The Mind and Worship

For the past three weeks I have been teaching at the South Asia Institute for Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS) in Bangalore, India. This morning in chapel one of the professors reminded us of our Lord’s answer to the religious person who asked how one gains eternal life.

(Jesus) answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as you love yourself'" (Luke 10:27).

Though SAIACS is an academic institution where students are enrolled to enrich the heart as well as the intellect, when it comes to worship Christians generally enter devotion with the heart, not the mind. The speaker’s theme today was that learning, growing intellectually is also, or should be, a form of worship.

I grew up in a household that did not highly value education. Historically the denomination in which I have been a member for many years also had a dim view of scholarship, believing that mankind only needed the preaching of the Word so that Holy Spirit could convict the “heart” of man unto salvation. Scholarship, as I was conditioned to believe, was primarily the wasted energy of eggheads and people who spoke beyond their level of intelligence. God’s true work, as the argument goes, is measured in shoe leather, and blessed are the feet of those preach the gospel (Romans 10:15), not those who sit in the ivory towers of academia.

My thoughts wandered to those refrains of disdain as I sat in a weeklong consultation gathering of intellectuals who debated the topic - Indian and Christian: Changing Identities in Modern India. The participants were principally evangelical scholars, but there was also papers presented from Catholic and Hindu professors. For Christians in this country, not more than 4% of a population of 1.3 billion people, identity is an important issue to the minority. Are they Hindu, Christian, Christian/Hindu and however they define themselves, what should their role be in community and government? From morning to night papers were read, respondents challenged and some of us tried to keep up.

At the end of the week one wonders what was accomplished? Conversion was not of the lost without Christ, but rather to a point of view. A church was not established, but perhaps prestige was. And, though no shoe leather was lost in the process I was reminded of another saying from my youth, “A river will only rise as high as its source.” Or, as Forest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Though the eggheads do sometimes talk above and past others, I’m sure the venue of dumb and dumber is not the answer in reaching this country for Christ.

Obviously, the balance between poiesis and praxis is needed in missions and ministry. Let us not slight one for the other. It’s also good to remember that to love the Lord our God with all our mind is truly an exercise in worship.

October Update

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Criteria for Ministry Partnership

One judges a program or organization by its leadership. I get a ton of requests to teach in India, Africa and other parts of the world, but I obviously can’t respond to every request. I determine my initial acceptance by the references of those who know the program. What determines my on-going working partnership is the quality of leadership. If a school or mission organization is poorly run, see my contribution as a means of financial gain, then I usually back away from such venues. If, however, there is a spirit of reciprocity, a clear vision of what the program is trying to accomplish in terms of discipling cross-cultural workers or leaders and, who make every effort to facilitate my participation in their work, I am more than willing to not only teach but be involved in other aspects of their ministry.

Such is the case with TENT India. I have been teaching missionary anthropology there for the past five years. Dr. Vijayam is one of the most gracious men I have met in India. He is unpretentious, mild tempered and most gracious. His staff, John Samuel, Sunil Daniel and many more that I could name, are every bit as gracious and unassuming as Uncle Vijayam. In a country that is consumed by status and achievement, the highlight of my fall discipleship schedule is to work with this organization in Hyderabad.

This past month I taught the Joshua Vision India (JVI) class; national missionaries preparing to go cross-culturally. Two of the men (pictured above) came from the most northeastern part of the country on the border of Myanmar (Burma). They told me it takes nine days to travel to Hyderabad, five of those days by foot over the mountains, the other four days by bus and train.

I was privileged also to teach a group of young women called the IWILL program (Indian Women in Lord’s Labor). Many of these women will work in their own districts using and teaching the skills they learned at TENT; small acreage farming, candle making and micro-finance programs, enhancing church outreach and helping the poor.

There are bigger programs, more high-profile ministries in India, but there not any ministries I prefer working with over TENT India.

Birth Celebration Rituals

On Monday our youngest daughter, Sara, gave birth to their third child, our fifth grandchild. I am almost never in the country for the birth of my grandchildren; I was even 1,000 miles away when Sara was born. So to miss the birth of the latest addition was not unusual.

