I arrived in my region of service with the understanding that no one had ever shared the Gospel in a way that the masses could understand. It was an education to realize that many groups had worked for centuries, with various emphases, throughout the region. I was simply standing on their shoulders. The Bible I used was translated and printed by someone else. A look at church and mission history helps us learn from both the mistakes and successes of past efforts in mission. It prevents anyone from assuming all efforts and even other agencies are failures. We also learn how the Kingdom of God will be strengthened through efforts that work in unity rather than in isolation.