Today, I'm joined by Travis and Abigail, who have an inspiring story about following God’s call. Formerly on staff with us at CCV, Travis, along with his wife and four children, felt led to step into mission work. They reached out for guidance, and I connected them with Team Expansion, an organization that carefully prepares missionaries through a process of deep discernment.
Today, they’ll share how their journey unfolded and the impact of their obedience.
Christ’s Church of the Valley: https://ccv.church/
CCV Missions: www.ccv.church/missions
Pastor Larrie Fraley: linkedin.com/in/larrie-fraley-53445032
Email: missions@ccv.church
Travis: [00:00:00] It's been absolutely a journey and it's been wonderful. We have four amazing daughters who have been along with us the whole way. And as we going through that training, we were asked where God's calling us, and our answer was always wherever the need is.
Abigail: [00:00:13] Even before, we've always had a heart for the global church to see every nation come to know Jesus. And this one command you're talking about, Larry, to go here, near and far. Jesus told us to go and make disciples. That was his final word to his people. He gave that word to us 2000 years ago and we're still not finished. We haven't completed the Great Commission so that all people can hear. 40% of the world still hasn't heard.
Travis: [00:00:45] We get to go and and train them to go to these villages that we can't find on a map, and then they go and share their stories and their testimonies and, and it's a wonderful, wonderful process of the body of Christ working together.
Larrie: [00:00:58] Well, welcome to the Let's Go 360 podcast. I'm Larrie Fraley, your host, and I'll be bringing you conversations with outstanding mission minded leaders with the aim of helping you develop your own spiritual life by understanding what God is doing through our guests lives, as we learn about their ministries and what God has called them to do. Well greetings everyone. I'm Larrie Fraley, your Let's Go 360 podcast host. First of all, thank you for supporting Let's Go 360 with your positive ratings, kind comments and and referrals to your friends. Let's Go 360 as part of Christ's Church of the Valley here in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area throughout the valley, CCV has 15 campuses where children may enjoy interactive activities that strengthen their faith, where students can learn how to be Christ centered change agents regardless of where you're at in your own personal walk. Adults, young and old, will discover a place in which they can grow and feel at home. And we have with us today two very special guests, Travis and Abigail. And we are going to hear from them their story about how God has moved in their heart, how God showed up face to face with them, and how their obedience has led them to this place in their life where they are serving God with all their heart.
Larrie: [00:02:28] Their family of four children is with them on this journey. And Travis actually was on staff here at CCV for a while, and God called him to the mission field. Both of them came in and spoke with me and asked for some counseling, and so I directed them to an organization that we work with, who has over 400 missionaries, and they go through a process by which they really look into the hearts of a couple who are thinking about going into the mission field and hearing God's call, but want to go through the correct process to make that decision like that. And so they went and spent a lot of time with them, going through a process that led them to a decision to turn them, their family and everything over to God and enter the mission field. And so today, we're going to hear their story. Travis. Abigail, welcome to the show.
Travis: [00:03:25] Thank you so much. That was a great intro. Yeah.
Abigail: [00:03:27] Thanks. We're so happy to be here.
Larrie: [00:03:29] Yeah, well, we're so happy you're here, too, because you represent a group of people, and the group is fairly small here at CCV who have decided to leave their homes here in Arizona and go to the ends of the earth, just like we are commanded to do in the Great Commission. And speaking of the Great Commission, we know that a lot of people feel that they can serve here near and far. Because Jesus talked to us about going to Jerusalem and to Samaria and Judea, and then to the ends of the earth in acts. And that kind of relates to the Phoenix area, to the US, and then to international. If you look at the Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. And so that's our mission here at CCV in the missions area to go here near and far. And you've been called far, and you've been called to the far places of the, of the earth. And we also need to know that many people believe that you can choose that, really, a church is only responsible for going to perhaps one of those three and then let some other church handle the other two. And that is not what Scripture says. There are no ends in between Jerusalem and Judea and the ends of the earth. There is there is a and and a in other words, there are an end. There is not a or or or a. Then we are called to go to all of those places. So today we're going to if you could share with us your story and begin by how it started and where it started. And and then we can talk towards the end of where God's calling you today. Yeah.
Travis: [00:05:10] Thank you so much again for having us. It's been absolutely a journey and it's been wonderful. As you said, uh, we have four amazing daughters who have been along with us the whole way. And as we were going through that training, we were asked throughout the training where where God's calling us. And our answer was always wherever the need is, we want to go where the need is. Well, can.