We live in amazing times. After teaching my cultural anthropology class I went to my room and turned on my computer. I noticed that Sara’s Skype light was on and knowing it was 3:30 a.m. their time I suspected something was up. Sure enough, she was beginning labor and about five hours later little Sofia Rose Toombs was born: 3.94 kgs (8 lbs 11 oz) and 53.34 centimeters (21 inches) long. Three hours after they returned home, and the next morning for me, I was able to see the little pink bundle in real time.

The birth celebration custom in India is after the birth the parents and/or grandparents give badam burfi (almond candy), to friends and family. Being on the other side of the world and not near family I bought some badam and distributed the sweets to my students and staff members where I am teaching in Hyderabad.

Someone asked me what the custom is for celebrating birth in America. It use to be the father passed out cigars, but with the tax on tobacco being so high and it being a socially incorrect practice, I’m not sure what people do these days.

What birth celebration rituals are practiced in your country?

Nevertheless, welcome, Sofia, to this great thing called life. God has brought you into this world for His purpose and we look forward to seeing how He will use you for His glory.

Watch Your Symbols

On his visit next month to India, President Obama will not visit the Golden Temple in Amristar, the holy shrine of the Sikh in the north. The reason is because of a symbol -- a scarf, cap or handkerchief, to be worn on the head by both men and women who enter this holy site. Obama and his handlers are afraid of the perception that a head-covering might have from Americans back home, many which still believe he is a Muslim. Never mind most Americans don’t know the difference between Sikhs and Muslims; it’s the unfamiliar symbol that’s the issue.

Symbols are powerful tools of communication. Most people wear symbols everyday that identifies their religion (crucifix-Christians, turban-Sikhs, kufi (skull cap)-Muslims; their occupation (overall’s-farmers, suits-business leaders, scrubs-nurses and doctors; their social status (Wal-Mart-middle/low income, Dillards-middle upper, Neiman Marcus-upper income).

The first thing a Russian looks at when meeting someone is their shoes, women in India look at the fabric of another woman’s sari, kids around the world check out the kind of cell phone their friends have and of course the auto industry remains viable as people judge another’s status by the car they drive. By our symbols mankind are indeed walking/talking signboards.

A cross-cultural Christian worker must be aware of symbols and adopt or reject symbols based on knowledge of those symbols, not just having an emotional response. Though I would, out of respect, wear a covering into a temple, I might not receive tilak (red mark on forehead as a sign of blessing). I might touch the feet of a respected elder but not avoid touching a Dalit. Determining what symbols are culturally acceptable for believers to practice or accept is determined through observation and learning culture. It's a lame argument to reject a ritual or symbol based only on the fact that it is what Hindu’s, Muslims or Catholic’s do.

If President Obama had demonstrated an unequivocal faith in Christianity in the past perhaps he could wear a covering without worrying about what message it would send to his country back home. But politicians are very wary of symbols. Bill Clinton had to abandon the idea of riding an elephant when he was president visiting India because he didn’t want the Republicans to capitalize on the powerful symbol of a Democrat president rinding on the symbol of their party. And he certainly didn’t want to ride on the symbol of his own party, a donkey, for that image, too, would be used as a negative symbol around the world.

Missionary Family

I have been in the "business" of missions for 35 years. I have slept under mosquito nets, dined on monkey meat, been in war zones, nearly died of malaria, taught in over 40 countries, trekked some of the tallest mountains of China, forged swollen rivers in the bush of Kenya, fed hungry Africans in times of starvation and eaten in some of finest restaurants in Europe. From the coca chewing Quechua of Bolivia, to the flatbread bakers of Uzbekistan and the wine makers of Georgia I've seen a lot. I've been a pioneer church planter among the most unreached, established a non-formal Bible school and created one of the few missionary training programs in the U.S. I've conducted mission conferences before thousands and discipled missionary classes of five. I think missiologically but before those who know nothing about missions I must contextualize it to a level that anyone and everyone can understand.

Yet, with all that interesting background I have learned that what most people really care about is much more personal...FAMILY. While the click-in rate of a normal monthly E-letter hovers around 50%, the family update is read by 70% or more. So, with that, I send you the link to that which is most personal.

Click Here

Results of Mission Knowledge quiz

Here are the results of the Mission Knowledge quiz, correct answer indicated by “√." How well did you do compared to others?

