Much has been written, discussed, debated and prayed for concerning the West Africa region of the International Mission Board over the past year. One of my greatest concerns over the past few months has been that the controversy surrounding the WA region would somehow impede the progress of the gospel. I should know better! I am always amazed at the ability of God to work and continue working, even as we consistently disagree and fumble through our approach to His ministry.

I spoke this evening to my sister, who is a missionary in West Africa and she shared with me some of what God is doing in the region, and I praise God for His movement. One of the greatest things that she shared with me was that during their annual regional meeting in Togo this past week, the missionaries collected their annual Lottie Moon offering. They do this once a year when they all gather. Praise the Lord that during this time, these underpaid, overworked, often forgotten missionaries gathered together and gave over $73,000 to overseas missions work. That averages out to aproximately $450 per person. When you realize that most of those giving are married couples, that means they gave, on average, almost $1,000 apiece.

Praise the Lord for these faithful missionaries and their commitment to the propogation of the gospel among all peoples. Let’s pray that their genuine love for the Lord and love for the West African peoples motivates us to partner with them.