Abigail: [00:05:31] I back up? Even before, we've always had a heart for the global church. We've always had a heart to see every nation come to know Jesus. And something that we care about deeply is that this one command. You're talking about Larry to go here, near and far. Jesus told us to go and make disciples. That was his final word to his people. And he gave that. He gave that word to us 2000 years ago. And here we are today and we're still not finished. We haven't completed the Great Commission so that all people can hear 40% of the world still hasn't heard. And that's something that we've carried deeply within our family and always asked, how can we how can we support what's happening? What can we do? And so for many years, we were happy being in the US and supporting other mission organizations, supporting other missionaries. And then all of a sudden the Lord started working in our heart and we started asking, well.
Travis: [00:06:44] Why are we right? Right as we got on staff at CCV.
Abigail: [00:06:47] Ironically, yes, it was during the Columbia initiative. We started asking, well, why not us? Why aren't we going? We could go. And that was when we, um, really started on this journey with the Lord.
Travis: [00:07:11] Yeah. And it is a journey. And it's it's a process, as you were saying, Larry, to go through the training with missions, we could just say so many good things about them all day long and met a lot of incredible people. And when we got to the point where they were trying to help us figure out where where God wanted us, and we said, where is the need? Um, the response was, well, actually there's a really big need in France. And my initial response was, okay, where else is there the need? It was it was a complete Jonah moment. But, um, you know, long story short, he broke our hearts for France, for the people of France. But what he did too, was reminded me, because sometimes I need these reminders of how big our God is. And as you said in the beginning, we're all called to the Great Commission. As I was saying, and you know, in Matthew ten, Jesus gathered his disciples and right away sent them out, and they weren't allowed to take anything with them, but they went. They were obedient. And Jesus words were, if they receive the message, give them grace. If they don't, dust the dirt off your sandals and keep going. And so that's kind of where we're at.
Abigail: [00:08:17] Yeah. And it's kind of just been one step at a time, as we have learned on this journey with the Lord. We wait till we see God move. And then when the spirit starts moving, when the Lord starts moving and we see things begin to align within our lives, we say, okay, and we take the next step. And it's just been one little bit at a time. And as we followed him and we obeyed as he continued to open door after door. And we went to France. And really, he continued to work in our hearts. And we realized when you look at the world globally and some of the languages that are the main languages that are being spoken globally, we have the English language and there is a thriving, healthy, growing church in English. We get to be a part of it right here and in the Spanish speaking language. The Lord is doing amazing things. We're seeing him move across the Spanish speaking world. And then when you look at the French speaking world, there really is a stagnant church. The French church isn't sending, it isn't growing. And this is a language that is rapidly becoming more and more important globally. And so while we were even serving in France, we were praying and seeing. It's not just France. There is an entire French speaking world that really is unreached. And God started asking, well, what are you going to do about it? What are you willing to do?
Larrie: [00:09:52] Well, so many people, and me included, was not aware of just how many French speaking people there are in the world. And because most of the time we think, well, they're all in France and that's that's just simply not true. You know, you know, and so if you look into Africa, there are many different countries in Africa that French is either spoken fluently or it's their base of, of of language. And there's probably more speak. People speak French in the world than there are people in the United States. I mean, it's it's huge. It's in the it's in the millions and millions of people that speak much more than just the population of France. So that well, that translates into opportunity and and for, for, for in your case, and I'm convinced, because I was kind of wondering, too, when you were called to France. Why? Why? Why France? You know, even though there's a definitely a need there, there's a there's a godlessness in France that that exists that you don't see. You got a glimpse of it, I think. And maybe I shouldn't say this, but I got a glimpse of it personally during the Olympics. And, you know, some of the things that that happened during the opening ceremonies, it's like, wow. And so, so at any rate, let's let's not talk about France so much, but your journey and so you started then investigating into team expansion and went through a process right, by which you identified France. Um, how did your kids take this? What were what was happening? I mean, you've got four kids, right? What was happening? What were they thinking?
Travis: [00:11:34] Yeah, it you know, it's something that, uh, um, it can be a game changer if you're not completely dialed in to the Lord. And we've spent we've had many conversations with, with people who wanted to go to the mission field and change their mind because they didn't want to, quote unquote, put their kids through that. And, um, there were challenges. It was hard. We have a very loving family. Um, he basically most of our entire family's here in Arizona. Um, and our kids were eight and under at that point. And so there's a lot of challenges to it. And, um, but really and this is, again, this has just been what Jesus has been teaching us along this way. The cool thing about missions is you get to learn on the job in sorts. And, um, if you're grounded in Christ, um, that's what gets you through it.
