“Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21).

These words woke me this morning. At first, I thought it was my desire to see Jesus during my time of prayer and meditation. Then I realized it was the unspoken cry of the unreached of the world—specifically the Otammari. In their hearts, whether they know it consciously or not, they want to see Jesus.

As we look forward to launching to Benin, our time seems full of practical concerns. How can we best learn French? Which airline shall we fly? What is the best way to finish up our support-raising? We are trying to sell our house, simplify our lives and get ready for life with one more child in our family. We are planning and re-planning what to take with us. We are living between two lives in a temporary state of transition before we are finally among the people we have been called to serve.

Those people wish to see Jesus. They are souls in the balance; children of God for whom Christ died who do not know of their Savior. Their salvation is the most important work in the universe. The practical issues that fill our lives must not obscure that fact.

Those of you who are praying for this project and funding it are not making your sacrifices so that we can get engrossed in practical issues. You have given in faith that your gift will make a difference for eternity, and that as a result of your support, the unreached will see Jesus. It is our commitment to fulfill that desire. Through our lives in Benin, we want Jesus’ words to be fulfilled in us: “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).

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