M2M is to create a national awareness of missionaries and the commitment they make to others. We also want churches across North America to be reminded of their role in caring for missionaries. It is common for missionaries to experience stress and burnout, and a feeling of abandonment by churches and other supporters can be a great contributing factor.

M2M is being organized by the International Alliance for Missions, Inc.
Based in Newfoundland, this is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting missionaries in their cross-cultural projects.