Phillip Rice

Ever since I was five years old I’ve been called to be a foreign missionary. In fact, before I was even saved, I was telling people that’s what I wanted to be when I grew up. This past December, I went to El Salvador to pass out Everlasting Smiles shoeboxes.

What is the limit of the missionary call in making disciples? How far can we go when the nets of the gospel are spread?

In Matthew 9:35, the Lord is talking to his disciples and saying basically, “Look at the harvest. The laborers are few.” Although most of us would not believe it, South America has few laborers and few healthy churches. 

On July 23, 1966, in a missionary conference led by the late missionary Rufus Crawford in Várzea da Palma, Minas Gerais, the Holy Spirit acted in my heart after listening to the message he preached. Brother Rufus invited people to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, and I did not resist the invitation. Soon I was up front giving my life to the Lord Jesus Christ.