Thoughts from a missions dad

Before our children were born, my wife and I had an interest in missions. As our children came along, they were immersed in the same exposure. We had missionaries stay with us. We supported missionaries who were active in foreign countries. We attended mission conferences and presentations. One could say it was a way of life in the Christy household.

When Laura shared her desire to go to the mission field it was no great surprise. What did surprise me was how much I did not know about the evaluation of candidates and all the preparations needed to get to the field. Through that process my commitment became even greater to Laura's efforts especially and to missions in general.

I was totally at peace with her going to the field because we had already turned over to God the care and nurturing of her. My faith in God's watch-care grew dramatically. It was interesting that a close Christian friend asked if I feared for Laura that something bad would happen to her and we could not be present. I responded that had never crossed my mind and that her care belonged to God whether she was in the USA or in Russia.

Did I find joy in having Laura on the mission field? Absolutely! The same friend who asked me if I feared for Laura's safety provided us with a home computer so that we could email her and stay current on what was happening in St. Petersburg, Russia. The computer also allowed for the keeping track of our oldest grandson as he made the adjustment to life on the mission field. One highlight for me was the opportunity I had with my wife to make a trip to Russia to see our “mission kids" and experience worshiping with fellow-Christians in a different culture. It was a great blessing.

Our faith grew through our greater dependence on God and through expanding our vision to seeing how He works through His people to achieve His end objectives. Also, it further expanded our commitment to missions and made us see the need to try to do more whether in a foreign land or our local community.

The whole experience reminded me that God does not always give me the same vision he gives my daughter. So I embraced Laura's vision and we supported her, Will and Marc in their ministry in Russia.

As you can see, Laura still has her missionary heart as she serves through NMSI. We could not be more pleased and proud that she has placed that emphasis central in her life.

By Bill Christy, father of NMSI CEO Laura Clancy

Laura, her husband Will and son Marc served with NMSI in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the late 1990s. After returning from the field, Laura continued serving with NMSI on the Board of Directors, also serving as chairman, until being invited to become CEO of NMSI where she has served since May 2010.