“All my life I had this image in my head of what a missionary had to be,” said Dan Russell.* Then, a volunteer missions trip to Southeast Asia helped change his misconceptions about missions.

“Upon arrival on the field, my eyes were open to the fact it wasn’t necessary to hold a seminary degree for a person to serve,” he said. “There was a college chemistry professor here. There was a police officer. There was a couple that had been professional truck drivers. There were young people fresh out of college.”

“I stood with a missionary on a street curb overlooking a city filled with masses of people. When asked what I saw, I replied, ‘More people in one place than I’ve seen in my life.’ She replied, ‘But do you see the lost people?’ My life hasn’t been the same since.”

Since that trip, Dan, a former Marine and industrial technician, and his wife, Barbara* have responded to God’s call by going to serve in Southeast Asia as career missionaries.

“Prepared for this moment”

“Today, we serve with the others here in our region, attempting to take the light into the darkness,” he said. “Not to say we haven’t been challenged, but there hasn’t been a moment that we have doubted our call.”

“It was as if we have been prepared from the beginning for this moment.”

The Russells worked, raised their children, found their dream home, spent time with friends and family, and remained highly active in church for many years before deciding to serve the Lord overseas. In the process, they gained the work experience necessary to prepare them for their current ministry.

“We now know why our preparation took us 30 years. There are no mistakes in our Father’s plans,” Dan said. “What we are given we are to share.”

Barbara’s taking care of business

Barbara was an accountant, office manager, home business owner, and escrow officer in her years before overseas ministry. “My wife is a highly motivated person in business and her skills make her highly marketable,” he commented.

Her business and management skills are being used on the field to enhance their ministry team’s work in meeting the needs of the entire country’s team members.

Not by chance

They are currently in language study while serving at a guesthouse that hosts and serves the hundreds of people who go through their region on short-term assignments. “Many of our guests are returning home to apply for service with the IMB, just as I did,” he remarked.

“My wife and I found that, when we acknowledged the call and made ourselves available, God was able to use that which He had begun in us.”

“Can I look back and see God at work? You better believe I can. The skills and training we were given were not by chance. Our desire now is to continue to search the places where God is working and be available when called upon.”

*Names have been changed for security reasons.

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