Typically, the husband’s role in the ministry of MAF is obvious, but the wife’s role is more vague. My husband uses tools and airplane parts every day in his ministry with MAF. My ministry tools include things like spatulas and potato peelers. People often ask me what my ministry is here or what I do here. It varies. A lot.

I came here expecting to have to “find” my ministry, but I discovered that ministry opportunities often come to me. If we are following Christ wholeheartedly, we don’t have to go looking for our ministry. God will direct us right to it. I can’t find any commandments in scripture to “go out and find your ministry.” I have found commandments to serve wholeheartedly and with gladness, and to trust Him with all of our strength and let Him make our paths straight. As we obey, we minister.

Sometimes ministry sneaks up on us, and we are doing it without realizing it because it doesn’t look like what we would expect. Here are some things I found myself doing for others recently. Some of them sound pretty cool. Others certainly would not be found in the dictionary under “ministry.”

Playing with orphans
Peeling carrots
Baking cookies
Giving a tract and a Coke to someone
Cutting paper
Giving people a ride somewhere in my car
Answering questions
Writing letters
Making copies
Interpreting
Serving snacks
Holding a baby (fun!)
Sharing food

If someone does not have the time, energy or ability to do those things for themselves, and someone else steps in and does them, they will tell you that absolutely they have been ministered to and blessed! Some of the things we do are much more “obvious” than others as ministry activities, and we wives sometimes fall for the enemy’s lie that the little things we do don’t amount to much. I’ve learned here that anything, ANYTHING, that helps to advance the Kingdom, is ministry. So, if I am ministering to someone with my vegetable peeler, my ink pen or my spatula, those are my ministry tools, as odd as that may seem.