What country in Africa that has the highest per capita population of missionaries is:

South Africa 18.2%

Kenya 74.2% √

Uganda 7.6%

The highest percentage of missionaries come from,

America 39.4%

Philippines 30.3%

Korea 30.3% √

Though there are still more N. American missionaries, the percentage of missionaries to the Christian and general population is Korea.

The number one reason career missionaries leave the field from Old Sending Countries (America, Europe) is due to:

Health problems 25.8%

Marriage/family conflict 59.1%

Retirement 15.2% √

From REMAP study – The western mission force is getting old and we are not sending as many young career missionaries. Health problems was #4 in the study, marriage/family conflict #9.

The number one reason missionaries from New Sending Countries (Brazil, Korea, Philippines) leave the country is:

Lack of home support 78.8% √

Spiritually immature 10.6%

Children 10.6%

Spiritually immature #10 reason, children #8

Definition of unreached people groups are those:

Who are not yet Christian 7.6%

People who not yet Christian but live in a country/region where there are 5% or more Christians 6.1%

People not yet Christian where the population of Christians is less than 5% 86.4% √

The people who are in the unreached people group category have a population of:

1.2 billion 6.1%

2.7 billion 39.4% √

3.6 billion 54.5%

The percentage of missionaries going to unreached people groups is:

5% 81.8% √

15% 18.2%

25% 0.%

The percentage of resources (money and people) given to the world which has a Christian population of 25% percent or more is:

40% 16.7%

70% 25.8%

90% 57.6% √

My question is if we understand question 7, why are still pouring more resources into the most regions of the world?

A non-resident missionary is a person who:

Has no missionary experience but goes on several short-trips each year. 0%

Has missionary experience and goes on several short-term trips each year. 13.6%

Resides outside the country but works within certain countries or people groups where he/she once resided. 86.4% √

The average attrition rate (those who leave the field) among missionaries (old sending countries) each year is,

3% 1.5%

7% 19.7% √

13% 7 8.8%

The average is 7%, but there are some organizations that have a turn-over rate of 25% or more. New sending countries are just as high. 70% of the reasons people leave the field are PREVENTABLE, which means we need to a better job in screening as well as training/equipping.

Mission Knowledge

So you think you know missions, really? Take this survey that is just above basic mission knowledge.

Check your score by going to the comment page AFTER you take the survey.

Click here to take survey

WORLD RELIGION SURVEY Results

Here are the results from World Religion survey. Correct answer indicated with “√.” How well did you do with others who took the survey? Tomorrow’s survey will be on Mission IQ.

1. Holiest site for Muslims:

Jerusalem 2.4%

Medina 7.3%

Mecca 90.2% √

2. Hindus are:

Polytheist 61.% √

Monotheist 0.%

Pantheist 39.%

3. Buddhist believe in:

Nirvana 97.6% √

Heaven 2.4%

Purgatory 0%

4. The country that has the second largest Muslim population:

India 32.6% √

Pakistan 27.9%

Indonesia 39.5%

5. Mohammed is considered by Muslims to be:

The last prophet 73.2% √

The only prophet 19.5%

Great teacher 7.3%

6. The holy book of Hindus is:

The Koran 0%

The Vedas 79.1% √

The book of Lord Krishna 20.9%

7. Buddhist believe Buddha was:

God 11.6%

Great teacher 86.0% √

Prophet 2.3%

8. The highest office in the Russian Orthodox Church

Cardinal 41.5%

Metropolitan 51.2% √

Pope 7.3%

9. Sikhs are:

Monotheist 34.9% √

Polytheist 30.2%

Pantheist 34.9%

10. Muslims are forbidden to:

Eat beef 12.2%

Smoke 4.9%

Drink alcohol 82.9% √

11. One of the seven signs of a Sikh man is:

A dagger 65.2% √

Sacred scarf 34.8%

Holy ring 0%

12. Buddhist pray to:

Buddha 8.7%

Their teacher 8.7%

Their ancestors 82.6% √

13. Ramadan is a holy month for:

Muslims 100%

14. Sikhs worship at the:

Mosque 4.5%

Temple 54.5%

Gurdwara 40.9% √

15. Of the worlds 6.7 billion population Evangelicals are approximately:

780 million 21.7%

320 million 43.5%

500 million 34.8% √

WORLD RELIGION SURVEY

In a recent Pew survey people were asked how much they know about Christianity. Most people who attend church do well on that survey. I made a survey on how well people know about other religions. Answers are on the comment page. I will post the full results Monday October 4th.

