Marc Coleman, our Africa field director, sat next to me in the taxi. We were making a mad dash from Togo to Benin. Our driver was literally flying down the road, passing other traffic with death-defying maneuvers while maintaining a happy banter about West African politics. Marc took it all in stride and countered with tales of life in Guinea, to which the driver responded with awestruck disbelief. I remember thinking to myself, “Marc is the man for this job!”

Living and working in West Africa is not for the faint of heart. The unseasoned traveler might quickly come to the conclusion that the traffic and terrain, border crossings and opportunistic officials, oven-like hotel rooms and temperamental plumbing are too much to bear. However if you were to catch Marc at work, you might be tempted to think that he was not just at home in this place but that he was ready to be your host here.

Years of living and ministering in the crucible of Guinea, a country constantly on the brink of chaos, has molded Marc into a man eminently qualified to minister to missionaries serving in Africa. It is not just the ability of Marc and his family to survive in this context that distinguishes them; it is their proven track record of loving the children of Africa and shepherding them beyond their plight toward realizing their true potential in Christ.

Serving as an AFM field director demands much more than just being able to create budgets, approve expenses and hold missionaries accountable for results. The rigorous demands of third-world travel, the ability to navigate foreign foods and the nuances of local languages just scratch the surface. Missionaries need a model of faith in the face of fear and a mentor who knows how to manage the needs of the heart.

Many people tell me that administration, especially field directing, is a distraction of dollars that should be dedicated to making disciples. I respectfully disagree. In my experience, disciple makers also need to be discipled, and missionaries need wise and seasoned mentors. How can missionaries give away what they have never received? A field director is called to be the missionaries’ missionary. I am extremely grateful that Marc Coleman has signed up for this challenge.

You might be tempted to think that my admiration of Marc has created the delusion that the man is a saint. While it is true that the longer I work with him the more I respect and admire what God has done and is doing in his life, I will be the first to tell you that Marc is also a disciple in need of discipleship. It is my privilege to work with a team of administrators dedicated to investing in and discipling those we are called to serve. I can think of no better way to live than to spend one’s self to invest in people.

In addition to the unceasing demands of ministering to missionaries and securing the future of his life investment among the Susu of Guinea, Marc is striving one step at a time to build a solid support team. Will you invest with me in the support and development of a man called out of the crucible of missions to multiply the effectiveness of AFM’s Africa missionaries? Thanks for your generous partnership. —Laurence Burn

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