Day 2
The Mind of a Missionary Devotional
Grieving With Hope
Brian and Louise Hogan
“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” — Deuteronomy 31:8
“Today is Christmas Day,” Brian Hogan’s letter to family back home began. “Yesterday, our son died. Jedidiah was 52 days old.” The sudden loss of Brian and Louise Hogan’s only son cast a cold spell over the missionary couple who had been working toward a spiritual breakthrough. Their mission field was the vast landscapes of Mongolia, with its rugged terrains, diverse cultures, and hearts hardened to the Gospel message. Little did they know spiritual transformation was just over the horizon, but the path forward was rockier than anyone imagined.
When all the world seemed brilliant, and the budding Mongolian Church was on the cusp of arguably one of the greatest revivals the nation had ever known, the Hogans and their counterparts spent their time faithfully raising Christian leaders with the hope of reaching the country for Christ. It was the early 1990s, and a succession of salvations seemed to point to imminent revival.
In December 1994, the missionaries prepared for Christmas outreach events for their Mongolian friends. It was a season of happiness as they had just welcomed their newborn baby into the world. Two days before Christmas, the Hogans showed off their son, Jedidiah, at a Christmas party put on by the Foreign Language Institute. Joy swelled in their hearts as friends and disciples gathered around the infant. They pinched his cheeks and cooed gleefully; the room filled with laughter and thanksgiving. Jedidiah was the center of attention.
After the party, Brian and Louise returned home in the sub-zero-degree temperature. Jedidiah slept soundly, bundled in the baby sling tucked against his mother’s chest. As the missionary catalysts of the Mongolian church planting movement walked along the deserted main avenue, they talked about the next Christmas party, which would be at their small church the next night.
When they arrived at their home, Louise nursed Jedidiah and prepared to tuck him into bed. Satisfied, he beamed the biggest smile at his parents—his first ever. Brian grabbed his camera, snapped a photo, and the couple laughed with delight. Louise told Brian to leave the camera out to take more pictures in the morning. But there would be no more happy photos.
At six in the morning on December 24, 1994, Louise woke with a start, sensing something was wrong. She hurried to Jed’s bedroom and found him lying face-down. His body was ice-cold and stiff. Louise coiled into a fetal position and moaned, “God is good, God is good, God is good.” Grief took over the Christmas season; Brian and Louise barely knew how to respond.
“I wish you could have known my son,” Brian’s letter to family continued. “I wish you could have held him and seen how beautiful his hands, eyelashes, lips, everything was. He learned to smile in his last week. He had a smile more gorgeous than a sunrise.”
As the Hogans grieved their son’s death, the Holy Spirit’s presence comforted their hearts, reminding them of God’s nearness. The distinct Christian hope of redemption, restoration, and resurrection shocked the Mongolian people. They had never seen hope in the midst of grief until witnessing it through the Hogans’ loss. For many Mongolians, the Hogans’ response to pain and suffering initiated their faith in Jesus Christ, and a supernatural church planting movement began to bud in a nation bound in crippling spiritual darkness for centuries.
Several years later, Brian looked back at the early seeds of Mongolia’s revival. “I was filled with extreme joy and overwhelmed with love as I realized how far out of His way God had gone to make sure we understood [the effect our lives had on the people],” he said. “It was all worth it. God had redeemed even our deepest sorrow and turned it into glory and [Mongolian] worshipers. As tears ran down my cheeks, all I could think was, ‘Jesus is worthy.’”
Jedidiah’s short life played an integral role in the spiritual awakening that spread across the city, and Brian and Louise’s personal pain became intertwined with the growth of the Mongolian Church. The unexpected tragedy of losing their only son on a frigid Christmas Eve in 1994 shook the foundations of their world. But God used the shaking for His purposes.
The Hogans fixed their eyes on Jesus and followed Him despite indescribable sadness, awakening people to the Gospel’s one-of-a-kind hope. As the frozen Mongolian soil cracked and tiny seedlings rose skyward, an entire country experienced God’s promise of a warm spring after a long winter.
– Personal Response –
Passage: The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Point: Even in our most profound sorrow, God is with us and can redeem our pain for His glory.
Ponder: Have you experienced a loss or grief that felt too heavy to bear? What would it look like to trust that God is still working even through your tears?
Prayer: Lord, hold me close when I feel undone by sorrow. Remind me You are near, and let my pain become a pathway for Your light. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Proclamation: I will not hide my hurt from God. I will grieve with hope, trusting He can bring beauty from the ashes.
Practice: Reach out to someone who is grieving. Offer a word of comfort, a prayer, or simply your presence. Be the hope of Christ to them today.
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