Somedays I think that I don’t see missions like a lot of other people do. Consider the following:
- In an email update I received from one of our supporters, the writer mentioned that her current reading was all missionary biographies, so she quoted Hudson Taylor with the implication that I must also be familiar with it. It was a nice quote. I had not heard it before, nor have I read missionary biographies.
- When meeting a Christian here in the field, she assumed that we grew up, like herself, hearing stories at bedtime of the noble and heroic Christian missionaries in the heart of Africa. Surely this is what prompted our missionary call? Surely not.
- Through this blog, I was contacted by a man interested in becoming a missionary. One of his questions was: “Where in the world would you like to share the Gospel where you haven’t been able to yet?” It’s a good question, but I honestly drew a blank. I’d never thought of that before.
- On our initial fundraising tour, people meeting us afterwards usually opened their greeting with. “You were missionary kids, right?” or “Your parents were missionaries, of course?” Without divulging personal details, quite the opposite is our reality. Not only were our parents only somewhat involved in their local church during our respective childhoods, they are now infrequent attenders at best, and all hold deep disappointment at our choice to be full-time foreign missionaries.
My whole life I’ve never fit into the pigeonholes people have tried to place me. It shouldn’t surprise me that I don’t fit the missionary stereotype, either, and on the surface seem like less of a missionary.
Perhaps it’s because I don’t come with the fuzzy, feel-good past that everyone seems to think encourages the desire to become a missionary. It’s not a sordid, law-breaking history, but it’s pretty dysfunctional considering my parents are Christians. And I made some bad choices on my own along the way. Maybe it’s because church was a stable source of constancy in my young life, but I wouldn’t say anyone ever personally encouraged me to become a missionary.
Perhaps it’s my tendency to try not to over-think things in the short term future (please don’t read that as not being prepared or lacking strategy; there is a difference). Because I see my life as mission, whether in a foreign land or not, I expect to share the Gospel wherever God has planted me and whenever that chance may come. I don’t yet have a burning desire to witness in Uruguay, but in no way does it mean I’m reluctant to do so if God put me there.
And, despite my voracious reading appetite, I’ve never had a specific interest in reading the life stories of other missionaries. I think nothing wrong of reading such things, it just doesn’t register as something I’d like to read. As someone raised Southern Baptist, I know that Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong were missionaries a long time ago, and we took an annual collection in each of their names for missions. That’s about it.
I’m doing what I’m doing because God wants me here right now, though I could have, as a pastor friend of mine says, “written my ticket” to anywhere within or outside of ministry in the States. I’m here despite the rejection, not acceptance, of my family and some friends. Though I don’t have a massive familiarity with historical missions work, I know the country I’m in desperately needs to know born-again Christianity, and God is blessing our consistency with the gradual building of trust amongst the nationals.
So, am I less of a missionary because I don’t fit a profile? Perhaps, yet I really enjoy where I work and what I do. I’m so grateful that God can use a broken person like me.
No related posts.
Ah, missionary stereotypes! That would be an interesting book.
You’re post is great! I have to add that as a missionary, I DO like to read missionary biographies because they have taught me how unique missionaries are and how God uses each of us differently in different cultures and they can be quiet encouraging.
@Michelle: In my experience, most all missionaries I’ve met seem to have read missionary biographies, and that’s great. I’m not beyond learning from their stories, so perhaps I’ll be seeking some out soon. After writing this post, I did remember reading Brother Andrew in Junior High School, so I guess I can’t say I’ve read nothing…
“I know the country I’m in desperately needs to know born-again Christianity, and God is blessing our consistency with the gradual building of trust amongst the nationals.”
Great line, except I’d add “desperately needs the Jesus of scripture” along with born-again Christianity. It’s the reason we’re heading back to Western Europe. Count me as another who never read missionary biographies outside of the book of Acts. I really don’t know who Lottie Moon is either. Thanks for the honesty.
.-= Kevin Mullins´s last blog ..Are you waiting for the Golden Years? =-.
