Things To Be Thankful For: George Verwer

Wednesday, 9 November 2011

George Verwer

George Verwer is the Founder and former International Director of Operation Mobilisation, which is a ministry of evangelism, discipleship training and church planting. George led Operation Mobilisation for over 40 years before stepping down in August 2003. George has a burning concern for vital, propagating and revolutionary Christianity in his own life and in those he meets.

Saved at the age of 16 in a Jack Wyrtzen meeting, in which Billy Graham spoke in Madison Square Garden, New York, George returned to his school in northern New Jersey. Within a year about 200 of his classmates had found a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ. Shortly after his conversion he said to God, ‘Only one thing I want in life – I want to learn to pray, to love you, I want to know you and commune with you.’ He has not moved from that principle.

George had a growing conviction to share the Word of God on foreign soil. He started with distribution of Gospels of John in Mexico along with two friends. This continued with others during summer holidays - beginning in Mexico in 1957.

Attending Maryville College after high school, he transferred to Moody Bible Institute where he met a girl, Drena, who was a fellow student and later became his wife. They went to Spain where in 1961 the work of OM was born. The goal, always the same, is to get to know God together in discipling young Christians while concurrently carrying out a rigorous programme of world evangelism.

Today OM reaches across the world through the ministry of their ship Logos Hope and over 6,100 people working in over 110 nations to make Christ known in the lives of all they meet. For many years George served as International Director of OM and helped raise up dedicated leadership to pursue this task across the world, freeing him to travel and speak, helping many find their role in extending the Kingdom of God.

George shares the Christian revolution of love and balance right around the world. He starts at home emphasizing the need to worship God, live in fellowship with one another by walking in the light, and live a disciplined life of victory as forgiven, repentant, Cross-centered Christians.

George and his wife are now involved in Special Projects Ministries (still part of OM) full-time. They have three adult children;five grandchildren and make their home in England.

I met George the other night at the Belfast Bible College. He is in his seventies but still as passionate as ever about mission as he was when he started out.He has been a friend to me for the last twenty years or so, sending me books and inspiring and encouraging me through his many letters-as he has also been a friend to countless other Christians throughout the world.I'm thankful to God for him and whenever I think of him I want to go out and talk to others about Christ- may some of his inspiration and passion rub off on me!

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Gracias

In his book entitled “Gracias,” Henri Nouwen talks about his experience in Peru and Bolivia, he writes: "The title of this (book) summarizes what I found, learned, and heard. The word that I kept hearing, wherever I went, was: Gracias! It sounded like the refrain from a long ballad of events. Gracias a usted, gracias a Dios, muchas gracias––thank you, thanks be to God, many thanks! I saw thousands of poor and hungry children, I met many young men and women without money, a job, or a decent place to live. I spent long hours with sick, elderly people, and I witnessed more misery and pain than ever before in my life. But, in the midst of it all, that word lifted me again and again to a new realm of seeing and hearing: 'Gracias! Thanks!”

"In many of the families I visited nothing was certain, nothing predictable, nothing totally safe. Maybe there would be food tomorrow, maybe there would be work tomorrow, maybe there would be peace tomorrow. Maybe, maybe not. But whatever is given––money, food, work, a handshake, a smile, a good word, or an embrace––is a reason to rejoice and say gracias. What I claim as a right, my friends in Bolivia and Peru received as a gift; what is obvious to me was a joyful surprise to them; what I take for granted, they celebrate in thanksgiving; what for me goes by unnoticed became for them a new occasion to say thanks.”

"And slowly I learned. I learned what I must have forgotten somewhere in my busy, well-planned, and very "useful" life. I learned that everything that is, is freely given by the God of love. All is grace. Light and water, shelter and food, work and free time, children, parents and grandparents, birth and death––it is all given to us. Why? So that we can say gracias, thanks: thanks to God, thanks to each other, thanks to all and everyone.”