5 Things Missionaries Want You To Know

Prior to our own call to missions, I remember sitting in the congregation one Sunday morning and hearing the presentation of a couple serving in north Africa. They looked relaxed, at ease with their role as spokesmen for an entire class of Christians I knew little about: full-time field missionaries. The wife seemed to gaze lovingly at her husband as he spoke, smiling now and then and resting her hand on his arm as if they were chatting with friends in their own living room, not on a raised platform in front of a few hundred strangers. The husband spoke eloquently on the topics of evangelism, radical faith, and a total surrender to God. They both glowed with a certain peace and confidence that marked them as the kind of Christian everyone wants to be, even as they described life in a place that few Americans would choose to visit, let alone set up housekeeping in.

Fast forward a few years, and here I am, sharing the stage with my husband and sometimes  my children as we pursue God’s vision of reaching into Nepal. And while I am absolutely the last person to ever come across as “having it all together,” I am still keenly aware that for some folks, missionaries are like Superstar Christians. Professional Holy People, if you will. People who get their paycheck directly from God– through the hands of other believers.

Biblically, we see that there’s a higher standard for those who would teach in the name of Christ. And yet, the people called to do the work? Totally, utterly fallible. Sinners. Just like every other person to ever walk the face of the planet without the title “Savior” attached to his name.

So why this desire to put missionaries (and pastors, and deacons, etc.) on a pedestal? I guess it’s just the assumption that anyone whose faith is strong enough to support a life unfettered from the normal career food chain is somehow more. More faithful, more in touch with the Holy Spirit, more likely to run away from sin.

It’s not true. As a matter of a fact, as a missionary-wife-in-training, when you see me smiling beside your pastor Sunday morning, I want you to know:

1. We’re not very good at this. We were called to spread the Gospel in the 10/40 window, not run a multi-level marketing campaign. Fundraising … well, it sucks. And no, that’s not too strong a term. If you’ve ever tried to sell ice to Alaskans, you have a pretty good feel for what it’s like to essentially cold call an entire congregation that just showed up in the hopes of hearing something to make their week a little more bearable. Some people are called to this. They’re called “salesmen.” Not “missionaries.”

2. We’d rather be fishing. For men, that is. We never, ever forget that every day that we have to spend here, raising support, more Nepalis die without ever having had the chance to hear the name of Jesus. Yes, we know that God’s got this. No, we don’t have some super-inflated ego that makes us believe that it’s all about us. But this is the call we’ve been given, and the waiting … well, I might have to use the “s” word again.

3. We don’t have all the answers. Not even close. We are not Super Christians. Our faith doesn’t come from a supernatural tap that never runs dry. There are moments when we doubt, and moment when we question, and days when we are pretty sure that everyone’s right–we’re nuts. Catch us on an off day, and you just might be surprised to hear how we have to choose to say yes to Jesus all over again every morning … just like you.

4. Our kids are sinners. And, oh yeah,  we’re imperfect parents. Moving your family to another country does not make you an expert on raising kids– or give those same children a free ride in the disobedience, strong-willed, do-it-my-way department. Yes, my three year-old prefers curry to corn dogs. That doesn’t mean she’s above a tantrum when she doesn’t get her way. So my 13 year-old can give you a rundown on the basics of Hinduism. That doesn’t mean he can’t shoot me the evil eye when things aren’t going his way. And me? Yup. I have days where the whining hits a crescendo and it’s all I can do to slap a movie in the DVD player and text an SOS to my husband.

5. When we say “partner,” we mean it. I get the eye rolling. I do, really. “You don’t want to be my friend. You just want my cash each month!” Here’s the thing. Remember how I said we’re not selling you something? Well, seriously– we aren’t selling you something! Folks on the mission field are looking for support. Yes, a chunk of that support has to come in the form of dollars and cents. This is the system we have, and for now at least, we’re stuck with it. But what do we need more than your money? Your prayers. Your emails to our kids, reminding them that they’re not forgotten. You facebook messages giving us glimpses of that Thanksgiving turkey, that blossoming cherry tree, those kids of yours that are growing more every second. We need to love and feel loved. We need relationship. That’s a two-way lifeline that will bring both parties that much closer to fulfilling the Great Commission, in our own ways.

So, what about you? Are you on the field and have more to add to this list? Or are you a fellow Christian who isn’t quite sure what to make of the folks parading through on furlough  every summer? What would you ask a missionary, if you could?

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