Abigail: [00:12:23] Yeah. Well, and we just decided to include our children in the process. So as we were on this journey, we started praying really specifically and saying, okay, Lord, if this is what you want us to do, you need to show us. We need you to move. We need. We need you to give us a sign. We were praying pretty boldly and we included our children. We explained to them, hey, this is what we're asking, God. Let's wait and see how he responds. And so for our girls, it's been a really big lesson for them as well. How God answers and it's a lot of it is teaching them. It's not audibly we're looking around us. We're looking to see how God is moving and how he's responding. And so what was so neat is that they've been able to identify, oh, that was God. God is telling us it's this is the next step. And so when they can see that it's God, and they know that the best place to be is in his will, being obedient to what he wants us to do. And that makes going through the hard things. I wouldn't say easier, but we know we're where we're supposed to be, and we can hold on to the hope that it's going to be okay.
Larrie: [00:13:42] Wow. Your your story is such a testimony of of obedience. That's the that's the word that kind of rings in much of what you're saying. And I believe that because of that, God's going to take care of you and watch out for you. And there's going to be some great things that come out of this. And you are you're headed now into another calling of which we now understand, looking back, why you spent some time in France? Yes. And so you're headed off to another area of the world, somewhere in North Africa, I understand. Right. And we we keep the location. We don't publish that because of a lot of different reasons. But let's just say that you're going into a part of the world where you're going to use a lot of what you learned in France in this new adventure. So now that you're getting ready to go, what stage are you at in terms of actually leaving now?
Travis: [00:14:44] Yeah. I was going to say we actually leave September 30th.
Larrie: [00:14:50] And I from talking with you in a previous meeting, I know that God showed up in some areas that you didn't really have a clue how and what was going to happen, and then you shared with me some things that happened in France that made it possible for you to leave a little easier.
Abigail: [00:15:07] Yes. Oh, we can share that story. That's a great one. Um, so where we're going? Um, this particular country, we can just call it valor. We needed a visa to go visit our colleagues in valor. And ultimately, uh, in short, this valor was not giving visas to the French. They were not giving visas to Americans. But these Americans living in France got six month visas, and in a.
Travis: [00:15:37] Matter of four days, in.
Abigail: [00:15:39] Four days, it was even the woman at the embassy. She thought it was a miracle. She's like, I don't know how this happened. And we're like, we know.
Travis: [00:15:48] And I just want to touch on that real quick to just, you know, for the listeners specifically, like, really dive into to listening to the Holy Spirit because that that woman was trying to tell us 7 or 8 times that it's not going to work. And by that seventh time I just heard God whisper, she doesn't know your God. And we got to submit the paperwork in four days later, we got our visa.
Larrie: [00:16:06] That's amazing. That's amazing. What did Doug say about that?
Travis: [00:16:11] Oh, Doug.
Abigail: [00:16:12] He just laughed.
Travis: [00:16:13] He. Doug is so connected to God that he he loved it. He was overjoyed. But he also he had no doubt when he hears these stories, he's like, well, of course God does that. Yeah. What else would you expect?
Larrie: [00:16:25] Doug, by the way, is a a very strategic mission partner of CCV. There are several projects. We just got back from a Malaysia trip where we are reaching into that part of the world for the unreached. And in full disclosure, I have to say that there was a time probably, I don't know, 5 or 6 years ago when I didn't really I didn't feel that the unreached area was a place that CCV should be investing in. Until I became aware of exactly how many unreached people groups there are. And I think Abigail mentioned earlier that over 40% of our world is in this area called unreached groups, and these are groups of that people don't have access to to the Word of God. They don't have access to Jesus. Many of them have never even heard the word Jesus. And and so there's, there's like I think over 17,000 different people groups in the world. And, and there's 7200 of them are in this unreached category. And so we'll include in our show notes a, a website called The Joshua Project.net
Larrie: [00:17:47] And so if you want to learn more about unreached people groups, that's a good place to start. I'm happy to report now that 28% of the missions budget are now focused on unreached people groups, because that's let's face it, that's that's well over one third of our world is in this category. And if someone does not go to them, if they never hear the word of Jesus and never know Jesus Christ, then I don't think we're going to see them in heaven because they just do not have never gone through Jesus and never know them and have. So that's that's the goal of team expansion. That's your goal. And we're so thankful that you two have been called to this particular ministry. And you just need to know that we're behind you 100%. And so we just want to know, um, our listeners would probably want to know, well, how how can I how can I pray for them? What is it that they need right now? What what what can what can our listeners do?
