I recently opened a new puzzle. Inside a plastic bag was a mix of shapes, colors, and sizes. At first glance, it is hard to see how they might fit together, let alone make a pretty picture. Two years ago, Schweitzer began an intentional effort to look at how we might expand our missional focus to the global community, and it was a bit like opening a new puzzle without a reference picture of what we were working toward.Â
As we have put the puzzle together, piece by piece, it is obvious that God already had a beautiful picture planned. I think of the Davis Family. Todd and his wife, Monica, along with their two small boys, moved halfway around the world last year. It was during college that they gave themselves fully to God. They connected with Schweitzer while at MSU. When they tell their story, they point to different people from Schweitzer who, though their faith and actions, made God real to the Davis’s.
Through the years, life took the Davis family to places outside of Springfield, but when they were ready to head overseas, they returned to Schweitzer, hoping we would again be an important part of their journey. Schweitzer partnered with the Davis family to help them move abroad and begin their work in a foreign country. In turn, the Davis family introduced us to people who would help us launch our SWELL program. The Davis family is now living internationally and sharing Jesus Christ and the new life he offers with their neighbors. Because of their witness, people have asked Jesus to lead their lives and take away their sins. Those people, in turn, have been compelled to follow the example of the Davis’s and go to other parts of the world and share the Good News.
Looking back, I can see the puzzle picture that has been there all along as God has put it together piece by piece. For 75 years, Schweitzer has served its community: here, there, and everywhere. He has linked people together in unexpected ways to serve his purposes. The love of Christ is reflected in language classes, traveling to work in other parts of the world, praying for people groups, and people’s financial support.
I cannot wait to see where he takes us in the next 75 years!