Perhaps one of the best known scriptures about vision is found in Acts 16. Paul the apostle had a vision of a person from Macedonia calling for him to come and help them. That vision opened up a way for the rest of the known world in that day to hear the Gospel.
My personal vision for sharing the Gospel with other cultures and countries came first when God gave me a burden for the people of Southeast Asia. They were embroiled in a war, which was very much in the minds and headlines of my generation. In 1972, there were very few believers in that area of the world — especially in comparison to the great numbers of people living there.
God spoke to my wife, Ramona, and me through His Word, telling us we should go to Southeast Asia to serve Him. As a 20-year-old young man, I felt I had to go and do something! How could I possibly ignore the vision and call God’s Spirit had given me?
That was 50 years ago. I am now 70 years old. The vision and call are still as fresh as ever. At times, the journey has been extremely difficult. But I must confess that these last 10 years of ministry have been the most rewarding!
Looking back over my life, I see how serving as a missionary led me to establish Reach A Village in 2012. God had a plan to mobilize thousands of local believers into villages throughout Southeast Asia and equip them with His Word to tell the story of Jesus and His love, bringing historic numbers of believers into the family of God.
Even though I am an old man now, God has allowed me to see His vision and to live out my dream of reaching Southeast Asia (and beyond!) with the Gospel. My eyes have seen thousands of villages reached, hundreds of churches established, and hundreds of thousands of people respond to the Gospel. This old man continues to dream of entire countries having a body of believers in every village!
Celebrate this 10-year milestone with our Reach A Village team and ministry partners. Rejoice that the Lord has called you to be part of the vision to see the Gospel proclaimed in every village on earth — until Jesus returns.
By Bob Craft
Bob Craft is founder and president of Reach A Village. His ministry background of over four decades includes service as a pastor, missionary, and evangelical missions leader. Bob believes that the most efficient and cost-effective way to finally fulfill the Great Commission is to train local Christians, equip them with Scripture materials, and mobilize them to reach unreached villages in their country with the Gospel.
