I came home from Fort Worth with a fire in my heart. I recently had the opportunity to attend a missionary conference, and while I went with a love for missions, I returned with something more. A renewed sense of purpose, a deeper understanding of the work being done around the world, and perhaps most importantly, a different perspective on what it means to have a part in it.

Before the conference, I had been wrestling with a question that I think many of us have probably asked ourselves at some point. Does what I do really matter? I'm just one person. I don't have an enormous platform, endless resources, or some extraordinary ability to change the world. I'm simply someone who loves God, loves people, and wants to be useful wherever He places me. When you consider the enormous needs around the world, it's easy to wonder what difference one ordinary person could possibly make.

The conference itself challenged me in ways I hadn't expected. There were moments when I struggled with my view, questions I wished I could ask, and ideas I needed time to sit with. I didn't leave with every question answered, and I think that's okay. What I did leave with was a greater appreciation for the depth of missionary work and the responsibility we share as believers. Missions is so much more than traveling somewhere, completing a project, or supporting a good cause. It's about making disciples, strengthening churches, preparing people well, and faithfully proclaiming Christ to a world that desperately needs Him.

One story from the conference that I keep thinking about is that of Adoniram Judson, who traveled to Burma, now Myanmar, in 1813. His life was filled with hardship. He endured imprisonment, illness, and the deaths of people he loved, all while continuing the work he believed God had called him to do. He spent years serving without seeing the kind of results we might hope for today. Yet he continued. I remember hearing about the growth of Christianity in parts of Myanmar in the generations that followed and being amazed. Judson never got to see the full impact of his work. He never knew all the lives that would eventually be touched. But God did. And God still does. I found something deeply encouraging in that, especially as someone who had been wondering whether my own small contributions could really matter.

One of the most meaningful reminders I brought home was that not everyone has the same role in missions, but everyone has a part to play. Some are called to go, others to send, and still others to pray, give, encourage, teach, or prepare those who will go. None of those roles are insignificant. In fact, much of the work that makes missions possible happens quietly, through ordinary people faithfully doing what God has placed before them. We may never know the full impact of a prayer, a conversation, an encouraging word, or a small act of generosity.

And somewhere in all of that, I began to look at my own question differently. Maybe I don't need to know how much of a difference I'm making. Maybe I don't need to accomplish something enormous or have a remarkable story to tell. If God uses my life to help even one person, that would be enough. One person encouraged, one person supported, one person who comes to know Christ. That is not a small thing. I think sometimes we become so focused on the size of the need that we forget the value of the individual standing right in front of us.

Still, I came home with another question weighing heavily on my heart. How can we see the need for missions and not feel compelled to respond? There are people around the world who have never heard the gospel, communities without healthy local churches, and missionaries faithfully serving in places many of us will never visit. I understand that we have different responsibilities, abilities, and seasons of life. I don't believe everyone is called to move overseas, and I certainly don't believe participation in missions looks the same for everyone. But I struggle to understand how we can know the need exists and remain completely disconnected from it.

Perhaps that's part of why I love sharing through The Calling Post. I want people to know what's happening beyond their own communities. I want them to learn about the people who are serving, understand the cultures and places they serve in, and discover opportunities to participate in ways they may never have considered. Not because I think everyone needs to do more, but because I believe there is something beautiful about recognizing that God allows ordinary people to participate in His work.

I don't know exactly where this growing passion for missions will lead me. I still have plenty to learn, and I'm sure there will be more questions along the way. But I returned from Fort Worth renewed, encouraged, and more convinced than ever that this work matters. I may only be one person, but I don't need to be anything more than someone willing to be faithful with what God has given me.

And if that faithfulness makes a difference in the life of just one person, what a privilege that would be.

Until next time,

Olivia Tressler

Founder, Compass Missions