For the Long-Haul

 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐥

 

Last month I was asked to speak to a group of missionaries on the subject of “𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐯
𝐢𝐭𝐲.”  This group of cross-cultural workers in West Africa were honoring a couple who had just completed 40 years on the field.  In their presence, I felt I was speaking theoretically before those who lived it.  From my perspective, here are the 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐲 tips necessary for serving long-term on the mission field.

 

𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 …for the work, the people they work with and, of course, for the Lord they serve.  Hardly anyone will stick it out, in any profession, if they are “lukewarm” in their convictions for the task.  Four-hundred and eighty-five years ago yesterday, William Tyndale was strangled and burned at the stake for his passion in translating the Bible into English.  A far cry from the statement I heard from one of my students who said, “If it doesn’t work out, we’ll just come home.”  𝑰𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓.  

 

Missionaries serving many years in another country are those who have a passion that what they do, great or small, and 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.  My friends working in secular Europe for over three decades are there in spite of the spiritual coldness because they have a passion to be light in midst of secular darkness.  “How can you live in a country of idols and lost people” a visitor asked my friend in Asia?  The answer is simple, God’s calling on their lives does not hinge on receptivity of the lost, but on the conviction, the passion, if you please, they had when their Lord moved them to that country many years ago.  Those who serve Him for the long-haul are passionate about their work.

 

𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 - In the twelve “gifts” mentioned in the Scriptures, you will not see the gift of being a missionary.  Probably the closest gift, not the office, is the gift of apostleship.  The Apostle Paul had both the office and the gift that is necessary for cross-cultural ministry.  Missionaries, like the twelve apostles, are 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨.  

 

There used to be a rather derogatory remark in church circles when I went out as a missionary that went something like this… “If you can’t be a pastor, you can always be a missionary.”  I love pastors and I honor their ministries, but it could be equally said, “𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫.”  Those who have a long shelf-life on the mission field is due to the fact they are gifted for that task.

 

𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞 – I have always believed that the reason many people don’t survive on the mission field is because they have never found their niche, their nook, in service.  Not everyone can do the work of an evangelist or church planting.  Those who have the gift of hospitality can bring as many people to know Christ as those who stand up and preach.  In fact, in places where people are resistant to the Gospel, those who are hospitable and who make friends can be much more effective in telling people about our Lord.  You can call it “job satisfaction,” if you like, but serving Christ in the area where we are gifted, in all areas of life, is the key to longevity. 

 

𝐏𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 – If a missionary makes it through 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 on the field, barring sickness or political unrest, they will probably be there throughout their career.  Until that time, cross-cultural workers will struggle with language and culture.  𝑪𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.  A missionary will always be a foreigner, always an outsider.  The easiest and the most common reaction to stress is to head home and call it quits.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  From time-to-time, missionaries need to pump the breaks to find equilibrium.  That may be finding place for physical and spiritual refreshment, or being engaged in an activity that is not ministry related. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a vacation outside of your country.  If you live in Africa, go to Europe for a few weeks.  If you, live in Europe, go on an African safari.  Go somewhere to escape the cultural weight of being an outsider on your field.  It’s impossible to be on-the-go in ministry 24/7.  Paint, write, play golf or, as my friends in Senegal do, go surfing. Do something that allows you to escape the pressures of daily life in a strange land.  If you pump the breaks from time-to-time, and then you’ll find that when you do get back in the work 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 and energized for the good work God has called you to.

 

I met a missionary in South America who was well past retirement age and had lived in Bolivia for over forty years.  When I asked him if he ever thought about returning to the states his answer was simple.  “Why would I do that?” he said wryly.  “My siblings live in Florida, but I have no real ties to the U.S. anymore.  We bought a little hacienda here a few years back and, though I am physically unable to work in ministry like I used to, I still meet with our pastors and church leaders often, mentoring and encouraging Christians every day.  No, I don’t think about going back to the states.  I’m content to have coffee with friends here each day, serving the Lord here until He calls me home.”

 

Serving overseas is not for the fainthearted, but those who make missions a career, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.

 

(Pictured – Marjorie Browning, served in Brazil for over 40 years, murdered in 2014).