Dear family and friends:

My new friend Zipporah is part of a trend. She’s a Kenyan working abroad in the Middle East. Until recently, she was also a Mormon.

During our occasional visits to share about our ministry, as I explain Global Media Outreach’s system of volunteer response, the question of how we screen applicants sometimes comes up. Zipporah’s story provides a great example of that.

My Orlando co-workers Pat Lee and Margaret Ritsema review applicants’ submissions, which include their official agreement to our Statement of Faith, their personal testimony, and their spiritual references. Occasionally, something unusual comes up (like a Mormon applying to serve with us) and if they would like a third opinion, they'll discuss the application with me.

In Zipporah’s case, she listed her church as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and Esther, a friend and fellow church member, was her spiritual reference. Esther’s evaluation of Zipporah’s walk with God (sharing her testimony, teaching the youth, leading Bible class, completing the New Testament, visiting the sisters every month and currently studying Matthew 28) sounded wonderful, except for that little detail about the LDS church.

So I contacted Zipporah and shared our concerns about Mormon doctrine, explaining carefully the difference between their concept of Jesus and the Bible’s portrait of Him. I offered to review our 30-Day-Next-Steps material with her by e-mail and was very pleased that she accepted!

It turned out that she knew a lot of the things I was sharing with her, because she'd been listening to (Calvary Chapel affiliated) Pastor Jon Courson on the Internet. The 30-Day-Next-Steps have been making a lot more things clear to her. From the very first study, we’re taught that the new birth is by acknowledging we’ve been separated from God, repenting from that to turn toward God and away from our former way of living, then personally asking Jesus to be our Savior and giving ourselves fully to Him. We’re told to expect personal transformation, reminded Jesus will never leave or forsake us, taught about God's love and how to love Him, given significance in devoting ourselves utterly to His purposes - this is some of our best teaching, and it’s given out to literally millions who have contacted us.

Since May 2, I've essentially been spoon-feeding Zipporah this teaching, answering her questions and praying with her. She's been asking great questions about repentance, baptism, and suffering. Her most recent e-mail was full of thoughtful questions about God's nature and the purpose of our lives as believers. The best part? She mentioned being inspired by a lesson about the Cross at her church, so I asked if she had found another church yet:

“I am attending a different church to answer your question, and am glad for the effort I made.”

As I answered Zipporah’s questions, I realized the answers I was providing about our purpose and life's significance were being fulfilled in what we were engaged in. And I realized I needed to tell YOU about it, because you’re part of that chain.

You and I probably wouldn’t be able to afford to take a short-term missions trip to Zipporah’s home, nor would it be safe for us to share the gospel publicly if we were to do so. I won’t say whether or not there are missionaries there, but if they are, they’re the ones with the experience and special training necessary to safely initiate with locals. She’s probably a domestic worker and we wouldn’t ordinarily come in contact with her.

But because I was “in the way” (see Genesis 24:27), here as a result of your faithful gifts and prayers, the Lord caused our paths to cross in an opportune way. My work with Zipporah has been sort of an “on-the-side” opportunity, because I've been primarily needing to work on a small programming project for the past couple of weeks, but it may turn out to have been the far more significant opportunity.

Friend, at some point our paths crossed, and God led you to join our team of financial supporters or prayer warriors. Thank you so much for being flexible while you were in His way. We don't take it lightly, and we know there’s no reason in the world that you should give of yourself the way you do other than the fact we all depend upon—me, you, Zipporah—that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Like I told Zipporah, that means that He has ordained good works for us to walk in, that when the ashes from all the wood, hay and stubble are blown away, it will be God’s work through our lives, including “little detours” like Zipporah, that remain and give us that much more reason to look forward to the joy we’ll share in His presence!

Love, in Christ,

P.S. Please see our latest photos!

Mike and Cindy Skinner

“And that, knowing the time, [kairos = "opportunity!"] that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” (Romans 13:11)