I think the stereotypes comes from somewhere though… but perhaps from a vocal people. I mean I don’t really know the deep background of many missionaries I see here (not many are so open about their backgrounds..) but seems a lot of what I see are either MK’s or PK’s (Missionary kid or Pastor’s kid) because I guess they have the upper hand when it comes to adjusting to a different culture, fund raising (because their parents will have connections for fund raising), and support. I feel those who do not come from a Christian background have it hard, because for us it’s not always easy to adjust, and finding support or funds are difficult especially when we have a busy life that makes church involvement difficult. But I also believe that God will use anyone in mission that he chooses, and many times the choices will blow people’s mind away. YWAM seems to be full of people who comes from a very bad background (drug addicts, families who hates the idea of missions, former gangsters, criminals, etc.) and they all get used by God for his glory and have some of the most amazing story of how God provided for them even though it seemed impossible for them to raise the amount of money required for training and travel (some of them comes from third world countries where the average salary of their people is around a dollar a day!). I seen a lot of missions organization requiring a lot of money to get involved, and I believe that if it’s God’s will for the person to be involved the money will come, but YWAM is actually the most reasonable when it comes to finances… and oftentimes they are not hard and fast… exceptions has been made for those unable to pay, or in many instances the money just came.
@Tai Fu: We are both from a Christian background but found it difficult to raise support at first because of the denomination we were raised in. Most of our Christian friends in this denom were used to missions being handled through the national level and didn’t understand us asking directly for support (we are not sent by the denom). It took us longer because of this, and though the fundraised support is about half of what we need to live here, it is nothing short of amazing to see how God provided despite this.
I think many denominations are used to missions being handled on a national level… I know one YWAM staff who was sent by the Southern Baptist church and it’s unusual because the SBC have their own missions board and they do not (as a policy) support missionaries to be in another organization such as YWAM. For me, God actually opened a door for me to do translation part time that would raise some of what I need. Not sure where the rest would come from, since I am preparing to finish my DTS in Europe again. The money I got from translating is actually about the same as what I would have gotten (probably a little more) for working for 8 months at a supermarket then saving whatever I can, but instead of taking 8 months this translation case was over in less than 2 months.
.-= tai fu´s last blog ..More night views =-.
Where I am, working in a large mission organization in an African country, missionaries are as diverse as the day is long! No more, no less. Just a melting pot of (usually) weirdos. Or “radical” followers: however you see us. Some very nice ones, some I’ll never be buddies with. Just like anywhere.
I also never read mission biographies, but after serving here for five years, I’m starting to pull some off shelves of books left by others. So, perhaps some of us get into that reading by default or by others prompting us, like it looks like you might be… And also, the more I embrace my life-long (I hope) calling to this work, the more I identify with missionaries in the past and want to know and learn from the people whose shoulders I’m standing on. For better or for worse.
I’ve just stumbled across your blog, by trying to look up the word for “furlough” in French! Thanks for the reflections. I’ve hardly scratched the surface in looking around, but how was your initial fundraising tour? We’ll be going next year…
@Kathy: Welcome to the blog! Well, the fundraising tour was before we moved to our field, and we haven’t returned to the States yet for funds nor for a visit. We’re working very hard to maintain support while in the field and probably won’t visit the States for at least a few years more.
As someone who became a Christian when I was 15 and did not know much about Jesus before that…as a Christian called to the mission field I always found it extremely hard to get support…even if it was prayer support! I guess I do not fit the profile of a missionary either. When I told someone of my desire to follow God’s call to the mission field they somehow thought to ask me if I liked Veggie Tales when I was a kid. I guess all prospective missionaries need to have watched it when they were kids because they were all born to Christian parents! So funny!
.-= Stephanie (Committed Christian)´s last blog ..Contend For the Faith That Was Once For All Delivered to the Saints =-.
@Stephanie: That’s funny! If “Veggie Tales” were required, I wouldn’t qualify because I’m so old those cartoons didn’t exist when I was a kid.