Our hearts ache for the families, colleagues and friends of the ten aid workers whose lives were taken in Afghanistan.  Although not affiliated with American Baptist International Ministries, each one was a brother or sister because of Jesus Christ.  Three of those who were killed were known personally by IM staff members. This unbelievable loss of life while in volunteer service reminds us that have we only the present moment to serve God and our neighbors. Our futures are uncertain and life is fragile. This tragic event should not stop us from considering God’s call to service, but instead encourage us to live as these brothers and sisters did, serving the poor, giving of ourselves as an outpouring of love for the one who gave his own life for each of us.
 
"People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives ... and when the bubble has burst, they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted." — Nate Saint, missionary martyr