Missionary Confidential

“Unless there is the element of extreme risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith.”
- Hudson Taylor

Sometimes I’m not sure that people who visit our congregation think through what they’re actually stating when they say some of the following to us:
“Your little group” (Usually with the superior tone reserved for cute, helpless things)
“Doesn’t it bother you how small your church attendance is?” (Am I supposed to be?  Why is the questioner disappointed when I’m not?)
“Why would you live in such a cold, damp country?” (Because people outside of temperate climates need the Gospel, too)
“Don’t you miss being in regular church?” (I guess we have an irregular church?)
“Do your parents work or are they missionaries like you?” (Addressed this before)
..and the famous First Question About Our Ministry: “How many attend?” (Never, ever been asked how people are growing in the Lord or if they’ve been called into ministry service), followed by either, “But it’s all old people, right?” (It’s not, actually, but would it be awful if it was?) or, “But that’s only when you get a lot of out-of-town visitors?” (Implying that I’m not giving a realistic average but claiming a fluke attendance number).

I have to admit, a couple of the people who’ve made the respective statements realised how it came out—after I gave them an inadvertent look (I’ve always struggled to hide my surprise at awkward or shocking things).  Most, however, seemed completely oblivious to the snobbery that seems to have pervaded Christian ministry today. » Read the rest of this entry «

A few weeks ago I realised it had been a long time since hearing from one of my best friends back in the States, so I dropped an email to check in, asking to chat sometime.  I hadn’t heard back so the other day I rang and left a message: let’s chat when you have a moment.  Finally I got a quick email back that said: “Been busy, got lots update you on, but I’ve been keeping up with you on Facebook.  Glad to see you got to go to that wedding…” and so followed a list of what I’ve been doing the last few months.  That’s nice, except for one thing.

I’m not on Facebook. » Read the rest of this entry «

Of all the lessons that foreign missions ministry has taught me (and continues to do so), the top of the list has to be that we are shaped by our location and culture more than we realise.  Most anyone who has lived in a foreign country for a decent stretch of time would probably recognise how true this is.

When you meet a fellow Christian from another country, there are some great similarities and kinship that’s experienced through our Family in Christ.  It’s difficult to describe to others, but there is an understanding of what it’s like to press on with life as a Christian in this fallen world.  They know what you’ve seen, and usually understand how fellow Christians experience life.

Then there’s the point that you realise that their Christian experience has differed than yours.  Their “favourite songs” are ones you’ve never heard, or methodology in worship services is, well, just different.  Nothing wrong or sacrilegious, but jarringly different to your exposure.

Who and what you are surrounded by is bound to influence your perception and choices.  Even when I’ve worked with missionaries who are firmly resolved to not lose one bit of their “American” accent, actions or attitude, over time even they begin to start using phrases here that wouldn’t ever be used “back home”.  They don’t notice it, and can become alarmed when informed of this, yet for all their determination to resist, the phrase or action creeps back in.  Bear in mind that these are things that are completely inoffensive both here and to Americans, nor would they be anything wrong in God’s view at all.  They hear it used over and over again, or perhaps people here understand them better when they say that phrase.  It just happens, even if they purposely try to stop. » Read the rest of this entry «

One of the struggles I’ve faced being a missionary is the fact that my evangelical Christian parents don’t approve of my choice.  At all.  While their initial reaction was understandable, I thought and prayed that perhaps their stance would soften over time.  It has not.  In fact, year by year they have increasingly rejected most contact I’ve tried to make.  Conversations have become few and far between, and any mention I make of ministry here is met with stony silence and a quick topic change, so there’s not much to talk about after a few minutes.  I am no longer kept “in the loop” about even serious things, like my father’s recent surgery, until there was a complication afterward.  I’m very close to being disowned.

In no way am I making a sympathy grab here, just trying to explain that some parents take this very, very hard.

Because of this situation, every time I read in the Bible, “Honour your father and mother,” there’s a little pang of thought: Am I?  If you asked them, I believe they would immediately answer a resounding “No!”  However, after a lot of consideration of the situation, I have to respectfully disagree. » Read the rest of this entry «