Oscar Max still remembers the short-term team visiting his home that day. He was alone with his sons when a group of foreigners and Impact staff showed up. The Canadians visited with him and his boys. They spoke words of encouragement and asked if they could pray for Oscar. “One day I will accept the Lord,” Oscar thought as they prayed.
But then the team’s driver spoke up: “Brother,” he said, “the Lord is telling me in my heart that today is the day you will accept the Lord, because the coming of the Lord is near.” Tears rolled down Oscar’s cheeks as he prepared to open his heart to God. When Oscar’s wife arrived home, she was greeted by five excited boys running out to tell her that Daddy had accepted Jesus!
If you ask Oscar whether Mission Teams are important, he’ll say “Yes, yes, yes!” Because, as he says, “if it wasn’t for them, for the help of the Lord and them too . . . my life would have continued in the same way it was.” Instead, the day he accepted the Lord, his life and his future began to change. He became a godly example to his sons, who have grown up to be godly examples themselves. And the impact of that visit continues to echo through eternity.
Are you interested in having an eternal impact through a short-term mission experience? Check out www.impactminusa.org/teams for opportunities to lead or join a team.
(Oscar’s story was first shared in our Fall newsletter, along with lots more exciting information about our short-term mission teams. If you didn’t get a copy, make sure to update your info with your current mailing address so that you don’t miss anything else!)