The telephone rang at 10 p.m. on a February night in 1988. “This is Clyde Morgan from Adventist Frontier Missions. We’ve heard you are leaving New York, and we are wondering if you would consider a call to mission service.” That conversation began an unbelievable journey that spanned nearly 25 years and has changed my life and that of my family. But the journey is quickly coming to an end. By the time you read this article, Belinda and I will be living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where we will be seeking to establish companies of believers in that challenging city.

How can I express how significant this journey has been to me? Our years in Papua New Guinea altered the way I see and relate to the world and even how I relate to God. There—among the heat, humidity, crocodiles and mosquitoes—I found brothers, sisters and friends, the memories of whom I will always cherish. I found God there in the midst of their laughter and pain, and I realized that He is so much bigger than any one culture. As my travels expanded over the years, I discovered that, in some way, every culture reflects aspects of His glory and character, like the facets on a diamond. My life is so much richer because of that. These are the gifts of AFM to me.

When we left the shores of the U.S. in 1989, we had three young sons in tow. Our daughter joined our family a couple of years later. However, as we leave AFM, I feel as if my family now encompasses the globe. There are people I love, cherish and respect from Albania to India, Thailand to Turkey, and so many more places. As AFM’s director of training, I have had the incredible privilege of investing in the lives of every student and career missionary AFM has sent out since 1992. So many images and memories are cascading through my mind right now. Each summer, the process of telling stories, sharing lessons learned, praying and playing together has been such a joy. I have learned and grown so much from each person. I am so grateful to each missionary for allowing me the privilege of becoming part of your life and for enriching mine. These are the gifts of AFM to me.

And what I am to say of those I have served with side by side? Our colleagues David and Holly Lackey who served with us in PNG—how much you blessed our lives in our labors together. Tim Holbrook, I will never forget the hours lying beside you on a dirt road in Mindoro, staring at the stars as we waited for the bus and talked of God and His mission. Dale Goodson, there is so much to say! From long walks through PNG jungles and the forests of Poland, from sleeping in donkey sheds in Mali to speaking to the youth in Lahr, Germany, you have been a trusted friend, partner and brother. I would trust you with my life. Laurence Burn, we have cried and laughed together. From the depths of my heart, thank you for opening the windows to show me how to be a better disciple of Jesus. My tears are flowing freely now, and the list could go on and on. Each of you are the gift of AFM to me.

I am not the same man who joined AFM in 1988. I have grown and learned so much. I have become much greyer and, I trust, much wiser. The world has changed, too. Because of what God has done through all of our lives—the entire AFM family—forged together in joy, pain, and sacrifice, the Kingdom of Heaven has advanced. We are closer to that glad day when we will all bow before the King of Kings, surrounded by the representatives of the nations, kindreds, tribes, and peoples who will be there because of AFM. That will be the gift of God to me!

Belinda and I refuse to be denied the privilege of following Him into the hearts and lives of those He has waiting for us in Pittsburgh. May you follow Him, too, learning day by day to live for the sake of those who will never know Jesus unless someone is willing to cross the street or cross the globe for the sake of their salvation. God bless you all.

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