Meet Daniel and Magen Davis

24 more days to go! For newcomers to the blog, please read the first post on Jan. 3 for background on what I am undertaking.  

Today I would like to introduce you to Daniel and Magen Davis, missionaries to France.  I am attempting this 140.6 mile triathlon to raise awareness for what's happening in France with Christianity and to raise financial support for their mission.  

Daniel and Magen Davis

Daniel and Magen are in their early twenties and are both graduates of Southeastern Bible College in Birmingham, AL.  They grew up in the Birmingham, AL area and they both share a deep love of the Lord.  Their official biography is on their website www.francemission.com and I encourage you to visit their site to learn more about them.  

Prior to meeting Daniel and Magen, the only missionary I had ever met was a kind lady working at the local coffee shop.  She and her family had spent almost the last 20 years in the Ukraine and I enjoyed hearing stories about their adventures.  I often wondered why someone would enter the mission field.  Was it an alternative to getting a traditional job?  Was it a dissatisfaction with something going on in the United States?  Was I missing something?  What did this idea of being "called" really mean on a day to day basis? 

Many of my questions have been answered as I have gotten to know Daniel and Magen.  Their actions, goals, and kindness have opened my eyes to a few things.  

1.  They are regular people.  Wow, this one is going to be interpreted in many ways, I'm sure. What I mean is that like many others in their early twenties, not only can they text message like a court stenographer, but things like Facebook, Twitter, and the iphone are a normal part of their day to day lives.  

2.  They are smart.  Both Daniel and Magen are sharp.  I am so impressed by the caliber of their knowledge, kindness, and enthusiasm that it is obvious to see they would be successful in whatever endeavor the pursued.  Any thoughts I had that becoming missionaries is a backup plan have been burst.  

3.  They are different.   Read The Great Commission in Matthew 28: 18-20 where Jesus told his disciples, and I am paraphrasing here, to go to all nations and make disciples, teaching them all things I have commanded.  This is a powerful passage.   Jesus is asking all followers to do something.  Believing isn't enough, action is required.  

The difference between Daniel and Magen and many others is that they are devoting their lives, their careers, their jobs to following this commission.  They have received many Holy nudges from God and know this is their path.  

The most striking difference I see in Daniel and Magen is that their call to be missionaries in France isn't a "we have to do this" attitude, it's a "we get to do this."  

It's clear to me that Daniel and Magen are following a path that has value for eternity.  In a world that constantly barrages us with the importance of accumulating "stuff," the treasures Daniel and Magen accumulate as missionaries will be eternal.  I can not help but have a deep sense of admiration for this incredible couple.  

Kindest regards until tomorrow

CH