Hi LAC family! My name is Rick, and I grew up in the San Fernando Valley in a non-Christian, fairly hurting home environment. But my encounter with the love and saving power of Jesus at eighteen radically changed my heart and the trajectory of my life! Several years later when
the Lord asked me if I was willing to be a “sent one” (missionary) to other parts of the world to share God’s love and saving power with other non-Christians I enthusiastically said, “Yes, here
I am, send me!”
On January 1, 1986 I landed in India to join a church planting team working among an unreached people group. Little did I know at that time that I would continue to work in India and South Asia for the next 37+ years training and multiplying other (especially national) church planters to work among the unreached. And I am blessed and honored to continue to play a role in South Asia by providing pastoral care, training, and leadership development for national and cross-cultural missionaries engaged in the Great Commission there. My role now is more of a “Barnabas”—an encourager, big brother, and helper to the thousands of (mostly national) staff now working in church planting, mercy ministry, and training throughout the region.
Last month I returned from visiting some of our most fruitful national workers in Bangladesh.
They introduced me to family members and other members of their communities who have come to Jesus in recent years. As I heard stories of the persecution and challenges, they have faced in staying faithful to the Lord, and the zeal and boldness with which they continue to share the gospel, I felt I was standing on “holy ground.” They asked me to share a message of encouragement from the Bible and my life and so I shared with them the promise that the Lord made to me the first day I encountered Jesus: that He would NEVER leave nor forsake me, no matter what difficulties or sorrows I faced in life, and that He is always faithful, in good times and bad, and will be with them too. With tears in their eyes, they affirmed that yes, this is the character of God that they too have experienced and that they will continue to trust Him no matter what the future brings.
Thank you for your prayers and partnership. I began attending LAC when I was at Fuller for
my first graduate studies in 1997 and joined LAC international staff during my second graduate studies at Fuller in 2005. I have been so blessed by the wonderful friends and connections at LAC and the commitment of the church to being salt and light. My overseas work is part of your inheritance and your local work is part of mine as we labor together to advance His Kingdom
and glorify our Lord and Savior!