We're All Missionaries
Last week, I read an article called "3 Reasons I Don't Want to Be a Missionary." It really resonated with me, and I re-read it a handful of times before posting it to Facebook. As I stated in my Facebook post, I have struggled with this "title" for a few years now, not because I am not ashamed of it, but exactly because of what Larry Sharp expressed in his article. At times I have been put on a "pedestal" for my decision to move overseas, leave family, and the things familiar to me to follow a passion the Father gave me. But, that's it, it's a passion, and if you had the same passion and desires--say pursuing a career as a nurse, teacher, counselor, etc.-- I'm sure you would say "yes" too.
Matthew 28:19 tells us, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." I have said it before, and I will say it again, I believe the mission field is everywhere, but it starts at home. The Father had to gently remind me of this during my four years of teaching at RVHS. I was so keen to go overseas and "do missions" that I was missing out on the opportunities that were right in front of me. I remember ever so clearly the night the Father sat me down and told me, "for the time being, this is your mission field." I had just wrapped up my first year of teaching. It was an excellent first year, but it was stretching. I sat down on my living room floor, leaned up against my couch, and asked God, "This is great and all, but what's next?" At that moment, this "gray curtain" fell over my future, and I couldn't see what was ahead. I just saw the present. It was then that the Father ever so graciously showed me that for the being, RVHS was my mission field, and my job was to love on and pour into my students. When the time came for me to be "uprooted," it caught me by surprise because I was so present in the here and now.
Whether you're a social worker, stay-at-home mom, pilot, construction worker, serving coffee, or in full-time ministry, your job is to be the hands and feet of Jesus--to be His light, to let others know of His love, and to offer hope that this world does not have. For some, this means moving overseas and following a passion, but the mandate does not change. It's how you obey and respond to the "yes" that the Father asks of you that matters most. I told the Father long ago, "I will go where You want me to go," and because of that, He has taken me to three different countries, and I have served in various capacities, but that doesn't alter what Jesus has asked of me or any of us. It does not make me greater than the nurse who shared the love of Jesus with a dying patient or better than the stay-at-home parent pointing their children towards Jesus.
This article also had me going down the rabbit trail of what it actually takes to serve overseas, the decisions that come with it, and the questions I wished I would have asked (at some point) along this journey. If you have a slight interest in serving overseas or want to know what I wish I would have known, read on. If not, I will not be offended if you stop reading. :)
The decision to serve overseas is a process, Don't move on a spiritual whim. Talk to others who have served overseas long-term. Everyone has had highs and lows, and to hear stories about how God brought everything together paints a beautiful picture of just how awesome our God is.
If you're only interested in serving overseas, I would ask yourself why. Have you served in your church? Have you served in your community? It's okay to have a heart for a particular group who has never heard the Gospel or you wish to work in the Anti-Trafficking Movement. Still, if you struggle serving locally, at some point, you will struggle while serving overseas.
Do you have issues or trauma in your life that need to be addressed before moving? If so, that's okay! Get help. Go through counseling. Address those things now because they will be magnified when you're overseas. Culture shock is a real thing. Things can come to the surface that have nothing to do with your host culture, but an incident can trigger you because of something in your past.
Are you ready to raise support? Asking for money is not easy! It is humbling and stretching work and, at times, can be another full-time job. But, in a way, it is rewarding as you see the Father take the stage and provide for you time and time again.
Go on a few short-term trips with various ministries/organizations. This is a perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of another country you could call home, interact with staff and really ask the Father if this is where He wants you to be. If you can, stay longer than the two-week trip to get your feet wet a little more.
Ask questions.
Do they provide member care? If so, to what extent? Most mid-sized international ministries have some form of member care. From my personal experience, if they do not, this could be a yellow flag. Do they offer counseling? How do they help their staff and teammates avoid burnout and/or vicarious trauma? If they really don't have an answer, or some plan in place, again, this could be a yellow flag. I personally believe this is a 50/50 area. If a ministry/organization is unwilling to invest in its team and staff, how much do they care about your well-being? At the same time, I believe it is also your personal responsibility to advocate for yourself, know when you need to reach out for help, and what your options are.
Observe staff and how they interact with others. Are they thriving? Are they struggling?
Short-term trips can often paint a rosy picture of "missions," but nevertheless, I recommended them.
This is not an exhaustive list. You also need to consider language school, what it entails to live overseas (apartment hunting, culturalism, what to bring with you/what to leave behind, etc.), let alone do ministry/work.
If you have any questions or comments or are curious to know more about work/ministry overseas, please do not hesitate to reach out to me! I do not have all the answers, but I can offer you insight from my personal experience. In writing this, I do not mean to offend anyone nor ruffle feathers--these are opinions that I have formed from my personal experiences of serving overseas for six years. I have taken time to process these thoughts as I did not develop them overnight, nor have I always been openly vocal about them because of fear or pushback I may receive. I would like to add, certain things that I am referring to in this post do not reflect my current experience with Extreme Response International.