We went on our first short term missions trip in 1997 to Lima, Peru. We had found the pearl of greatest price and saw how others were impacted when they found it, too. We were forever changed. 

 

We saw the smiles on children’s faces. Children who didn’t have any material stuff, not even shoes. We heard a woman singing praises to God. She lived in the community outhouse. We were inspired by the looks on people’s faces the first time they heard that Jesus loves them. We saw the joy and tears when He forgave them of their worst sins and gave them hope for a better future.

 

We were driven by the fact that there are so many people on the planet who have never heard the gospel, not even once. We were sitting there in America with several bibles and books, Christian television and radio, in a wonderful church, surrounded by the gospel message. We were motivated when we heard someone say that people don’t have the right to hear the gospel twice when there are so many who haven’t even heard it once.

 

So, we continued to reach out. Every year we would take our vacation time and go. And then one year, we sold everything. We left our careers and committed our entire lives to reaching the lost and bringing the message of hope to the nations.

 

Our passion is for everyone to know Jesus and the life-giving hope of the gospel message. Our long term goals are to mobilize more people and resources to impact communities and nations with the Message of Hope. We would like to invite you to get involved. Join our prayer community. Invest in this ministry monthly. Pray for our family and for the lost to receive Hope.

 

Mike Johngrass is the Director of Message of Hope, established in 2010, in Youngstown, Ohio. Mike is based in Edinburgh, Scotland, with his wife, Sheri, and daughter, Judah. They facilitate evangelistic efforts to reach the 95% who are completely unchurched and work to strengthen and encourage the local church.