RED TOP MOUNTAIN STATE PARK – During the first week of June 2025, I had the opportunity to travel to Bartow County, Georgia. My dear missionary friends, Jason and Sarah Sheets of Arequipa, Peru were beginning their 2025 Home Assignment with a very special stopover in Cartersville, Georgia for their son Nathan’s high school graduation. That event in and of itself was amazing, and I will write about it elsewhere, but before any of that happened, I was impressed yet again with my friends’ true heart for the gospel.

I stayed with the Sheets family in a quaint Airbnb tucked away at the top of a deeply wooded hill about ten miles south of Cartersville where the graduation was to take place. Since space was at a premium in the house, I actually ended up converting the covered porch into my bedroom – which was actually quite fun! I had an amazing view each night. The week as a whole proved an outstanding time for fellowship, and it was actually the third time I had seen the Sheets family this school year, despite the fact that we literally live on separate continents.

The day before the graduation, we took some time to enjoy a day at Lake Allatoona in Red Mountain State Park with some of the other graduates and their families. While the kids swam and played in the water, the adults hung back and talked on shore. While the conversation could have gone in many directions, I was once again impressed that my missionary friends turned it toward the Gospel. Specifically, one of the fathers, a Catholic, asked them about their mission and what it truly meant to be a believer. What followed was a humble yet powerful exchange – one that echoed the call every believer shares: to make disciples.

Jason reminded the father of an unshakable truth: “God will grow and build His church.” His confidence in God’s sovereignty framed the conversation. As the dialogue continued, I was reminded, but not surprised how thoroughly grounded my friends are – not just in theological knowledge, but in also a deep, lived-out conviction and an undeniable love for people.

One of the major themes that surfaced was the spiritual confusion of our times. “People are kept away from the church because they think it is foolish,” Jason observed, pointing to the words of the Apostle Paul and how people today often reject sound doctrine in favor of what “tickles the ears.” He also shared his concern for the state of many modern churches – many of which are driven more by numbers and charisma than by the truth of God’s word and the transformation brought about by a redeemed life. “While there are some solid mega churches,” Jason shared, “many are just motivated by numbers. Many so-called modern pastors are nothing more than hypocrites.”

The conversation also touched on the practical side of ministry. Jason noted that a minister is indeed worthy of his wages – a biblical principle – yet he clarified that it is the church, not the pastor, that determines those wages. His comments were a reminder that church leadership must be guided by biblical integrity and mutual accountability.

The Sheets also shared about their personal ministry in Ciudad de Dios, Peru, where the church continues to gather even during their Home Assignment. Life for many Peruvians involves working seven days a week, making church attendance difficult and often deprioritized. Still, the gospel marches on. “Being regenerated by Christ changes things so much,” Jason shared. This internal transformation – what the Scriptures refer to as being “born again” – is not just a religious experience but a radical reorientation of a person’s entire life. A personal is literally made new when Christ saves them.

Later that evening, the seniors and their families gathered again for a bonfire. Here, another couple asked the Sheets questions about their call to missions and the role their marriage plays in that ministry. Sarah offered some rich insights, particularly from her perspective as a wife and co-laborer in missions. “God uses others, like a spouse, to refine us,” she said. Her honesty about marriage was both refreshing and countercultural: “People should not get married to be happy; they should get married to get sanctified.” Her words were met with a knowing laugh, but the truth behind them was undeniable.

When asked what confirms a call to the mission field, Sarah reflected: “What confirms a call to missions is a certain level of discontent with where you are.” It’s a holy unrest that can only be satisfied by obedience to God’s prompting. Yet, even in the trials, she added with quiet assurance, “God gives you peace in the struggles of missions.”

The testimony of the Sheets family reminded each of us present that being “on mission” is not confined to a geographic location. Whether in Peru, Georgia, or anywhere else in the world, the Great Commission remains unchanged. The work of making disciples is the shared calling of every believer.

As I left these profound conversations that day, I was struck by the authenticity and depth of the Sheets’ faith. Their lives are a living testament to the truth that God indeed builds His church – often in quiet conversations, unexpected encounters, and lakeside moments of grace.