The Unconventional Missionary

Sometimes the stunningly obvious ways that God works in this world are mind boggling. When I witness these occurrences I am most grateful to know how intimately God interacts in our lives, directing and connecting and manifesting his love and purposes for us. I just got off the phone with Terri, my beautiful, blond and petite daughter in law who happens to be an electrical engineer. She was on her way back from her third trip to Honduras where she spent 10 days training some university students in building and installing photovoltaic power (solar) systems. Terri was a part of the team from Sonlight Power Ministries, a Christian outreach group which has the mission to install solar power in schools, churches and clinics without electricity in third world countries. Terri is passionate about this work, feeling it is a call from God, a wonderful expression of her ability and her desire to serve the under-served because, as she says, "I do this because Jesus loves these people and I can give of myself to make a huge difference in their lives. The looks on the children's faces when we turn lights on is worth it all."

It is a joy for me to watch Terri's spirit soar as she goes about this unconventional missionary work. And it all started with losing her engineering job with a major consumer product company during the recession last year. After she was laid off she got on the internet and sent emails to people and places she didn't know seeking information about solar power opportunities. Up popped a message from a total stranger leading her to a seminar being given in a church 80 miles away about installing solar power systems in third world countries. Terri went to the meeting and her life took a dramatic turn. She met the engineer teaching the seminar and told him he had her "dream job". This engineer's name was Walt Ruggeman and he was intrigued by Terri's desire to learn more. Within weeks he was advising Terri via international emails on her solar battery master's degree project. He connected Terri with Sonlight Power Ministries (www.sonlightpower.org) and from that day forward her unconventional missionary work began in earnest. This gracious, generous man who did not need to take a special interest in Terri , opened doors for her that have changed the direction of her life. This gentleman who modeled a servant leader's life which impacted thousands around the world by bringing light into their lives, died on January 15 during the earthquake in Haiti. His body has not been recovered.

It makes me wonder, what if Terri had not been laid off? What if emails from strangers had not been written? What if Terri had not driven all those miles to go to an unfamiliar church to hear a person she knew nothing about? The power of God to continue his work in the world is awesome and mysterious. Even the work of unconventional missionaries.