First 10 questions

Click here to take survey

Next 5 questions.

Click here to take survey

Renouncing Passive Christianity

Theology is a good thing, but when theology becomes a hindrance to one’s relationship with God, it is an obstacle, not a path to a relationship.

The classic case of theology being a bane rather than a bridge was of course Job. When hard times hit, an understatement to be sure, Job’s long held theology pointed to himself as the root of the problem. His sin, no doubt unknowing, was the cause of God’s wrath. The simple solution for Job was to acquiesce to theology and repent. But Job did a rare thing, he rejected his theology rather than God. Job, in some ways, went from a defensive to an offensive position; a dangerous and potentially life threatening stance. Not physical death, but a separation of association with fellow theologians, but more so, the fear of being banished from God for not going along with accepted belief. No greater risk can a man take than to turn against time-honored tradition in search of truth.

Some years ago I was asked to speak on “The Purpose of Prayer in Missions.” Prayer, as we all know, is a mystery. Accepted theology about God and how he interacts with mankind doesn’t help. Some established thoughts about God is that He has a wonderful plan for our lives; He has chosen those who will accept Him; He knows our need before we ask Him; not our will but His be done. If one follows these statements to their logical conclusion one could decide that people are mere spectators in a grand cosmic plan. No need to pray, really, as He has determined the outcome and our only real role is a willingness to be a background extra on the stage of a script written before the foundations of the world. Such thinking leads to passive faith and practice.

But there is another side of the God/man relationship. Jacob who wrestles with the angel all night until he receives a blessing; Abraham who takes the knife to sacrifice his son only to be stopped by Jehovah who said, “NOW I see that you believe (didn’t He know before?); the parable of the widow who wore down an unjust judge and Jesus using the analogy for His followers to never cease praying; the admonishment for us to “work out our own salvation.” This mindset is active, engaged in faith and practice.

What if Job is right and conventional theology is the easy road to passivity and resignation? What if God really does care what we think; that we can really change God’s mind on matters; that God really hasn’t chosen those who will be saved and it does make a difference that we take the Good News of Christ to those who have never heard? Is it possible (hang on to your theological hat, the storm is coming) that God, who is omnipotent has limited His omniscience so that man can be a full partner in relationship with the Creator? Having a pro-active faith makes a difference in how we pray and what we pray for.

In the end God will still be God and we must accept His decision (prayer is not getting our way, but pleading our case). Having a positive faith instead of a passive faith means we, His creation, can live each day in active negotiation, interaction, relationship with the One who loves us so much that He denied His own Son’s request, “If it be possible, let this cup (the agony of the cross) to pass over me.” The choice is ours. We can lay down with passive resignation of fatalism or rise up, take the cross that is before us (you didn’t think life would be without struggle did you?) and be engaged in the gift of life that God has given us.

Culture and the Elderly

Ten days ago I had to make one of the toughest decisions of my life.  My dad, who turned 90 years old in May, became ill and had to go to the hospital.  It was not a life threatening illness, but it could have been serious if not attended to.  My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years back and slowly each day, physically and mentally, reveals his deteriorating condition; every minor infirmity takes an enormous toll. 

It became clear to me that my mom, 86 years old, small and frail, could no longer take care of dad.  After much prayer, consultation with my brothers and mom, we made arrangements to have dad transferred to the Veteran’s Home when the doctor released him from the hospital.  This past week has been one of personal human sadness.  My parents are separated each night for the first time in their nearly 65 years of marriage.  We go to bed wondering if dad feels lonely; there is a deep sense of guilt that perhaps we have abandoned him.

My Indian friends do not understand how we Americans can put their parents in a nursing home.  The extended family is strong in their culture and it’s unimaginable that they would not move their elderly parents into their home or at least make sure they were taken care of in their own home or that of another relative.  But, then again, Indians can’t understand how or why Americans cook their own food, wash their own dishes or clean their own homes.  That’s what the servants do. 

