I recently visited our Evangelical Friends Mission (EFM) field in Bangladesh along with Barclay Senior Brandon Pulido, a missions major, in preparation for Saltshaker 08 and EFM Internships this summer in Bangladesh. I discovered the book of Acts in living color as I met the Christians and both heard and watched the testimony of EFM National Leaders. Interestingly, my family has been studying Acts at the breakfast table, and this trip fell between Acts 16 and 17 while we were praying for two men who had just been jailed in Bangladesh; one a local Christian accused of ‘forcing conversion' on a Muslim, the other: that very Muslim who has decided to convert to Christianity after considering it for five years (I paid the $75 bail on the Christian, the Muslim is being held without bail last I knew). Since returning home, Acts chapters 17 and on have especially spoken life to me, along with words from Jesus in Luke being spoken by our Jr. Highers at quiz tournaments this year. You see, in Bangladesh there is no ‘riding the fence' when it comes to following Jesus. Luke 14:26 says "If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple." Long standing Christians are pretty much left alone as long as they are not ‘forcing conversion.' But if any of the  country's 90% Muslim or 9% Hindu depart false gods and profess to follow Christ, their family and community rejects and persecutes them.

Bangladeshi leaders have worked with EFM for about two and a half years and planted 8 churches. Two years ago I had asked Chuck Mylander which missionary could use the support and encouragement of a student team (Saltshaker), and his answer was that in 2008 he expected the young mission in Bangladesh would need that encouragement. So we began planning towards the 2008 trip, and not surprisingly, in the past year we have heard of much persecution of new believers, especially in Northern Bangladesh; plus on their own initiative, Bangladesh leaders began requesting college-aged interns to come share the Gospel by helping local university students practice and learn English. I met one student who knows of about one dozen Christians in his University of 25,000 students. Between Chuck's advice, the requests from Bangladesh leaders, and the reality of Christians facing persecution, feeling alone and disconnected from the prayer we are offering on their behalf through EFM networks, we have no doubt that it is ‘God's will' for EFC-MAYM to send a team to Bangladesh. Would you please consider this corporate Calling for Mid America Friends and contact me ASAP if logistics allow you to go? I personally have felt "...drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit..." much like Paul did to Jerusalem in Acts, except Paul knew "...that jail and suffering lie ahead..." while I expect peace and safety in Bangladesh from the assurance of Bangladesh national leaders and as the U.S. State Department has issued no Travel Warnings for this country. "But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love." (Acts 20:22-24)

- Matt Macy