Back in our archives you will find posts just before we adopted Ella Grace about Frank’s mission trip to Honduras with his youth group. Book of Hope, now called One Hope, was the mission organization that he traveled with. He also made a leaders only trip to Poland with another friend, Ed Gannon, who felt so strongly about One Hope’s mission that he continued to travel and lead trips for them a while after the Poland experience. Ed has actually recently gotten marrried to a woman whom he met on one of those missions.
Frank has long felt called to missions, both domestic and foreign. That has been a frightening thing for me as a wife, a mother and as someone with a career of my own. Would God ask our whole family to pick up and leave family, friends, schools and our home? We prayed, a lot, for years. Frank spent a great deal of time researching options and clearly told me that he would make no decision without my feeling at peace about it as well.
A few months ago one of his contacts from One Hope contacted me about adoption. They are adopting through our agency and she had some questions. The subject soon turned to how Frank felt a call to missions and her telling me how much they needed people to lead short term trips for One Hope. She was thrilled at the idea he may be interested. I was in awe that God could be giving Frank the desires of his heart and satisfying me as well.
Often missionaries are called on to raise their own support. Through the years we have been asked to support many different missions in many different places. Jesus tells us to go and make disciples and take care of people and do this in love. By making disciples others will then know that unconditional grace and love others, too. It is our belief that He equips us at different times for different jobs. Some people will GO and some people can make it possible for those who are called TO go. Raising his own support is a walk outside his comfort zone, but Frank has been working diligently because he knows, as I do, that this is what he is supposed to be doing. There are many of you-our friends-who have committed to support. Thank you sincerely.
Our plan is that Frank will continue to lead a trip a month for the next 2 years while being based at home and completing his masters in family counseling. He will also do PR booths around the southeast at youth conventions. Both of these job responsibilities are well within his comfort zone! He has many youth contacts from his 17 years in the field, has been to countless conventions and has lead many many trips, mission and otherwise, domestic and abroad.
Frank has a degree in Biblical Studies and is extremely firm in what he believes about the Bible. The Truth therein is his passion and to be able to lead groups all over the world and share this while working to meet the basic needs of those people as well is…well…perfect for him.
As I write this he is in on a boat in the Amazon River in Peru co-leading a group from The Church of the Highlands in Birmingham. I have spoken with him several times in the last couple of days while he has been in Iquitos at the hotel but don’t expect to hear from him again til the 29th. They begin the trip down the river from village to village today. He is doing very well and has even eaten a fried banana (it was his second biggest fear in making the trip, he detests them)! He says the group he’s with is a dream.
We thank you very much for your prayers and interest in what is going on with our family. If you Twitter they are @247peru. I will continue to update as I hear anything. For now, know that Frank is safe and feeling good about what he is doing, making a difference in the lives of many people and the rest of the Pass Fam is holding steady!
