Life on the mission field is actually as diverse as ministry life int he states. Missionaries are not sterotypes – they are results of a call. I can love administration and have a place on the mission field. I can be the life of the party and have a place on the mission field. I can lvoe to develop programs and have a place on the mission field. The foundation, however, is a love for people. Missions gets it right. Ministry is about building relationships with people.
It is funny how American ministers hide bhind their details, their programs, their pulpits, etc. and do not engage with people. All you are is a manager, an employee if you will, if people do not become your focus. In fact, what makes missions and ministry most challenging is relatinoships. And, more importantly, brokenness for those relationships. Sure some of us can give a sermon on the fly or efficiently construct a habitable building or even win the affection of children. But when someone matters to me, when their well-being is as important as my own, when I learn to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice, then I am beginning to understand Christs heart and my own calling for ministry.
