missionary thoughts and poems

[Sister Alvear]

When I am dying how glad I shall be
That the lamp of my life had been blazed out for thee

I shall be glad in whatever I gave
Labor, or money, on sinner to save;

I shall not mind that the path has been rough
That thy dear feet led the way is enough

When I am dying how glad I shall be
That the lamp of my life has been blazed out for thee
(author unknown)

[Sister Alvear]

A Dream By T. Dewitt Talmidge

"One night, lying on my couch when tired, my children all around me in full romp and hilarity and laughter, half awake and half asleep, I dreamed this dream: I was in a country. It was not Persia, although more than oriental luxuries crowned the cities. It was not in the tropics, although more than the tropical fruitfulness filled the gardens. It was not in Italy, although more than Italian softness filled the air.
I wandered around looking for thorns and nettles, but I found that they did not grow there; I saw the sun rise, and watched for it to set, but it did not. I saw people in holiday attire, and I said, "when will they put off all this, and put on workman's garb, and again delve in the mine and swelter at the forge?" But they never put off the holiday attire.
Had I wandered in the suburbs of the city to find the place where they dead sleep, and I looked along the line of hills, where they dead might most blissfully sleep, and I saw towers and castles, but not a mausoleum or a monument or white slab could be seen. And I went to the chapel of the great town, and I said: "Where do the poor worship, and where are the benches on which they sit?" And they answered me, "We have no poor in this country." I then wandered out to find the hovels of the destitute, and I found mansions of amber, ivory, and gold; but not a tear could I see, not a sigh could I hear; and I was bewildered.
I sat down under the branches of a great tree, and I said, "Where am I and whence comes all this scene?" And then out among the leaves and up the flowery paths and across the shifting streams there came a beautiful group thronging about me, and I saw them come I thought I knew their step, and as they shouted, I thought I knew their voices, but they were gloriously arrayed in apparel such as I had never witnessed, that I bowed as stranger to stranger. But when they again clapped their hands and shouted, "Welcome! Welcome"" the mystery all vanished.
I found that time had gone and eternity had come, and we were all together again in our new home Heaven. And I looked around, and I said, "Are we all here?" And the voices of many generations responded, "All here!" And while tears of gladness were raining down our cheeks, and the branches of Lebanon Cedars were clapping their hands, and the towers of the great city were chiming their welcome, we all together began to leap, shout, and sing, "Home, home, home, home!" T. Dewitt Talmidge.

[Sister Alvear]

The Missionary's Prayer

Only one life I have to live for thee
Please, make me what I ought to be,
Oh God of shining light
Help me penetrate heathen night.

I will desire no rest
Until I offer you my best,
My youth, my talents, I gladly give
So that others in heaven may live.

Oh thou the Galilean King
Your message I will gladly bring,
So that those who have waited so long
At last they can sing the hallelujah song.

I will gladly lay my life down
So that others may wear a crown
I will tell them of your grace
So that together we may see your face.

(Written by Janice Alvear)

[Sister Alvear]

Without Delay

A heathen world now lost in sin
Must be our deep concern
We must be moved to earnest prayer,
Our hearts with passion burn.

Why should we preach to hardened hearts
And countless times retell.
The truth that they have oft refused,
While heathen go to hell;

In distant lands these millions die,
But friends, we are to blame.
That they have never heard the truth,
Of how the Savior came.

While millions in their lost estate
In darkness groan and grope,
We must proclaim the Savior's Name,
He is their only hope.

O Christian friends, let us arise
With speed the Gospel tell.
We must not let these dying souls,
Go to a heathen hell.

We must in haste reach every land,
The near and far away.
These millions must be told of Christ,
Must hear without delay.

(Author Unknown)

[Sister Alvear]

If Your Soul Were In My Soul’s Stead

If your soul were in my soul’s stead
I sometimes wonder what you would do
Could you live so unconcerned and care-free
If you were me and I perchance, were you?

If your heart felt the pain that my heart feels,
Would contentment always show on your face?
Would your words flow ever on so cheerfully
As you met up with the trials of life’s race?

If your eyes wept the tears that my eyes shed,
It seems to me that your skies would not appear so blue;
The sun would hide behind a cloud of sadness,
And the rosy sunsets would take on a darker hue.

