Something happened last week that has been weighing on my heart.
I was at work, actually clocking out when I got a call from my friend whose a youth pastor. He was taking a group of teenagers and leaders down to Mexico in the morning. He had suddenly two open spots and asked if I could get off work to go with them. I had hesitated at first, but told him I would call him back in 10 and let him know if I could find coverage. I majorly sucked up to my co-workers and somehow I was able to find coverage for my shifts and I called him to let him know that I was going with them. Have you ever experienced the stab in the gut that conviction brings?? Yeah, well that is what this trip turned out to be.
Don’t get me wrong, it was an beyond good and fun trip south of the border. It was fun to be with teenagers again (having stopped working in j-high and high school ministries for three years, I had missed it). It was amazing to see how God opened their eyes to what life is similar to in much of the world, just a 3-ish hour drive from us. It was great to get away from the mundane of day to day life and be surrounded by a culture that I had been learning about. It was awesome to go to Mexico and actually understand what was being spoken. The mornings were filled with early wake up’s (5 am regardless of a alarm clock just because I can’t sleep in anymore) and devos. The days were spent in labor of building houses for the families that we had met. The nights with beyond delicious food, futbol games in the dirt with neighbors, and debriefing. The messages given by two long term missionaries in Papa New Guinea is what left everyone wrecked and with questions.
A person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country. Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” If you were to ask anyone to define the word missionary, these are two of the countless responses your bound to get. If you were to ask someone why they don’t/haven’t gone, your bound to receive the response, “I’m waiting to be called”, or, “I haven’t been called yet”.
As I mentioned, the speakers where the Busers brothers. They had been raised in Papa New Guinea as children of long term missionaries. They both returned to America for college, got married, and started families when they decided to go back to P.N.G. to reach completely unreached tribes on the island. The Spirit convicted me when the older brother told us that the word calling was a word and an excuse that we as Christians have made up to justify not doing the last command that Jesus gave us. That we wait to be called when Jesus said, “Go“, and if you are waiting for the door to open, it’s already open. I’m guilty of inappropriately using the word to not have to be put outside of my comfort zone.
The way that the organization works that sent these families out, is that a tribe or pple group would have to write them for five years to send them missionaries to make it on the list that the missionaries choose from to go to. Once they get to a tribe, they become insiders of their culture and day to day life. Eventually they will teach believers to continue to teach and leave them with a translated bible in their language. This is not a fast process. I typed a copy of a letter that was sent by the Isahu pple below, please read it.
“Letter from the Isahu People
Yes, I am writing because I have some thing with you ones. I have a big worry that I am not sure what will happen when death comes. I have heard from the other tribe that has the mission (NTM) that they know now,I am sorry for myself thought that I do not know. I worry for my life, so I am asking that you will send the mission (NTM) to my village too.
The men and women of Isahu village we are very hungry for this talk that it will be in our bellies. Please have pity on us. In all other places of the ground we have heard that they have the talk of God but us ones of Isahu are still standing without, we have nothing. I have heard of others hearing this talk in other villages but this talk is not in Isahu yet. So please send someone to learn our tok ples (language) and teach us this talk so we can know it too.
Please have pity of our lives, we don’t know what will become of us when death is on us. So am asking with a big strong askim (request) that you come to us and teach us of this talk. This is the road that I have heard will be heard, that is why I have sent this letter to you bossmen of NTM. Our tokples (language) is not hard here in Isahu, please come.
Good morning to you ones. I am Aiben Awanhi of the Isahu village”
Aiben Awanhi is a real person, from a real tribe, who has made a real request to know the “Talk“, Jesus. Please believe that I’m not writing this with purpose to guilt you or to make your stomach twist. I write this in hoping that it will open your eyes to the fact that our command is not a calling.
This quote was painted on a wall where the messages were given, and became the saying for the time we were down there. It’s powerful, convicting, and 100% true.
