Facing a Task Unfinished

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose," is a challenge that led Neil Thompson into a life of missions, specifically medical missions in Thailand. 

Dr. Thompson and his wife Wannee join us on this episode of the podcast. 

Medical missions plays a large part in Neil's story and he shares how a newly established hospital became a place of discipleship and showed that actions could speak a...

How clear should your call to overseas missions be?

We welcome Megan Sarian to our podcast this month. Her journey to becoming a missionary in Cambodia was a slow and gradual process. 

You'll appreciate her honesty that a "call" overseas may not be as clear-cut as many people might think it is, or should be. And even a call to go doesn't necessarily mean "soon" or "right now." 

If you or someone y...

What if you limited God with your own definition of what missions should be?  

Rodney Pennington welcomes to the podcast Grant Haynes from Global Frontier Missions (GFM). Grant founded GFM in 2000. It's a fascinating origin story that illustrates how God has a plan that is so much bigger than we can often comprehend, taking us to places that we might not have ever considered on our own. 

Grant's passion is to see as many indi...

What would you sacrifice for just one person to know Christ? 

What if a specific desire you had to serve Christ was potentially turning into an idol to you?

And what if God said "No" to that specific desire to serve?

Amanda Slaughter joins Rodney Pennington on the Facing a Task Unfinished podcast to talk about those questions and so much more.

As Amanda prepares to become an OMF missionary in Japan, you'll hear how suffering as a child...

OMF missions mobilizer Lisa Mellinger joins us on the podcast to share her journey into missions. 

Often our guests tell us about the family support they had. Lisa's story is different. 

As a Chinese family living in America, wanting to serve in China when she was young was not looked upon favorably by her parents, a story that Lisa shares with humor looking back on it after so many years.

She also shares how God worked in her lif...

You've probably heard the saying, "Be careful what you wish for." It can hold true for our prayers, too. 

That's a foundational part of the story we're excited to share on our podcast. Eric and Katie Unruh tell us how praying about Japan led to hearing the call to serve as missionaries in Japan. 

You'll hear how the one person Eric and Katie needed to talk to (unbeknownst to them) at a pivotal moment was t...

If you've been listening to our podcast conversations for a while, you'll notice a few common themes. One is: I had plans for my life, but God had other plans that were better. 

However, the journey isn't always smooth as you'll hear in the latest episode of our podcast.

Marjorie Young-Krauss shares about her life, from growing up in the Philippines to moving to the U.S., and how God became more and more real to her as time went on...

Imagine hearing at age five that a teacher thought you’d “never become anything.” 

But God had other plans for the young Brian Newton, a shy child from England. 

The road wouldn’t be smooth, though, and far from a straight line as God slowly positioned Brian to where He wanted him to be as a missionary. Even after beginning service overseas there were trials to overcome.

It’s a fascinating story that we’re thrilled to share with you!

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"If you lived here, you would understand."This is often the response OMF Taiwan missionary Kat Tang wants to say to people who inquire about why, after five years in Meishan, Taiwan, has no one become a Christian yet? It can be a difficult subject, but the full answer is so important to understand!

In addition to this audio, you can see her share this story (and see a bit of Meishan) on our YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be...

The United States is home to more international migrants than any other country, receiving 20% of the world’s “people on the move.” Today, 13.8% of U.S. residents are foreign-born, with 1 in 25 people having never heard about Jesus. Many East and Southeast Asians arrive in the U.S. from countries where the gospel isn’t easily accessible.

Through our new Global Neighbors Ministries, we collaborate with churches and networks to see mu...

What happens when you think you have your life figured out, but God leads you in a new direction? And what happens when there's still suffering to endure such as a divorce?

OMF's Sharon Tang joins Rodney Pennington on this episode of the podcast to talk about her life... how curiosity about a free gift led her to church one Christmas, her journey as a doctor, and how a patient of hers making a miraculous recovery showed her who was...

Former OMF (U.S.) President and National Director, Michael Littlefield, joins Rodney Pennington on this episode of the podcast. Michael shares about how his faith developed and led to a life in missions with his first wife, LeMei. After working for many years with OMF in Taiwan and Singapore, they returned to the U.S. to continue serving with OMF in Colorado. 

Michael shares how God led them through times of great blessings and cha...

Instead of asking, “Am I called to missions?”, a better question might be, “How does God want me to participate in His mission to reach the world?”

Writer Christopher Lane explores that question on this episode of the podcast.

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Originally started as China Inland Mission and now as OMF, our mission is to share the good news of Jesus Christ in all its fullness with East Asia’s peoples to the glory of God. Learn how you can be in...

"Do you want the pleasures of the world or are you going to seek Jesus? You can't be on the fence. It's one or the other."

Cambodia missionary and OMF mobilizer Travis Pappa joins Rodney Pennington on this episode of the podcast. 

A very clear call to missions still came with choices and challenges. Travis walks us through that journey of how God spoke to his heart and opened doors from an early age and still guides him in his li...

From a challenging past to a hope-filled future in Christ, OMF’s Kori Jackson shares her journey from Laos to the U.S., and how God’s patience helped her to see that a different life was possible.

Kori talks about the pain of her past, including the murder of her brother, and how God continued to pursue her even in the midst of her lowest moments. 

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Originally started as China Inland Mission and now as OMF, our mission is to sh...

Among our conversations with missionaries on the podcast, being a missionary as a single person has come up multiple times.

Today, we focus exclusively on this important topic. 

Executive Director for Mobilization, Rodney Pennington, talks with OMF Philippines missionary Andy Smith. As a single missionary himself, Andy's story sheds light on how single missionaries can thrive, especially when aligned with God's plan. 

Andy...

With over four decades ministering to the people of Thailand, OMF missionary Larry Dinkins talks with Rodney Pennington about how God has worked in the hearts of the Thai people, and in Dinkins himself. 

Dinkins shares how he came to Christ, what led him to Thailand, the loss of his wife and ministry partner to cancer, and how stories and Bible memorization are so important to sharing the Good News of Jesus with others. 

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OMF Thailand missionary, Bekah Farber, shares how the Thai word 'naarak' can be used in many circumstances, but most powerfully in relation to God.

Read the blog version at: https://omf.org/us/is-god-cute/

Originally started as China Inland Mission and now as OMF, our mission is to share the good news of Jesus Christ in all its fullness with East Asia’s peoples to the glory of God. Learn how you can be involved at...