If your feet walked over paths that mine have trod
And knew the thorns and rugged rocks along the way.
I wonder if your step would be so lighthearted,
As you traveled on from day to day.

I would not wish upon you all my sorrow,
But try to understand at least, just how I feel.
So that you can better help to bear my burden,
When before the throne of God you kneel.
(Dorothy Alvear)

[Sister Alvear]

The Giver Of All Good Gifts

I saw the beggar on your steps
His clothes dirty and worn
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please help him the second time to be born.

There was a young man with books in his hand
Studying as he walked down the hall
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please help him to be another Paul.

A desperate woman at your altar
She was praying to who a god that cannot save
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please show her the gift you gave.

To the black robed priest from Rome
An old man was confessing his sins
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please show him the Savior of all men.

Crawling up your aisles were many people
Telling the gods of all their sorrow
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please give to them a bright tomorrow.

I saw a child buying a candle
To burn to a god that cannot see
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please help him to know of thee

There was a blind man by your door
He reached out to ask alms of me
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please help him thy light to see

Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
My heart has been blessed by thee
My youth, my strength, my life
Only to you Lord will bow a knee.

Oh thou giver of all good gifts
I am so privileged to know of thee
At thy feet my offering will I bring
So that others thy light they can see

Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Your light has shown upon my way
All the goods of this world I bring
To thee I gladly give you this day.

Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Let it be known by word and deed
That all that I might possess
I will spend it to sow thy seed.

(Written by Janice Alvear, as she visited the second largest
Catholic church in the world, located in Brazil)

[Sister Alvear]

Traveling On My Knees

Last night I took a journey
To a land far across the seas;
I didn’t go by boat or plane,
I traveled on my knees.

I saw so many people there
In deepest depths of sin,
And Jesus told me I should go,
That there are souls to win.

But I said, “Jesus, I can’t go
And work with such as these.”
He answered quickly, “Yes, you can
By traveling on your knees.”

He said, “You can pray; I’ll meet the need,
You call and I will hear;
Be concerned about lost souls,
Of both far and near.”

An so I tried it, knelt in prayer,
Give up some hours of ease;
I felt the Lord right by my side,
While traveling on my knees.

As I prayed on and saw souls saved,
And saw twisted bodies healed,
And saw God’s workers strength renewed
While laboring on the field.

I said, “Yes, Lord, I have a job,
My desire, Thy will to please;
I can go and heed Thy call
By traveling on my knees.”

(Sandra Goodwin)

[Sister Alvear]

Listen to these words of an atheist:

Were I a religionist, did I truly, firmly, consistently believe, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and the practice of religion in this life influences the destiny in another, the Spirit of truth be my witness, religion should be to me everything. I would cast aside earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as less than vanity. Religion should be my first waking thought, and my last image when sleep sunk me in unconsciousness. I would labor in her cause alone. I would not labor for the meat that perisheth, not for the treasure on earth, where moth and rust corrupts, and thieves break through and steal; but only for a crown of glory in heavenly regions. Where treasure and happiness are alike beyond the reach of time or chance. I would take thought for eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained to heaven worth a life of suffering. There should be neither worldly prudence nor calculating circumstance in my engrossing zeal. Earthly consequences should never stay my hand or seal my lips. I would speak to the imagination, awaken the feelings, stir up the passions, and arouse the fancy. Earth, its joys and its griefs, should occupy no moments of my thoughts; for these are but the affairs of a portion of eternity, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly miserable or everlastingly happy. I would deem all who thought only of this world, merely seeking to increase temporal happiness, and laboring to obtain temporal goods, pure madmen. I would go forth to the world and preach to it, in season and out of season; and my text should be, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (A.S. Ormsby, in Alone with God)

[Sherri]

I'm reading a book right now called "These Words Changed Everything" about Wycliffe translators who went into a pagan tribe in Mexico in the fifties and spent years learning their language, writing an alphabet, and finally translating the Bible for them. The language had never been written down before - just passed on to the next generation by speaking. It is SO fascinating!! And the way they won these people to their hearts before they ever won them to Jesus - wow! They had to be so patient!!

Also, I'm reading a mind-boggling book called "Radical" that I would recommend to everyone. It's messing with me!

[Sister Alvear]

Wow..give us the names of the authors and I would like to read them...love you Sherri...