My landlord in Delhi was nearly the same age as my dad when we lived in India.  I watched my old friend slowly decline and though he was not put in a nursing home I can’t say that the family care for my landlord was any more compassionate or more caring than what many American elderly receive.  Mr. J’s extended family attended to him less, on a daily basis, than we do with my dad in a nursing home 40 kilometers away.  Instead of a qualified medical staff looking after the elderly, the task of bathing, cleaning and feeding in the Indian society is relegated to the same person who cleans the house each day.

The issue of the elderly in culture, as with most things, cannot be generalized.  Each family in every culture make decisions based on the relationships children have with their parents.  Some American families do indeed seem to cast off their parents into nursing homes, as do Indian families who seemingly cast off their parents into the hands of hired staff.  I believe those actions by both cultural families are the exception, not the rule.  Be they American, Chinese, Indian or European, most family members do the best they can for their parents when the tough choices of caring for their final days faces them.  It is the bond between children and parents over a lifetime that determines the last days, and one should not judge either the individual or the culture in such matters.

Mom asked dad yesterday if he was saying his prayers.  His answer from a voice that once was strong now barely a whisper, “I try to, but sometimes I fall asleep.”  That’s okay, pop, go ahead and close your eyes.  God’s marvelous grace continues to sustain you and those who love and pray for you each day.

Insider Movements and Secret Disciples

Question: Can one be a disciple and not believe? Can one believe and not be a disciple?

Answer: Yes.

How can that be?

A disciple is one who follows the teaching or philosophy of another. You can call them teacher’s, guru’s or swami’s. I may be a disciple of say, Rick Warren (pastor of Saddleback Church, author of the Purpose Driven Life) because of the worldwide work he does for social justice and world peace, but that doesn’t mean I believe everything that comes out of Warren’s mouth or every project he launches. As a pastor Warren knows God’s Word I will listen to his teaching with confidence, but his instructions will not be the final word on doctrinal or theological issues. Jesus had many disciples, but not many believers. So, yes one can be a disciple and not a believer.

Being a believer doesn’t automatically make a person a disciple. Belief is a trust in the claim but doesn’t always translate into a commitment of following. I would suggest that the vast majority of Christians in the U.S. (and using that term I am saying born-again believers) are, at best, marginal disciples. They may attend church, give a tithe, but again, most of believers in the West are short on even these two basic activities of discipleship. Being a witness for Christ, demonstrating the fruits of the spirit is a greater indicator of being a disciple of Christ; gossip, having an unforgiving and bitterness in your heart toward your brother, dishonesty in business, covetousness, pride won’t keep you from being a believer, but it will be hard to sell your faith if you are riddled with these undiscipleship qualities.

After Jesus was crucified there was a rich man by the name of Joseph of who asked the Romans to let him have the body of Jesus to be buried in his own grave. The Bible calls Joseph a “secret disciple.” How long was a he a secret disciple? One year? Two years? We don’t know, but he was no doubt a believer who had not yet declared openly his faith in Jesus.

In Muslim and Hindu communities, where the family and social structure is deeply constrained, I believe there are thousands of secret believers, who are not yet disciples. Whenever anyone writes me and quotes the scriptures about how God’s Word demands open confession I remind them of the guy from Aremethia, or his friend, Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night (we still don’t if he ever became a believer). Yes, Joseph did come out of the closet, but the day of his declaration of discipleship wasn’t his day of salvation, he was a secret disciple before he was a declared disciple.

When I get notes about how we should be willing to die for the name of Christ or be ostracized from our family for His sake, I automatically discount it from anyone who does not come from inside the social/family structures of Hinduism, Islam or Buddhism.

And, quite frankly, even if you come from a fundamentalist Hindu/Muslim family and declared your faith openly risking life, limb and fortune and believe everyone else should do the same, I would still take you back to Joseph, Naaman, Nicodemous and make the argument that there is no standard universal pattern for discipleship or for believers. Many have indeed have suffered for their faith and I do recognize throughout history of the church the martyrs who paid a high price for discipleship. However, first and foremost for all true believers is belief or trust that Jesus is the Christ of God who gave His life for man’s salvation. How that belief is played out in action is as varied as those who call on His name. It may be in front of a church or at baptism; it may be in a one’s room all alone for years.

It is my contention that if we can give tolerance for discipleship (you who believe but who are not yet perfect), then we surely can allow God to work in the heart of believers who are not yet known. To not allow this grace will surely be an obstacle for many who might truly be interested in the Good News of Christ and His salvation.