Travis: [00:18:52] Yeah. Thank you for that. Yeah. Just thank you for the support over all these years. It's really exciting. We get to support a family that's been there ten years, who's working with a bunch of locals who are just on fire for God. And God's already moved mountains, and we get to fuel that fire. And so, yes, we we live and breathe on prayers and, uh, these families, these locals, um, same thing. There's just such a mutual respect. And we get to go and really disciple the locals there and train them to go to these villages that we can't find on a map. It's not on Google Maps, it's not on any satellite. And then they go and share their stories and their testimonies and preach the gospel, and then they're coming back, telling us about all these baptisms and conversions that they get to experience. And it's a wonderful, wonderful process of of the body of Christ working together. So yeah, please be praying. We have a website you could visit as well. Um, is there anything you want to say?
Abigail: [00:19:52] Yeah, I would say, um, we really would appreciate your prayers just over our family, um, and over the ministry. Um, please be praying that, um, number one, I think just for protection, um, when you are working among certain unreached people groups, there is a level of hostility, um, when we are seeing radical change, um, that can sometimes be resisted. So please be praying. Um, I'm not only over us and our children and our colleagues, but over this entire network that we're going to be serving and equipping and working among. Um, and secondly, if you can just be praying for discernment, and we're going in there to really work on sustainability and durability. We are seeing God move in a nation where missionaries have been there for 100 years, and we've seen little to zero fruit. But within the last six years, among this network, we have seen the the gospel spread like wildfire. There is now a network of over 400, um, house churches. Um, which isn't always in a house. It's not always.
Travis: [00:21:19] It's actually safer to not be in a house. If they even have a house, it's usually around a fire or a well. Yeah, and that makes up nearly 9200 believers. Yes. Where there was none for the last 100 years. Yeah.
Abigail: [00:21:33] And so we're going to be now working among these leaders who when they when they come to know Jesus, they lose everything. They lose their social standing. They lose their family. They lose their many times kicked out of their village and they can't get work. And so we're coming in, um, to work with these leaders and to create micro businesses and to really focus on sustainability and durability of the ministry and to equip these people, um, to really continue the ministry well beyond us.
Travis: [00:22:13] Which is the goal. That's the heartbeat of what we get to do is hand everything over to the local team, um, because they're on fire. They just need a few more, uh, a little bit more training, and, uh, hopefully we can create some more micro businesses for them and then hand it off and they get to run it. And that way they're not dependent on Western money. Yeah.
Abigail: [00:22:32] And so really just discernment and wisdom and also just, um, support for that. We want to come in and be able to help finance the startup of these businesses. And that's that's a big deal. And all of these businesses are going to be for community development, for furthering the gospel, but also just really practically being able to finance what God is doing so that they can be their own thriving, self-sufficient, independent ministry and entity. Um, yeah.
Larrie: [00:23:07] Well, that gives a some a lot of very specific things for our listeners. You're in the you're in the middle now of also raising some funds to, to be able to, to get started and some one time costs and things like that. Well, as we've talked before, CCV is behind you. We'll continue to support you. We look at you as part of our own. Of being able to to say, this family, um, heard the call and responded to the third part of our of our mission of Win - Train - Send. And you are being sent out by your church. And so we're excited about that. And and we hope that you'll come back and, and we'll hear some amazing miracles that took place. Let's just say a year from now and we'll be along your journey. You can check out our show notes for any websites information. If you feel that you would like to come alongside the Fowlers and support them, there'll be information there that you can can make that happen. Well, thank you guys for coming. And, um, let me let me close in prayer and send you off with the godspeed.
Travis: [00:24:13] Amen. Okay.
Larrie: [00:24:14] Well, Father God, we just are so excited about how they're joining you in your mission. They're not setting off on a mission by themselves or something that they've come out, come up with. They are actually coming alongside you and joining your mission. And so we come before you today with grateful hearts. And we seek your your guidance and your strength as these two are obedient to your word. Um, we ask that you are with them as they carry your message, your message of love, and your message of salvation to the ends of the earth. We pray that you would empower them with your spirit, and grant them the courage that they need to face the challenges that they're that are going to come their way and provide them with the resources that they need. We pray that that their words are your words, that they be a beacon, a beacon of of hope, and that their actions are actually a reflection of your grace, that you allow them to be your hands and feet, and let them touch the lives of those that have not yet heard your name, and bring light to the darkest places. We pray for your protection over them and for open hearts among those that they they come in contact with. It's in your name, we pray. Amen. Thanks, guys.
Abigail: [00:25:36] Thank you again, Larrie.
Larrie: [00:25:43] Thanks for listening to the Let's Go 360 podcast, sponsored by Christ Church of the Valley. Check out CCV at CCV.church and our missions activity at CCV/church/missions where we are trying to fulfill the Great Commission inspired by the Great Commandments.
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