COWS AND OLD CLOTHES OFFER NEW MISSIONARY CHALLENGE...

A NEW MISSIONARY "job market" underlines how taking the gospel to the ends of the earth has changed with the times.

A listing of more than 1,500 opportunities for missionary service makes no mention of the traditional pith helmet and machete - instead citing the need for veterinary skills, wilderness survival training, and an enthusiasm for recycling old clothes.

The unlikely openings are among those posted in the latest edition of The GO Manual, the annual directory of staff needs in Youth With A Mission. The 280-page book gives details of missionary training and ministry programs at more than 600 centers around the world, from Albania to Zimbabwe.

There are plenty of places for people to serve in evangelism and Bible teaching, but there is room for more unusual abilities, too.

Qualified vets are wanted in Mongolia, where their skills can help build bridges with farm professionals and herders in remote parts of the country. Someone is needed to lead wilderness adventure programs aiming to make friendships with young people on an Indian reservation in America. YWAM workers in Norway are looking for help in gathering unwanted clothes that can be distributed among the poor and needy in northern Russia, as a tangible expression of God's love.

"The doors of opportunity for us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ have never been so wide open," says YWAM founder Loren Cunningham in a foreword to The GO Manual. "This new Macedonian call is not just for seminary-trained missionaries, but for anyone who will take up the challenge of bringing Christ to the nations. There are a multitude of ways to be part of God's new missions army."

Fifteen thousand copies of the directory have been published, copies being distributed to individuals and churches through YWAM centers. Compiled by YWAM researchers Anna Walsh and Grahame Dryden, the book also includes a list of around 350 short-term outreach opportunities for teenagers and adults who want to give some of their vacation or retirement time to missionary service.

Among the outreaches they can join are a prayer trip to Azerbaijan, working with Brazilian street children, visiting public schools in Canada, and helping run a children's camp in Lithuania.

"A lot of people are surprised by the breadth of opportunities there are to be involved in missions," said Tom Bragg, director of YWAM Publishing. "But there are many different needs and openings out there for someone who wants to serve God."

The GO Manual is available for $5, including shipping, from: YWAM Publishing, PO Box 55787, Seattle, WA 98155.

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