In the short two months I’ve been living on the mission field, I’ve realized how many misconceptions I’ve held to be true of what it means to be a missionary. I had so many standards for them, that now that I am one, I see just how unrealistic those standards are, so I want to set that record straight and explain what a missionary ACTUALLY is. In order to look at what a missionary is, though, we have to first understand what a missionary is NOT.
MISSIONARIES AREN’T…
Vacationers
Living in a foreign country is probably one of the coolest things I’ll ever get to experience. I get to live near the beach, we go on day trips to places, and we were even able to go to not only one other country, but TWO (rafting) when we had our debrief just a few weeks ago. Life has been really adventurous, it’s true, and the pictures of the adventures are the ones that get posted, more often than not. You see the rafting pictures, and the hikes through the mountains, and jumping off of the piers into the ocean…but there’s a side that’s often not seen. It’s the faces of the kids I see everyday when I work with the preschool. Or the woman I got to pray for in a little shack a few blocks away from the church. It’s even having the youth group over in the evening to hangout and get coffee. Life is what’s happening between the snapshots. The adventures are great, and what seems like a vacation at times, is probably just a small part of a day that began with morning prayer in the church, an afternoon devotional, and hanging out with kiddos. It’s not a vacation, it’s life, and the really great parts of life are the ones that often can’t be captured.
Perfect
I cannot stress this enough. Being on the mission field doesn’t mean your sin magically goes away. I am not miraculously closer with God just because I left America. In fact, being on this trip has only revealed my brokenness even more. Yes, I am sharing about the Savior with others, but I still need that Savior myself. Just yesterday I got into a disagreement with my dad that left us both frustrated and tired….and I’m on the other side of the world! In all my failed attempts at leading a flawless life, I’m being transformed to be more like my Father, but He is still having to refine me, day by day. Being perfect like Jesus is the destination, but I am very much so still on the journey there.
I know not everyone looks at a missionary that way, but for the few people that maybe do, I hope you see us in a new light. Now we can look more closely at what a missionary actually is.
MISSIONARIES ARE…
witnesses (acts 1:8)
We have heard and we have seen Christ radically transform our lives, so we share that with others.
teachers (matt. 28:19-20)
We have knowledge to share about the One who died for us, so we share that with others.
preachers (mark 16:15; romans 10:13-14; matt. 24:14; mark 13:10)
We have an urgent message about who Christ is, so we share that with others.
in need of a Savior
We understand that the same Jesus we’re sharing is needed in our own lives, to grow us and mold us. We’re not perfect. We’re not holier than thou. Rather, we’re broken people who need a perfect God.
This is what a missionary is. A missionary is not someone who has to get on a plane and take this crazy trip to foreign places. That just so happened to be what the Lord was leading me in, but THAT is NOT what made me a missionary. Jesus called every believer to share His good news with ALL the nations, not just the ones that are far away. Wherever we plant our feet, we’re bringing Kingdom. So, whether you take a trip to the supermarket or to Durres, Albania, you’re on a mission. Being a missionary is not a title, it’s a lifestyle.
Jesus didn’t call the perfect people to share about Him. I mean, just look at Paul. He chooses the people that are broken and in need of Him, i.e. everybody.
So, wherever you are, WHOever you are, if you are a believer in Jesus, I urge you to take hold of the calling He has placed on your life. You wont be perfect, because no one is, but you can witness and teach and preach because the One who IS perfect has given you the power and authority to do so.
Go get ‘em, you missionary, you!
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UPDATE FROM DURRES
Since getting home from debrief, the team has been awesome. We’ve really started to become like a family, which has been such a blessing for us. At some point or another this past week, 5/7 of us have gotten some sort of sickness that lasts just a few hours and then goes away. It’s been trying, but it’s made me appreciate the servant’s hearts on my team all the more.
Ministry is wonderful, as always here. We love it. Leading Bible studies, hanging out with kids, leading more Bible studies, drinking my weight in coffee after every hangout with the youth group…life is just so good. Jesus is so good. I’m learning more about Him daily. He WANTS us to know Him, and He doesn’t keep Himself from us. That’s been a really cool realization that I want to keep pressing in to.
The other day, I stayed up nearly all night and then watched the sun rise over Durres and I was reminded of His goodness. He carries us through the valleys and celebrates with us when we reach the mountaintop. He’s there for both, and that’s just really neat.
Like I said, life is good. I can’t believe we leave this country in just a little over a month, but I’m excited to see what Jesus has for us in the Philippines, too.
I want to take a moment to apologize. It’s come to my attention that unless you’re my parents, I’ve probably done a really horrible job at updating you. I haven’t posted as many blogs, or uploaded as many pictures as I was anticipating doing, but please know that ministry is happening and ministry is good. Living in the moment has been a really big thing on my heart here, and having my camera out all the times sometimes feels contradictory to that. I will genuinely try to update and share more about how ministry is here.
Thanks for being patient. Thanks for being gracious. You guys are the best.
I’ll update soon. Love you all. Really. Every person who has supported financially or prayerfully is the reason I am here, so thank you thank you thank you. God is doing big things here and I am grateful you all get to be a part of it.
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Pictures!!!
