and that is.....?

I know. What is a missionary to the poor? It seems somewhat self explanatory. It's the "to the poor" part that is somewhat, well, vague.

When the "powers that be" sent Paul out. Of all the advice they could have given a missionary going on the road, they chose only one thing. They didn't advise Paul about having a support staff, proper locations, financial supports, newsletters or anything of the sort, they mentioned one thing and Paul was reminding the Galatians that very thing when he was writing them, "2:10...remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." It was the only thing they asked.

Somehow, that very statement speaks volumes about the heart of the pioneers. It permeated their lives. You notice Paul didn't say, "Oh, I was planning to get to that,"or "I know someone we can get to do that." It's the eager word that throws a kink in the whole dang thing. We all know of how Paul preached the gospel. How he traveled extensively spreading the Word. We rarely hear about the things he was eager to do.

I was sitting in a conference once. That's not true. I was walking in the back of a conference once pushing a stroller back and forth praying fervently that my newborn son would give up the ghost. He was willing to go peacefully as long as I kept moving. So I walked a mile and listened to a woman talk. Every few minutes, on my familiar path, I was compelled to stop and slap my forehead in utter amazement. The kind of slap that happens when a light goes off that you can't believe you hadn't already seen and your dumbfounded by the fact that a light so bright had gone unnoticed for so damn long!

The woman's name...Jackie Pullinger-To. If you ever get a chance to hear her, don't. Unless you're already "eagerly" remembering those people because if you're not you're going to come away with a bloody forehead. Jackie has a gift of guiding you down a path littered with bright beacons that somehow can't be seen by the regular eye. This path unfortunately doesn't have a return access point. You can't back up. Oh, I guess you could but the retina burn is permanant. The only cure is to continue down the path or live a life unable to see anything properly ever again.

To try and describe Jackie's story in a few words, like compelling or amazing or unbelievable are so trite that it's painful. I'll deal with Jackie later....