that seeks to know
and make God
known through:
Proclamation
Outreach
Worship
Equipping and
Relationships
Operation Laird
Jason and Kathy Laird are going on a 6-week missions trip to Indonesia to spend time with missionaries from various aviation oriented organizations seeking God’s guidance as to whom they should partner with.
We would like to share in this ministry by praying for them as they evaluate the different ministries and also to help them raise the financial support.
Their financial need is $7,500 and God has already provided $3,500. If you would like to help financially, please place your check in the offering plate and put “Operation Laird” on the memo line.
Let’s get the Lairds to Indonesia!
A letter to the church from the Jason and Kathy
May 18, 2008
Dear Church Family,
It is with great joy that we write to you concerning how God is leading in our lives. He has been preparing us for our future career in missions and you have played a significant role over the past few years. We are excited to follow His leading and at the request of the missions committee we would like to share it with you.
Both of us accepted Christ as our Savior at a young age and we grew up in Christian homes. We were personally exposed to missions as our families frequently hosted missionaries. God also blessed us with the opportunity to participate in several short-term missions trips. These experiences deeply impacted our lives and it was through these that He placed in us the desire to serve Him in this capacity. When we met at Piedmont Baptist College, God united our hearts, not just for each other, but with the ambition to serve as career missionaries.
God has used you these past few years to reaffirm our love for people and ministry and to encourage us to continue pursuing this emphasis. You have also graciously given us the opportunities to teach, lead, learn and practice so that we might be more effective in serving our Savior. The time at Northwest Baptist Seminary has tremendously helped us in the study and use of
God' s Word as we strive to proclaim His message.
More recently, we have been researching mission organizations and have been wrestling over
which one to partner with. After reading philosophies of ministry, vision and purpose statements, we believe that it is best to go overseas to personally experience some of these organizations and evaluate which direction He is leading us. God providentially reconnected us with veteran missionaries Dave and Esther Scovill (missionaries Jason's home church supported). With their assistance we are planning to take a six-week survey trip to Indonesia from July 1st to August 8th. During this time we plan to spend time with missionaries from various aviation oriented organizations GAARS, MAF, NTM, and Region Wings), seeking God's guidance as to whom we should partner with. Although the cost of this trip is $7,500, we cannot express the value it will have on deciding on a partnering organization. As a missionary with Region Wings said in one correspondence to Dave Scovill, "I hope that Jason and Kathy will find what they are looking for, we are really quite a diverse lot here [in Indonesia] - each organization] with our own mission emphasis and each different in the way we operate, so at the very least they should get a good exposure!"
When we return from Indonesia, while we pursue a partnership with a mission organization,
Jason will take a part-time Associate Pastor position at Madera Baptist Church in Madera, CA. This is a church with whom we have developed a personal relationship with over the past couple of years and they have enthusiastically expressed their desire to support us and have us minister there until we reach the field. lt will be great to be more thoroughly involved in church ministry again.
We would count it a privilege if you would continue in your support of us. Please pray with us in this venture of faith that 1) God would give us wisdom as we evaluate these different ministries, 2) we would be an encouragement to the missionaries we will be with, and 3) we will receive the $7,500 in financial support necessary for the trip.
Sincerely,
Jason and Kathy Laird
P.S. We praise God that through one church's commitment and one couple's contribution He has already provided $3,500! We are confident that God will meet the remaining need through people like you. lf you have any questions for us or about our trip please feel free to drop us a note at jasondlaird@hotmail.com.