We’re NOT Too Old to be Missionaries!

My name is Tim Spencer and it seems like only yesterday when my wife and I launched our daughter, Stacy, on her World Race from Atlanta. It’s actually been 2 years since she left out on her trip and I can’t tell you how much our lives have changed as a result. We thought it was all about Stacy. It was her journey, her wild life. Not ours. We never intended her 11-month trek to wreck our steady, predictable lives like it did.

Fast forward to now. Next week, Betsy (my wife of 30 years) and I start our own world race. We’re doing something called World Adventures for those over 45 and it’s admittedly not the same as the World Race. Yes, we’re going to multiple countries; Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. But the trip is only a month long. We’re taking backpacks, not luggage, but our older backs will sleep on mattresses, not concrete floors. We’ll work with the same ministry partners as the Racers do. We may even get a chance to work with a Gap Year team while we’re in Nicaragua.

God started this work in us over a year ago on Stacy’s parent vision trip. We met her in the Philippines on her 9th month with 32 other moms and dads. It was our way of validating her decision and showing our support. What really happened when we walked into a bar in Angeles City was soul stirring. My daughter and her teammates helped us start conversations with teenage girls. OK, moment of truth. They were prostitutes and we were trying to save them from that life in the name of Jesus. That night, 14 girls boarded the bus with us and came back to Manila to start a new life with Wipe Every Year, our ministry partner there. We knew then that we weren’t just there for our daughter…we were there for all of God’s daughters. He was still able to use us and we still had “tread on our tires!”

Betsy and I had spent our whole lives raising our 3 kids and now we are empty nesters. All of our energy for the last several decades was spent on making money, driving to dance classes, and cheering on soccer teams. Now, that stage is over. What did God have for our “2nd Act” of life? Did He have more for us to do for Him and His Kingdom?

YES!

Next Wednesday, Betsy and I board a flight to Antigua to start our in-country training camp with 23 other excited “Adventurers.” There are 9 couples, 4 singles and a grandma. We’ve been connecting weekly for prayer calls and each family has a World Race alumnus who has been counseling and preparing us for the next month.

Are we excited? Yes. Are we a little scared. YES. Are we ready? No way!

We still need more supplies. Still finalizing our dog sitting plans. But most importantly, we’re praying. Praying for peace for the journey. Praying for God to use us this next month. Praying for the humility to receive feedback from other old farts who are set in their ways like us.

Please pray for us and our squad!

Stacy is coming over for dinner tonight with a couple of her World Race teammates to share stories and commission us for our trip. My eyes are welling up now even thinking of it.

Would you prayerfully consider helping Betsy and me financially? We are $740 away from our combined goal. We could have self financed the trip with credit cards but Adventures in Missions wants us to raise at least 10% of our support from others. I think partially to teach us dependency but also to let our friends know about our trip and invite them into the process. Will you partner with us on this trip?

Oh, and pray that Betsy will not encounter any scorpions for the whole month!