Missions Monitor

Sheets for the King

David Scott Fields, Senior Writer

August 24, 2013

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

This short passage is familiar to virtually every Christian across the planet. We call it The Great Commission. Originating from the precious lips of our Savior, these words have sent countless numbers of believers into unknown and often dangerous regions of the world to spread the good news that Christ died to save sinners. These missionaries have flung the gates of heaven wide open, and through the power of Christ brought untold millions, perhaps even billions to eternal life. I am sure you know some of their names – Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Lottie Moon, David Livingstone, etc. Men and women like these have been willing to sacrifice comfort, family, and sometimes even their own lives in order to share God’s unending love. It is easy enough to sit safely at home and praise these heroes of the faith, but for some that is hardly enough. With each new generation, a select few burn with a passion to follow in the footsteps of these spiritual giants and take Christ’s message to foreign lands. I would like to introduce you to one such couple – my dear friends, Jason and Sarah Sheets.

At first glance, Jason and Sarah might seem like your typical married couple. Becoming friends as counselors at Canyonview Camp in Oregon and falling in love during college, they were married shortly thereafter. Now, a little over eight years later, their family includes Nathan (6), Evelyn (4), and a baby boy due in December. However, there was something different about this couple from the very start. Recalls Sarah, “I told Jason, I’m going to be a missionary, and he said, ‘I’m good with that.’” Indeed, Sarah’s heart for missions extends far back into her childhood. She told her mother she wanted to be a missionary at the tender age of seven. Sarah was forewarned not to choose Africa as her mission field, to which Sarah replied, “Don’t put God in a box.” Regardless of the destination, Sarah’s desire was simply to reach people with the hope of Christ that lives inside her every day.

For Jason, the road to a missions heart was a bit different than Sarah’s. Says Jason, “I’ve never been an American Dream kind of person.” While many have dreamed of wealth and success in business, Jason’s heart has always been stirred by something far more eternal. Though becoming a career missionary wasn’t necessarily on his “to-do” list, Christ was instilling in him a love for other cultures through trips to regions such as China, Western Europe, Nicaragua, and various parts of the United States. At 6 foot 5 inches, Jason was hardly inconspicuous in many of these places, but that didn’t matter. God had ignited a love for these cultures within his heart, and he was sure he could be perfectly content living among them.

Christ united this couple on April 30, 2005, but that was only the beginning of the journey and the mission field still lay far off. As Sarah put it, “We had some growing up to do.” And over the next eight years they grew in Christ, grew as a couple, and grew as a family; then finally the time was right! In 2012, the Sheets were accepted as missionary candidates with The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM). Originally founded over 120 years ago, TEAM currently has over 550 missionary units on 5 continents, in over 35 countries. The Sheets in particular will be serving in Arequipa, Peru, and in the nearby village of Ciudad de Dios, working specifically in the church planting process. When asked why they had chosen Peru, Sarah replied with a laugh, “Because TEAM needed us there!” There was, of course, more to it than that. The Sheets as a couple and as a family have always had a heart for Latin American cultures; they have even served in a Latin American church in their home city of Salem, Oregon. It wasn’t that much of a stretch to see themselves serving in an actual Latin American country, and so when God called them to Peru, they were faithful to that call.

The Sheets plan to depart, kids and all, for Peru in early 2014, but in the few months remaining until then there is still much to accomplish. One of the greatest obstacles any missionary faces is raising support to finance their ministry. Missionaries rely on the faithful giving of those of us at home. Sarah was once asked to put the idea of supporting them in easy to understand terms. To which she said simply, “If each of our Ministry Partners [their Facebook group] gave $10 a month (about the price of two cups of coffee at Starbucks) we’d have more than enough.” With a little less than six months left to their planned departure, the Sheets are still trusting Christ for his provision, and they are immensely grateful for all those who have come alongside them in prayer and financial support.

As Sarah put it, another aspect of preparing to depart is saying their “good goodbyes.” Few realize this, but making the commitment to become a full-time missionary in a foreign country can mean being apart from your extended family and friends for several years at a time. TEAM encourages its missionaries not to return home during their first term (about three years). This alone might discourage many perspective missionaries, but as Jason related, “Seeing you stay for a long time shows the locals that you really want to be there. It shows them that you are home.” Thus, saying “good goodbyes” in the States will be incredibly important, because the Sheets have no intention of turning back.

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Some might say that the Sheets are crazy to take this all on, but as Sarah notes with a chuckle, “Most missionaries are a little bit crazy; you have to be crazy for the Lord.” I am not quite so sure I would call these two dear friends crazy, but I do know this – their passion for the Lord is undeniable and inspiring. In March of this year they had the opportunity to visit their future mission field, and when asked how their trip was they replied simply, “We liked it, and we still want to go back.” And so, in less than half a year, I will be having to say my “good goodbyes” to two dear friends that I have known for over a decade now. It will be hard, but I know they go in the power of Christ, and I want to support them in every way I can. At the close of our interview, I asked Jason and Sarah how all of us could support them. Financial support was, of course, huge. Donations can be made at www.team.org in one time or recurring gifts.

The Sheets also receive royalty donations from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book – Enhanced Classroom Edition published by Thrive Christian Press. However, Jason shared a need that far out shadows any financial shortcoming. He said, “Pray for Peruvian people. Pray for those that are lost. Give because you trust God is working.” That’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it – the work of Christ? Missionaries both long term and short term get to be part of the work of Christ for a season, but it will always be HIS work and HIS glory as HE brings the Lost into HIS kingdom. And for my dear friends – Sheets for the King – “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Number 6:24-26).

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