We have just arrived back to our placement after spending the past 2 and a half months in the States. Our time in the States was too good that I had to continually pr@y and ask our Father if we were taking advantage of our trip back to the States. But just as gracious as He is, He showed us how much He loves us by allowing us to experience such a great time with family, friends, and supporters. Not only did we celebrate our first year of marriage, our first year living overseas, the birthdays of many family and friends, and got refreshed and pumped for the next year; we accepted the simple truth that this is LIFE and we are just walking in it. I know this may sound weird or maybe even absurd, but the reason I say that we have accepted this simple truth is because we struggled with what LIFE should look like for us as Chr1stians overseas.
We were led to live in a place where the present chu-rch is just celebrating their 20 years of existence. We quickly learned that within those 20 years G0d did some amazing things in the lives of the people here and is continuing to work in awesome ways. We also learned that as man got in the way of what G0d was stirring, some unfortunate things have happened between the founding miss!onaries and the growing local chu-rch. But this didn’t fathom me or bother me because of what happened, it’s LIFE and that happens all over the world. What bothered me, was a word that I have struggled trying to understand—Miss1onary.
I was first introduced to what a miss1onary was when I saw one in person for the first time my junior year in high school. I didn’t grow up in the church and the only reason I saw him was because I decided to follow my big brother to youth group and start my Chr1stian fa1th. His name was Luke and I actually got to know him since he was from the chu-rch I began to attend. He was a miss1onary to Mozambique. He started going there since he was 16 and has been living there since. He told us amazing stories and gave me my first picture of what a miss1onary was. I understood that a miss1onary goes and tells people about J3sus and tries to help them in whatever way they need it. After being encouraged by him, I decided to go on my first miss1on trip to Costa Rica right after I accepted Chr!st. We built a chu-rch, gave gifts to the poor, feed the homeless, pre@ched the Word, did some sightseeing, bought souvenirs, and basically did what seemed to be the routine for short-term miss1ons. At least that is what we did the 4 times we went to Costa Rica, 4 times to Mexico, once in Indonesia, once in Vietnam, and once in Mozambique.
Despite the debates of the pros and cons of short-term miss1on trips we may have with one another (and I have had many unfortunately), one truth remains—G0d is good. But because of the debates I have had and heard, saw the negative way miss1onaries were viewed overseas, and studied scripture in regards to miss1onaries I noticed that we have all painted a picture of what a miss1onary looks like in our own minds. The idea of a miss1onary differs from one another and that is okay as long as we (Chr1stians) all understand that upon accepting Chr1st we are accepting to live a missional lifestyle. We are to do as Chr1st did and make sure we give Him glory for the things we do. Given that G0d created us all different and unique, we are to just live LIFE loving Him in all we do. We aren’t to put on a miss1onary mask just because we are going to another country. LIFE is a precious bl3ssing from above and every day we are to live it to the fullest in our jobs, families, and wherever we end up being or going.
One last thought now that I am on this subject. I understand and respect the cultural respect that is shown when we do go to other countries but I must get something off my chest that we are trying to practice here. Our dear brothers and sisters overseas are just as gifted and bl3ssed as we are. One can say that we are giving up more since we are deciding to live in another country and be away from friends and family but when it comes to the body of Chr1st; we are one big family. Yes some have some special bl3ssings upon their lives but we must not look at each other as “different.” We are seeing that when we receive special treatments for being considered a miss1onary, it makes us wonder if they do the same for their local brothers and sisters. I have also seen when other brothers and sisters have tried to live in another culture and be looked down upon because of how they have been affected by previous miss1onaries. It’s a sad case but this happens all over the world. We begin to paint a picture of how a miss1onary is supposed to be treated or look like rather than living understanding that we are to live LIFE together just as Chr1st did with those He lived LIFE with and those He went to visit.
But anyways, I am beginning to sound like one of the miss1onaries that is trying to make a difference in the world for Him ;)
I didn’t know that I had this inside of my heart and mind but I guess I wrote it down and found it okay to post it as a blog here.