Cheering For People In The Race

If you have ever watched the Ironman Triathlon you know it is truly inspirational; a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike race and, to top it off, a 26.2 mile run. The pro’s can do it in a little over 8 hours; the rest of the field has to complete it in 17 hours.

The stories of those who compete are emotionally moving. Cancer survivors, amputees, seniors in their ‘70’s and everyday people who just want to compete, all take up the challenge of a grueling physical and mental test.

While I am stirred by the athlete’s competition, there is another component of the Ironman competition that is also inspirational – those that line the road cheering the competitors on. As the 17,000 participants of the Ironman pass by, it's the cheering crowd who pass out water, clap, and say "whoohoo - yeah, you're doing good, keep going." Even at mid-night and the last person is on the track, there will be someone out there cheering them on.

It’s hard to underestimate cheerleaders (not the pom-pom type on the sidelines of a football game, but those who cheer for those in the game). Anyone who plays sports knows the difference on how one plays the game when the stands are full of yelling fans versus the low feeling of playing a game with no one there to watch. Any team will tell you they would rather play games at home than in someone else’s stadium. Screaming fans in the stands translates into “home field advantage.”

Cheerleading touches every aspect of life. My family is made up of cheerleaders. Whenever someone does something, usually there’s an “Atta boy,” attached to it. It’s not uncommon in our family to give high 5’s to a seven year old who does a good job in a coloring book, a thirteen year old squeaking out notes learning to play the trumpet, or the sixteen year old who aced her calculus exam. But what’s truly amazing to me is how the spirit of cheerleading is prevalent among even the adults, my daughters and son-in-laws. The “way-to-go” and “that’s awesome” are simple phrases that affirm each other and encourage them to keep going in the race of life.

But not all people know how to encourage one another. If they do, it's usually a backhanded comment. Here is what you won’t hear from cheerleaders as they line the highway of an Ironman competition.

Pickup the pace, fat boy, you’re way behind.

I did this race last year and my time was at least an hour ahead of yours.

Who do you think you are to enter this race? You’re no athlete.

Yeah, you’re doing good, but you’ve got a tailwind to help you.

If I had a good bike like yours I’d be racing too.

Sadly, there are too many people along the roadside of life who just can’t cheer for anyone because of jealousy and feelings of insecurity.

The purpose of the blogsite is for missionaries and the issues missionaries face. You’re in the race and I hope you have some good people on the sidelines cheering you on. We need it to continue to run this marathon of service around the world. But the greater question is this: Are you a cheerleader to your family, to your colleagues and people who you interact with on a daily basis? While your race is important, don’t forget to cheer someone else as they pass by.

PS - After writing this blog I received in an email from Colorado:

Dear Dr. Lewis,

I just finished your book (The Journey of a Post Modern Missionary) and I wanted to thank you for the valuable information. I have had many cross-cultural classes in college but, of course, none reflected missions as they were secular school. It made a lot of sense. Thank you.

A cheerleader for the race, someone I’ve never met.

Mental Health and Missions

That evening she was having trouble breathing. The doctor and hospital was several miles away. She died in her living room as her family watched helplessly. Later the autopsy revealed she died of a blood clot. Not yet forty years old, she left a husband and four children.

I thought of that event in Kenya, which took place 25 years ago, while reading an article in the July 2010 issue of Evangelical Missions Quarterly entitled, “Trauma and Traumatic Stress in Cross-Cultural Missions.” The authors did a survey among missionaries in West Africa and Europe and found that 71% of men and 64% of women serving in West Africa; 47% of men and 30% of women in Europe, had experienced trauma on the field (serious illness; car, train or plane accidents; unexpected death of family members; immediate exposure to fighting, civil unrest, or war; burglary; serious threat or harm to family members or close friend, immediate; evacuation). Of that number 20% of men, 16% of women in West Africa; 19% of men, 0% of women in Europe suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS).

In my time on the field I knew missionaries terrorized by robbers, two friends who accidently ran over and killed kids and people who went through coups and coup attempts. In addition to these stresses in the life of a missionary there is the added pressure of homesickness, loneliness and everyday tension of living in a different culture.

