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My dad was reading a book by Andrew Murray this morning and in the chapter Murray challenges believers about Missions. He basically says that if we are following and loving God we will have a heart for the lost. Toward the end of the chapter Murray offers some practical ways believers can get involved. One of them caught my attention. He encourages people to get writings that speak about Missions and countries so that they can pray better. It hit me - this man wrote the preface to the book in 1885. How much information do you think the church had regarding missions work and how updated was it? They didn't have internet, fast or reliable postal services, and travel back and forth from countries was not cheap nor was it speedy. What they did have was old by the time they got it. Of course they still needed to pray and act, and they did. But I began to think about Mission work now. We have fast and even secure communication to and from the field, travel is a lot faster, pictures and stories are easier to get. To be overwhelmed with the information that reaches us so quickly, as well as the need of millions who are still without hope is natural. But you know, what a blessing it is that we even hear about these things! Can you imagine trying to reach the millions out there without effective communication or updated information? It has been done in the past. We are really blessed that as the days grow close to Christ's return we are given such tools to unite us all the faster and help us pray all the more effectively!