Article
 

Editor's note: Missionary profiles are an ongoing feature in Engage magazine in which we spend a little time with a Nazarene missionary individual or family each Monday to learn more about who they are and what God is doing where they are.

Related article

In a previous Q&A article with Engage, Joshua Williams talks about how Skype is making missionaries more effective. 

 

Missionary Profile: Joshua Williams

By Engage magazine on March 27, 2012


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Since 2005, Joshua Williams has served as the IT (information technology) director for the South America Region, part of the administrative team for global VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems and video conference, and a developer of partnerships between churches in the U.S. and South America. 
 
Previously he worked in a Christian School in Pilar, Argentina, from July 2005 to July 2008.
 
Engage: How did you first recognize God’s call to be involved in missions?
 
Williams: God spoke through many different people to call me to missions. He spoke through my grandfather, who worked in both foreign missions and at an inner city mission.  He spoke through a missionary who came to my church when I was a boy.  He spoke through missionary books that I read.  
 
In 2004 when the call became overwhelming, I decided to talk with several leaders in our church to get their advice. We prayed together for several months that God would make his call clear to us. At the end of our prayer time, each of us felt that God was calling us to be missionaries. Knowing that God confirmed our call through these other leaders gave me the courage to turn in my application and begin the process of becoming a missionary.
 
Engage: What is your favorite aspect of what you do in your present assignment?
 
Williams: It is difficult to think of a ministry that doesn't involve technology. From cell phones to computers to PowerPoint presentations, technology is everywhere. I am able to use the tech skills that God gave me to help missionaries and other ministers reach people for the kingdom. It seems that when the technology stops working, ministry stops.  In those situations, I can repair the equipment and allow those ministers to continue their work.
 
Engage: What are some of the challenges that you face in carrying out your work?
 
Williams: I do most of my work remotely. From anywhere in the world I have an internet connection, I am able to connect to a missionary's computer, see their screen, fix any problems and let them get back to work. But if the missionary doesn't have an internet connection or the equipment is so broken it won't turn on, I have to be creative to make it work.  
 
One time, while I still learning Spanish, I had a computer crisis in Argentina. Our main firewall at the office completely broke and had to be physically repaired. I was in the U.S. at the time and the only person in Argentina I could reach by phone only spoke Spanish. I had to walk this dear brother through replacing a hard drive and reinstalling software over the phone.  Since I didn't know all the right words in Spanish and I couldn't see what was going on, I ended up saying things like, "now unscrew the thing that is right next to that other thing that we looked at a minute ago."  It took some time, but with God's help, we got the machine running again.
 
Engage: Please share a story of a significant event or moment that has happened in your current assignment.
 
Williams: At the 2009 NYI convention, I was part of the tech team that allowed several remote locations to be part of the convention. Through our video conference technology, people in several cities around the world (Quito, Ecuador; Mumbai, India; Manila, Philippines, and others) were able to participate in the convention. I heard the story of one young man from India who traveled for six days to arrive at the church in Mumbai. He was then able to participate in all the services and cast his vote in the elections.  
 
The highlight of the convention for me was when the group in Trinidad led the convention in worship. The group in Trinidad had a band play and sing. Through our technology, we put the video and audio of the band up on the big screen at the convention center in Orlando and then broadcast that signal to our other locations. The music was so moving that the group in Orlando began to dance and sing and praise. We then switched to the video from the other locations. In Büsingen, Germany, they were jumping and praising. In Mumbai they were singing along. In Quito they were dancing. In this moment, we had a global worship service led by the band in Trinidad. God united peoples from all over the world in one moment of worship. I have never participated in anything like it. God moved.
 
Engage: How do you maintain a close relationship with God and your family in the midst of the demands of missionary service?
 
Williams: Technology has enabled us to stay close to family and friends. I remember many dinner times where I would set the computer at the end of the dining room table and we would use MSN messenger to talk to grandparents while we ate.  Even though we were 6,000 miles apart, we could eat together as a family. God used that to keep us close.
 
Engage: What are the rewards of what you do?
 
Williams: I believe that all Christians are family. Through Christ we are adopted into the family.  But because of distance, we don't know each other. Through technology, we are able to get to know each other and share time together and love each other in ways that we haven't ever been able to do before. I have spoken in several churches and as part of the service, we Skyped live with the LINKS missionary for that church. We were able to get up-to-the-minute reports of how things are going on the field and how families are doing. Bringing people together and seeing brothers and sisters united makes me happy. 
 
Engage: What are some aspects of the culture where you live that you have come to love or embrace?
 
Williams: I have come to love and appreciate the pace of life in Argentina. In the US, eating dinner out takes about half an hour. We go into the restaurant, order, eat and leave. In Argentina, dinner takes about two hours. We go into the restaurant and we chat. Eventually we order, but then we chat more. The food comes and we eat it slowly and chat. Then after dinner, we have coffee and chat some more. I hope to keep that tradition as part of our family life for the rest of our lives. 
 
Engage: What do you like to do for fun?
 
Williams: I play music, soccer and softball. I read.  I hike.  I hang out with family and friends.
 
Engage: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
 
Williams: Melted cheese makes me gag. 
 
Engage: What advice would you have for others exploring a possible call to missions, or embarking on their first missionary assignment?
 
Williams: A missionary is a person who uses the skills God gave them to share the gospel cross culturally. I am a tech missionary. Before I was a tech missionary, I was a teacher missionary. Find the ways in which God has gifted you and develop those gifts. On the field we currently have and need more accountant missionaries, human resources missionaries, writer missionaries, actor missionaries, preacher missionaries, teacher missionaries and more.  
 
When studying to be a missionary, don’t just study missions. Develop the skills that God has given you so that you can use them effectively on the field.
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