Resolution to “Grace Maxed Out”


Dave ended up receiving yet another round of grace and it proved initially wasted.  He continued on without much interaction and blended in to the point of being forgotten.  Five months into the trip, however, something changed.  Dave was impacted by the Holy Spirit in an inexplicable way and the change was unbelievable.  He began to read great books and Scripture constantly.   He moved into relationship with other guys on some of the other teams and began to catch a vision for the ministry he was doing.  He was a changed man – and will remain changed for the rest of his life.


He’s been one of the most consistent teammates to keep in touch with me since returning from the race and I am so incredibly proud of him.  Time was the factor and grace was the key.  It hasn’t always turned out so well, but in this case, grace proved effective.


When NOT to evangelize


Short-term missions can sometimes fall under the misguided belief to make the most of every experience.  By “make the most of” I mean exploit to every possible minute degree.  The truth is, these short-term efforts can actually hurt long-term efforts in dramatic ways.


A few years ago, my sister worked with a missionary family in Kenya.  They lived among the tribe and spent their days building relationship with the people in the small shepherding village.  They learned the language and adapted to the cultural norms of time-ambivalence and gender-defined roles.


Short-term teams routinely came through with the passionate desire to evangelize the people of the village and “make the most of” their opportunity in Africa.  This “zeal without knowledge” was something that began to hurt Greg and Donna’s long-term ministry in a really unique way.


 As with many parts of Africa, this shepherding village operated under a male-dominated society.  Men made the decisions, killed the meat and dominated the culture.  Women weren’t allowed in certain parts of the camp because they were where the men stayed or communed.  The tribal chief was the ultimate decision maker and the choices he made were almost always accepted and mimicked by the tribe.


The women, subjected to this oppression, were incredibly grateful for any outside guests.  They loved to serve and interact far more than the men with the missionaries that would come around.  They were eager to communicate and were social most of the time.  They were open to the Gospel and many would make professions of faith with minor encouragement.


What Greg and Donna began to notice, however, was that Christianity and the things of the Bible became a “woman’s thing.”  The women were growing and discipling one another but none of the men would have anything to do with it.  The tribal chief began to become hostile against the visiting missionaries and began to influence the men of the tribe that only effeminate men would participate in anything related to the message of the Christians.


Greg and Donna have a hard decision to make.  Do they tell missionaries to stop evangelizing the ready and waiting women of the tribe with the knowledge that through their long-term efforts the men might come around and change the course of life for these people?   Or do they continue on believing that every life is precious and Christ’s return is imminent?