Steven and Stacey Russell dated in college, got engaged, married and did what many couples do when they arrive in the DFW Metroplex. They put their college degrees to work, with Stacey landing a job in marketing and Steven serving as a project manager in commercial construction.

Ordinary, right?

Well, these ordinary folk have just sold many of their goods, left their jobs and are moving to India for a year this June.

No, I didn’t say Indiana with its famous car races, golden helmets of Notre Dame, or basket-sinking Hoosiers. They are moving to India, where they will witness the crowded speedways of Delhi streets, golden-domed mosques and basket-weaving merchants.

What would make these potential career suburbanites do something so … well ... drastic?

Mad Cow? Bird Flu? Grab-A-Corner-itis?

Actually, the decision to trade DFW for Delhi came after considerable prayer over a period of months that led them to put their careers on hold in favor of using their skills to serve alongside Indian believers in current evangelism efforts.

“The first circumstance was coming to the realization that we must be open to whatever the Lord has in store for our lives,” Steven says.

That realization evolved over short-term mission trips through 121 Community Church to both Guatemala and India in which their paradigms of mission work were shattered.
They both agree they have come a long way in their thoughts toward mission work.

“I used to summarize mission work as the Lottie Moon Christmas offering that went to weird people in weird places doing weird things. Once a year the people came back wearing weird clothes and showing slide shows with weird pictures. Then they went back to that weird place,” Steven says.

Stacey admits she had to warm up to the thought of ministering in a different nation. “I was looking out onto the crowded Delhi streets during a prayer walk, and I asked God, ‘Who is going to minister to these people? Who? Who is going to do it?’. Looking at the number of people in India (1.1 billion with only 2% Christian) and the need for them to hear the gospel, the answer I came away with was why not us?”

But why travel so far to live in a foreign country when there are needs to share the gospel here in America?

The Russells see a difference between the “lost”( people who have heard the gospel and not responded) and the “unreached” people who have never heard the message of Jesus Christ. India poses the latter situation in that 80% of the people follow chaotic religions which promote the worship of man-made idols.

“By visiting our church partners (local Indian Christians that 121 has established working relationships with) and seeing their efforts to reach their nation, we realized that supporting these relationships is important,” Steven says.

Steven and Stacey look to spend their time in India helping these partners live and share the gospel. They plan to use their business experience to support ministry initiatives which seek to set up small business development programs that will benefit the Delhi slums as well helping to foster the establishment of a coffee shop that caters to Indian university students.

When asked how people can help support their mission efforts, they ask for specific prayer for their Indian mission partners Onishi, Yeshuant, Ramesh and Gloria, the people of North India and their other Christian partners. You can stay connected with them by phone calls and email through their website at www.stevenandstacey.com. They also encourage people to learn about India as a nation, people, and culture and to consider visiting India through the opportunities available at 121 Community Church (www.121cc.com/missions_subpage.asp).

Or, like the Russells, maybe you are considering long term?

“Maybe someone is at a place in life where they feel totally in line with moving to India for a longer period of time. 121 Community Church is a church that values missions; how neat to have more and more members going "on site" and keeping the church body connected,” Steven says.

Given the current developments in their life and exercising their willingness to follow God’s lead, are the Russells willing to identify themselves as a little less ordinary?

“No. Nothing to special about us. We just want to know and act in a way that stretches our ‘zone-of-control’, ideally to allow God to work through us in as great of a capacity as He so desires,” Steven says.

And with that, you can expect extraordinary results.

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