Matchbox Cars & Ministry

 Sometimes it is easy to forget the "ministry" part of "pre-field ministry/deputation" and just think of the churches we visit, acting missionary perfect, and hoping for some financial support. There are many churches that we have visited that had no intention of supporting us in the future, and some that didn't even give a love offering. But that's not the point. The point is ministry. Ministry is more than getting support. It is meeting people, making their day a little brighter, and sharing Hope to live by. It is giving a smile, a joke, an investment in someone else. It's being an encouragement to other Believers.

One way I have found to do this is through matchbox cars. I often feel for the missionary or pastor kids that go out to eat with their parents and then are expected to sit quietly for an hour or two while the adults talk. So the Lord brought to mind an idea from a teacher friend in Taiwan. Matchbox cars.

Matchbox cars are pretty durable, and the wheels are less likely to get pulled off when they're chewed. They can handle being dropped multiple times and allow for quiet entertainment. A perfect way to make friends. Now, when we're out at a restaurant with small children in the party, or in the doctor's office, or somewhere else boring for small children, I ask parents if their child can have a c-a-r. It always brings a smile. One boy even gave me a hug and proudly patted his front shirt pocket (where his car was lodged) at the next service . 

It's a little investment that makes a difference, if even a small one, and that's what ministry is about.