Missionary Cody Mock with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod describes how his new role as IT Officer with the English program of Luther Academy has impacted both his life and his family:
The desire to use my background in IT to help others proclaim, hear, and believe in Christ (Romans 10) is being fulfilled. I have wanted for many years to become a pastor but my strengths have so far been proven to remain within the realm of technology. What a blessing it is for me to be able to help our theological educators (pastors themselves) train students who will become pastors in the future! I am still very close to both my desire to be a pastor and the desire to help others with technology—something God has laid on my heart for decades.
Technology, while not removing all barriers to distance education, removes many. Being able to use these gifts God has given me to help future pastors around the world faithfully preach Christ and rightly administer the sacraments could only be done through such a program that Luther Academy has created. My current role with Luther Academy is a perfect marriage of my desires and their mission.
I could imagine no other work that is more impactful, either. For this is the full use of technology to fully engage in the core mission of the Church. The reach of the Gospel through Luther Academy is greatly multiplied by this use of technology, much like the printing press was for Luther. My continued prayer is that God would bless this work and that, in turn, the Church would be blessed for generations to come. Soli Deo gloria!
Beyond the technical, this has been a great fit for my family as well. My wife grew up as a missionary kid and has had with her a desire to return to the mission field. She feels very much at home as a missionary. We are also thankful that we are able to bring our children with us so they are exposed to the need of laborers for the harvest and to see first-hand the work of the Church in the mission field. We trust it will be a good experience for them as they learn the language that surrounds them, live as believers in a new and non-believing culture, and engage with our fellow missionaries. We pray it will grow their faith and shape their lives to be connected in some way to the continued proclamation of Christ and Him crucified for the sins of the world.