I think every family passes down a story that seems too big to be true. Maybe your uncle brought down a buck the size of an SUV on a hunting trip, or your grandparents walked to school in the snow uphill both ways. Growing up, I heard that the blizzard of 1978 buried the family car under a mountain of snow (but in that case, my parents had the pictures to prove it).

Imagine with me for a moment that you are the child of Jonah the prophet, listening to him recount tales of the past. Yeah right, Dad. You sat in the belly of a big fish for three days! How did you even survive? Maybe you were just dreaming.

One of the first missionaries to be sent by God, Jonah was not what we would call a success story. He did not appreciate the calling or have a passion for the people. He literally ran the wrong way, almost got his shipmates killed, and had to spend time inside a fish before he would repent. When he finally went to Nineveh to share God’s message, he pouted and begged to die because God offered mercy to the city. The story is wild (you might even call it “fishy”). There’s no way all that happened, right? Yet the Bible tells us it did.

Like Jonah and other prophets from the Bible, Rosedale International (RI)’s workers have some big stories to tell. Thankfully, in contrast to Jonah, their stories are a witness to what God will do through those who live in obedience to him. Just this year, they’ve reported instances of physical healing in rural villages. In the Mediterranean, Muslim men and women are dreaming about Jesus. In Asia, local partner teams can barely keep up with the demand for baptisms. To those without faith, these stories may seem fishy—but we see clearly that God is working to open doors that we never thought possible.

We are grateful to send workers who have embraced God’s call and have a passion to take his goodness, grace, and mercy to the least reached. And we are truly thankful for you, our financial partners in this kingdom work. Together, we seek innovative approaches to expand our reach in unreached countries. Together, we work to disciple local leaders and plant sustainable churches. Together, we tell a family story that seems too big to be true.

As this year comes to a close, I invite you to consider a year-end gift to Rosedale International. We could not do this without your partnership, and we are honored to work together to take Jesus to the world.