I guess we're big now.

I was reading the July 2010 issue of Christianity Today last night and found a little blurb about some latest Pioneers news. I looked up, glanced across the outdoor tables of the restaurant where I was resting, and thought very matter-of-factly to myself, "I guess we're big now."

I mean, I knew we passed the "large missions agency" mark several years ago. Internationally, Pioneers now supports over 1,900 missionaries around the world in some of the least-reached and least-served places. When compared to just over 500 in 2003, it's obvious that we have grown tremendously at an incomparable rate. The numbers are big.

In 2004, mentioning the name of Pioneers usually required a heavy dose of explaining; most had never heard of it. (Either that, or, truthfully, we were confused with Pioneers girls clubs or Pioneer Bible Translators, or even Frontiers. If I had only thought to count the phone conversations centered around these!) Today, Pioneers is at every major missions conference across the US. While visiting churches, I'm no longer surprised to run into a Pioneers missionary on home assignment. Little explaining is required. The reputation is big.

And now, our little announcement has become major news in the evangelical world. Well, it's clearly not a little announcement. (We merged with AWM.) But Christianity Today thought it worth including. Our news is big.

You see, my five years with Pioneers was during the "breaking out of the shell" period. During my time in the US recruitment office (with 5 particular heros: Alan Chantelau, John Downer, James Kim, Steve Ludwig, and Lauri Nevius), our team witnessed and participated in an explosion of growth that wielded tidal waves of effect on teams and ministries around the world. We didn't really know it then. We just had loads of fun working and praying together, traveling together (playing poker and singing karaoke together). We rode the wave with hearts and hands open to where God was leading us. It was an absolutely exciting time to be a part of what God was doing through Pioneers.

Now we look back - 3.5 out of 5 now serving the Lord in other capacities - with joy at the privilege of being a great team with a great goal. (Like that .5? That's you, Steve, working with Pioneers in England.)

But I wonder if others, like me, still think of Pioneers as the little guy. The little booth (awesome as it looked) next to the "big guns" of mission conferences. The young, smiling rep willing to listen to whatever hair-crazed mission idea the next generation dreamed about, praying with and encouraging him or her that the Holy Spirit's leading is worth following. The org whose name was not always known, but whose globe was.

Very good memories, indeed.

Very worthy work, indeed.

Very great King, whose Kingdom will never end - Indeed!

The purpose remains: Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church-planting movements in partnership with local churches.

Since 1979, so many others have joined this vision for the sake of the King and His Kingdom. So many have been willing to go, with Pioneers willing to send.

And so....we're big now.

PS...Love you, heros!