by Elder Mike Chon

As our Argentina team was preparing to leave , I was reflecting on all the missionaries that are currently doing the work of spreading the gospel to parts of this world that are unreached. I am so thankful for these missionaries that have committed themselves to go into another part of this world so that the gospel can be preached and that salvation would be offered to those that would have otherwise never heard. As I sit here in San Diego, my heart and prayers are with those that are preaching the gospel and even risking their earthly lives for the sake of Christ. I have read so many articles on missionaries either injured, severely tormented, or even killed because of sharing a message about our Lord Jesus Christ. These are ordinary men who have been called by God to do an extraordinary work of sharing the gospel throughout the world. “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rom. 10:15)

When we talk about heroes, we usually think about those that are well known or have done something remarkable in this world. There have been very well known men and women who have done remarkable things for our God in the past and even currently. We should applaud these men and women for what they have done and be thankful to our God for using them in this way. But let us not forget to pray and also be thankful for the missionaries who quietly serve our Lord and may be the only light and ambassador for the gospel in that part of the world. They find themselves as lambs in the midst of wolves. They find themselves with limited resources and limited comforts. They find themselves tired, hungry and thirsty. They find themselves alone and secluded. They find themselves in danger and under constant persecution. They find themselves completely dependent on God. They find themselves empowered by the Holy Spirit. They find themselves understanding what it means to die to self. They find themselves rich even though poor. They find themselves understanding joy in times of trials. They find themselves praying unceasingly. They find themselves experiencing the comfort from the God of all comfort. They find themselves in the perfect will of God. These are the heroes who cannot be forgotten. These are the heroes who we need to be sharing with our friends, our spouses, our children so that they can have real heroes in this life. These are the heroes who we must pray for so that the work of spreading the gospel can reach those that have never heard. “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rom. 10:15)

Take time to remember these missionaries and pray for them today. Even though we may never hear about them or even ever know them, they are the true heroes in this world. May our prayers be heard and felt by our fellow brothers as God works through and in them to do the work of the ministry, for “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send our laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2)