Missionary family recognizes “time is short”

LESOTHO  When Jim and Teresa Flora, IMB missionaries from Springfield, Mo., think about their life and ministry in the mountains of Lesotho, two needs come to mind: the support of their children and support from Southern Baptists.

They rely on the prayers and encouragement of their three grown sons and their families in the United States, but daughters Gracie, Anna and Rebekah are a part of each day’s work in Africa. Whether they are preparing meals for volunteer teams, playing with children, or telling Bible stories, the girls consider themselves fully committed to the task of sharing the gospel with unreached Basotho people. They know every believer has a part in God’s mission.

The Floras’ work is an extension of Southern Baptists’ dedication to reach the nations. They are grateful for several long-term partnering churches in Texas and Virginia and especially thank God for faithful giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the continued prayers of hundreds of churches.

A registered nurse, Teresa has held babies as they took their last breaths, and the whole family has grieved the loss of friends. Starving children continue to break their hearts. Violence against women is a constant concern. Teresa confesses that a few moments have led her to say, “Lord, can we keep doing this?”

“We understand that time is short; we understand that in a nation that has the second highest HIV and AIDS rate in the world that there are people that we share the gospel with from day to day that will not be here next year,” Jim says. “So we do work hard to be good stewards of the Lord’s time that he has given us on this earth because we do believe that it’s unacceptable that there are people who have not heard the story of Jesus.”

They are careful in their daily life and work but do not live in fear. They say their faith that they are exactly where God intends for them to be is strong, and they know their daughters are part of God’s plan.

“God gave them to us for a purpose, and we believe that part of that purpose is reaching the nations,” Jim says. For their family, going was the only option.

“Our prayer is this, that we could teach them more by going than we could ever teach them by staying,” he adds.

“We’re praying in 2015 and the years to come as we serve God in the mountains that there will be more Southern Baptists who come to put their boots on the ground so that we can get the message to every village and to every person so that they would have the opportunity to accept Christ as their own.”