By international office staff
Heather Wilson (name changed for security) is a Navigator from North America who has been serving the Lord in Central Asia with her family for over 20 years. Worldwide reached out to hear more about God’s work in that region and in Heather’s own heart:
1. When did you first feel the Lord calling you to advance the Gospel through cross-cultural missions?
When I was 15, I devoted everything I knew about myself to everything I knew about the Lord. But I didn't know much about either one. My youth pastor Charlie, once involved with The Navigators at Florida State University, reached out to me asking if I’d be interested in joining a small group focused on understanding what it means to walk with God. As Charlie and his wife Kieran began to disciple and invest in me, my relationship with the Lord began to grow. Through these relationships, I felt challenged to make disciples and sensed God's call to missions and cross-cultural ministry for the first time. At that stage of my life, I said, “Yes, Lord; I want your will for me and for all things. And if this is what it means, you provide the way.”
2. What has it looked like to follow the Lord in fulfilling that calling?
During college, the Lord granted me my first opportunity to disciple women in a cross-cultural setting during a midterm mission trip. After spending seven weeks meeting with two Kenyan women, I felt affirmed in my calling as a missionary. Soon after, I met my husband at a missions event where The Navigators' International President spoke.
After college, we spent eight years praying and trusting the Lord to guide us for overseas service. We had eight specific things we were praying for, one of which was to serve among unreached, unengaged people in the 10/40 window. When our local church pastor and a supportive congregation affirmed our decision to move, all eight prayer requests were granted. Witnessing God's faithfulness, we moved forward with confidence in His leading, observing His will unfold. This resulted in almost 19 years of overseas ministry before the Lord led us to Central Asia with The Navigators.
3. As you reflect on the past few decades of ministry, can you please share something the Lord has taught you in your relationship with Him and your ministry to others?
God uses simple, ordinary people to accomplish His will. When I read Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 about not many of us being wise or noble by birth, it resonates deeply within me. It's through our brokenness and flaws that God chooses to reveal His glory, and I consider it a privilege to be part of His plan. This understanding of grace is ingrained in the depths of my heart, reminding me that it's not about my achievements but about embracing God's purposes.
I find comfort in John 15:4, knowing that as I abide in God, He will be faithful to His promises and advance His kingdom through me. Verses like 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 and Romans 8:6 reinforce the importance of living for Christ and focusing on spiritual matters. My experiences, especially in hard-to-reach places, highlight how God works through ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. It's not about me; it's about God's greatness and His transformative work in the world.