As one who disciples missionaries I spend a great deal of time on the “effective” aspects of cross-cultural ministry. I don’t spend as much time on the “affective” dimension of mental and emotional health, yet, I realize that one of the chief reasons people leave the field is due to the affective tensions on families.

We are often encouraged to pray for missionaries. Without question prayer is the number one thing we can do for our brothers and sisters working overseas. But there are other things the church and sending organizations can do for the emotional and spiritual health of our cross-cultural colleagues.

1. Provide better training for missionaries before they leave for the field. The approval process for missionaries should include good screening on psychological and emotional stability. Even the healthiest of missionaries will crack under the weight of trauma on the field, but a mission organization is derelict in their duties if they ignore personalities that may be most vulnerable to stress environments.

2. Make sure there is a well qualified mental health provider for those on the field. It could be a pastor or someone in the sending organization that is trained to help people in trauma situations.

3. Sending churches and mission organizations should be aware of what their missionaries are facing on the field and help them in coping with stress, whether that be encouraging missionaries to find professional help on the field or making sure that missionaries “take a break,” through vacations or trips outside their countries. By all means one should be careful not to criticize missionaries who seek ways to cope with trauma or stress.

I am not a mental health expert, but in my time as a coach visiting missionaries on the field, invariably the issues of culture fatigue, manifested in everything from family discord to cultural bitterness, become a part of our discussion. The life of missionary is rich and rewarding, but it’s also a career that places people in tough and difficult situations. I am praying for my colleagues today and I hope you are as well.

Whatever You’re Doing In There…Stop It!

Growing up with two brothers, one who designated himself the “eldest” by 5 minutes and the other 4 years younger, we were often a rowdy bunch. From time-to-time my dad or mom would yell at us from the other side of the house, “Whatever you guys are doing in there, stop it!” That sentence assumes guilt before a crime has been committed. Looking back, however, it probably saved us from getting the dreaded belt whipping (yes we grew up in era where “spare the rod and spoil the child” preceded Social Services and Child Protection Laws).

Of the many things that hinder mission work is the inability of people to get along with others on the field. Missionaries haggle over everything from mission policy to disputes on proper theology in the church. Most reasons for missionary discontent, however, can be boiled down to common human problems, personalities.

Spiritual Elitism - The church is filled with people with a superior spiritual mentality. One of the reasons we have so many denominations in the world, 38,000, is that every group believes they have a corner on spiritual truth. Mission groups on the field, from the same organization and same denomination, will always have someone who feels they walk just a little closer to Jesus than their colleagues and make it a point to be the ad hoc Holy Spirit for the rest of the group. My advice is, like Jesus; spend more time with sinners than with the Pharisees. The religious crowd may crucify you, but at least you are doing the work of the Father.

Cliques - Years ago a guy gave me good advice: “If you have to adopt another person’s enemies to be your friend, it’s not worth it.” Cliques are formed by boundaries of relationships. If a person is a part of group “A” of friends, by default they cannot be friends with people in group “B.” People you don’t even know will be against you, your wife and kids for no other reason than their friends don’t like you! Stay out of cliques; don’t adopt other people’s enemies to be “in” with others.

Jealousy - The root of jealousy is the feeling of anger in one’s own inadequacies. A jealous person is one who wishes they were like others, (their success, their family, their looks, their abilities) but since they are not they will do all they can to tear that other person down. A jealous person never comes to grips with the fact that God has made us all different and they cannot be content with how God made them. Jealous people are spiteful people. When around a jealous person minimize what you do and build them up. It won’t solve their jealous tendencies, but at least you won’t feed their insecurities.

Busybodies - I find it fascinating that so many people want to have an opinion on the lives of so many people they don’t even know. Under the guise of “I’m just concerned…” busybodies spend much of their time either gossiping about other people or giving unsolicited counsel to people they feel need their infinite wisdom. My advice to those who work with busybodies is keep an arm’s length away from those people, don’t give them an ear for their concerns and above all, don’t repeat anything you hear from them. “Praying about it,” is a cheap way of being a busybody and trying to be spiritual at the same time.

Tensions on the field in inevitable. There are some people you can get along with; there are others you can’t no matter how hard you try. The Apostle Paul knew that and wrote, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18). Like my folks told us as kids, whatever your are doing that is causing problems on the field…stop it.