It is from Building Block 8: Meeting Missionaries. He makes points in this bit of chapter 8 that rang deep and true within me, now that I have spent some time overseas involved in mission work. I found some of his comments about “meeting missionaries” to be such deep desires that I felt like it needed to be shared (not as if many read this…).
Borthwick writes several ways in which we can get to know missionaries:
- Receive newsletters
- Write personal letters
- Plan a phone call
- Prayer for them
- Host them while of furlough
- Visit them
The first one that rang deep & true was the point about personal letters (or emails)! He goes on to say…
I have very seldom heard complaints from missionaries that they get “too much personal mail.” As a matter of fact, most would long for more personal mail because for many, personal letters are the best way to find out about the churches and communities they have left behind. “But what do I write?” … It might not sound too exotic, but my recommendation is to write about personal matters. Telling missionaries how God is at work in our lives, explaining the challenges our church is facing, or relating what we are studying can be very encouraging and uplifting. We should also be willing to talk about the “average” parts of our lives – weather, marriages in the church, & people coming and going. These ordinary events can all be part of good correspondence with missionaries. When we write we must also demonstrate our concern for the missionary. A specific reference to a newsletter prayer request is a great encouragement to a missionary. It lets the missionary know that someone has read the letter and prayed over it. Asking about victories and defeats that he or she is facing is another way to show our concern.
The second one that rang deep & true was the point about prayer (or emails)! He goes on to say…
The most important thing a missionary can hear from us is, “I have been praying for you every day.” Our prayers are evidence that we are truly in ministry with them. Prayer is also one of the best ways to get to know missionaries because God can teach us though our prayers how we should prey for our friends in other cultures.
He later goes on to suggest 1) asking missionaries questions related to their daily lives, 2) not to generalize missions or missionaries, 3) ask (straightforwardly) about financial needs, 4) ask for specific prayer requests about their personal lives (& families), 5) ask about a missionary’s spiritual life. His point here is, whether communications are via letters, emails, phone calls, or personal visits, that missionaries are mere humans just like everyone else. Jim Elliot states, “Missionaries are very human folks, just doing what they are asked. Simply a bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody.”2 This is a very good summation of how I feel. Missionaries are human, and I can attest there are needs, and many of them! Life in another country, although I love it, is indeed hard, sometimes extremely hard. Also, just because someone is a missionary by no means is indicative of a great, strong, stumbling free relationship with God. In fact, I have faced many difficulties simply because I am overseas.
Henry Nouwen states, “It is far from easy to be a missioner. One has to live in a different culture, speak a different language, & get used to a different climate, all at great distances from those patterns of life, which fit most comfortably. It is not surprising that, for many missionaries, life is full of tension, frustration, confusion, anxiety, alienation, and loneliness.”3 This statement rang true into the depths of my being, and I have only been overseas for 4 months! I cannot imagine what it must be like for a life long missionary, though I do hope and pray to know someday. Loneliness has been a big hurdle for me. I am a supremely family oriented guy, I love my family dearly and to be away from them is very hard. It is different than being away at college, because in Auburn I had a group that became my family there. Yet, still the culture and customs were my own. Often I find that it is my thoughts and I alone together. It can be hard to be a part of the group if you don’t speak their language, thus loneliness. But I have found joy in the presence of God, and peace when stayed upon the hope of His promises. You better believe it though, Satan challenges any attempts made to spend time with God. He hates that! One author states, “there is nothing that the devils dreads so much as prayer. His great concern is to keep us from praying,” and goes on to say, “Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray!”4 This is precisely why our lives as followers of Christ and why this world-wide endeavor we call missions must be founded upon prayer, because prayer overcomes the very gates of hell!
Ok, so I realize I have strayed a bit here at the end from my original points, but its all true, and all of it is fresh from my own ponderings as I am still “chewing the cud” on all the experiences and thoughts I have been processing since January.
Thanks for reading!
1 Borthwick, P. 1987. A Mind for Missions: 10 Ways to Build Your World Vision. p. 119-131. NavPress. Colorado Springs, CO.
2 Elliot, E. 1958. Shadow of the Almighty. p. 46. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, MI.
3 Nouwen, H. 1983. ¡Gracias! A Latin American Journal. p. 161. Harper & Row. New York, NY.
4 Unknown. The Kneeling Christian. p. 17, 20. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, MI.
No comments:
Post a Comment