After just one year of teaching, we made the decision that I (Luke) was not to go back.

I had not actively pursued a single teaching position, didn’t turn my resume in anywhere, but always said in the back of my mind, if it was Cleveland NJROTC, I would give it a shot. This was with the intention of being able to serve throughout the day as a teacher pouring into the lives of my students and helping prepare them to be great American citizens as an American History teacher, but then once I would get out of school before 3:00 would have the chance to go into the community to share the gospel and make disciples, all the meanwhile providing for my family through my God-given gift of teaching. This was in theory a great idea, but would turn out to just be an easy way out of being fully committed to what God has called me to do. SO…when I got the email stating that there was an opening I jumped through the hoops to make it happen.

Through this process I learned that there are five major stressors in life by becoming too familiar with their stresses:

1. Finances
2. Housing
3. Occupation
4. Relationships
5. Grief

We were just married and figuring that out (not that we’re perfect, but better), I had gotten a new job as a teacher (Occupation and finances), and we were house hunting. This was rough…until the fifth one came into play with the sudden passing of a family member. This would send me into a bout of depression that was diagnosed by my counselor as Adjustment Disorder.

After a couple months of counseling I learned some strategies to help in the classroom and made it through the end of the year with my head above water, but it was clear that teaching in that capacity just is not where God has called me.

This was reaffirmed throughout my last trip to India in August, when I got to see people come to new life in Christ, as the gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed for the first time in their villages. Within four days we were able to see people start following Jesus, immediately discipled by teaching them how to study the New Testament, and then trained on how to share their story and Jesus’ story. Before we went to their villages there was little presence of the gospel, but because of the work that started not even two months ago, there will be echoes into eternity with people from the village and even surround villages gathering around the throne in heaven declaring worthy is the lamb that was slain! I can’t wait!

The trip in August reminded me how much work needs to be done both at home in St. Louis and across the globe so that all people groups would hear. There are a number of great churches and organizations working in and around St. Louis with these same goals. Its an honor to serve a church within the missions capacity planning outreach events here, near, and far for the body of Christ to act indeed as hands and feet of Christ, showing compassion, and sharing Jesus’ story.

There are over 3000 people groups in the world where there is no gospel ministry, so  I have joined e3 Partners Engaging Nations team as a Catalyst where my role will be like the initial missionary to an unengaged people group. Please check out my staff page to learn more about this: www.purecharity.com/luke-holder-e3. (Definitions of people group and unengaged people groups can be found here.)

After a year of testing my call and heart for the nations, I now find myself in a position doing full-time ministry, focusing on seeing people who have yet to hear the gospel come to faith in Jesus and start being discipled. It is scary to step out into the unknown being partner funded, but I know that what God begins, He sustains.

I could not be more excited for this new adventure and want to thank everyone who has supported us already!