Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
“Christmas in America is so strange!” I could hear the reverse culture shock in his voice. He hadn’t celebrated this major holiday in his home country in fifteen years. The materialism of an American Christmas distressed him. Later, a friend from Africa said, “I don’t …
Have you ever seen an angel? We don’t talk about these things in the church very often. I wonder why? Looking through the gospels and Acts, angelic activity and interaction seemed part of Jesus’ and the disciple’s experience. In the book of Revelation, there is …
Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs 10:4 NIV.
“I want to get married,” she said. Her eyes were sad. In her culture, unless she was a wife and mother, she was a non-person. Many women in Asia don’t even use their names. They are “John’s mother” or “Raju’s mother.” Their own name has …
For years we served in missions before anyone from my husband’s family visited us. We longed for them to come to Nepal and India. Finally, they did. How fun it was to have them meet those we’d discipled and invested in! It’s a joy to …
Was this the writing on the wall? God’s final no? Were we too stubborn and deaf to hear what He was saying? I tried to steady myself as I reread the email in my inbox. “Your application for a residence permit has been denied. You are advised to leave the country before your current permit expires.”
That gave us only ten days, even though our visas were still valid!
Everything within me froze. I wanted to scream.
This was not the first time we were told to leave our host country because of visa problems. This was the fifth or sixth time. I could not even remember how many!
How were we ever going to pack our house in a week and find tickets for the four of us? Was this a short visa run, or were we saying goodbye to fifteen years of relationships and the only home our children knew?!
What do we say to our landlord? Do we keep the house or not? What about our kids’ school? The second semester of their school year had only just begun. The biggest question in my mind was, why was this happening again? Had we been blacklisted this time?
These and so many other questions raced through my mind as I tried to make sense of what was happening.
Fifteen years ago when the adventures in our host country began, I would never have imagined that visa issues would be a constant thorn in the flesh. I thought that finances would be our number one battle on the field. Boy was I in for a surprise!
Our nationality itself raised suspicion for immigration officers. Africans, as we came to know through years of living in Asia, were mainly associated with scams or drug dealing. Hence, there was always extra scrutiny by officials whenever our passports popped up.
The humiliation of being called aside many times as others stared at us, in the immigration line, is something that we came to expect and prepare for. As we talked with colleagues, we noticed that every country had different regulations for visas. These were affected by the bilateral agreements in place with our host country. Yet God had called us all from many nations to this one country to serve and honor Him amongst the unreached.
In the midst of this sudden storm, we felt despair. We also had many encouraging calls from friends all over the world. God reminded us of the words and pictures that brought us to this beautiful nation.
After spending time together as a family in prayer, we all ( including our young children), sensed that God was not saying this was the end. He took us back to Psalm 2:8. God says “Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”
Instead of giving up, He was urging us to hold on to our inheritance. His small, still, peaceful voice simply said “I will make a way. I will bring you back to this place.”
A few years ago, in a similar situation, my husband had to leave alone on a visa run. God had spoken to him through one of Paul’s letters. Visa issues would always be a thorn in the flesh, but God would hold our hand through it. Those words made sense to us and encouraged us to hold on to His promises and not give up. Yes, there were many uncertainties and many questions to answer at this point, but we had the peace of God and His call to walk by faith.
We did manage to pack house in a week, buy tickets to get home, and tell our landlord we would be back in six weeks. We did this without knowing for sure how it would turn out.
By God’s grace, we made it to our home country and submitted our visa applications within three weeks. At the consulate, they questioned why we were applying for new visas when we still had valid ones. We told them exactly what home affairs in our host country had said.
God was gracious to us, the embassy officials were kind and very helpful despite the fishy circumstances surrounding our visas. After a week we heard from them. We had been granted new visas!
Half the job was done. The other hurdle was reentering the country. I will never forget that flight back to Asia six weeks later. It felt like the longest journey ever!
A few days earlier, the Lord had impressed a scripture on our hearts. It was an instruction He gave to Jeremiah when he was facing immense opposition. “But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear,” Jeremiah 39:17.
Waiting for our turn and as they looked at our passports in immigration, I held onto that scripture for dear life. I was mind blown when the immigration flipped through our passports, stamped them, and let us pass without a single question asked! Once again God showed us His great faithfulness and grace.
After such an experience it’s easy to quickly move on without taking time to learn the lessons God was trying to teach us. After this ordeal, especially this recent experience, I have learned to make the most of every moment I am given to spend in my host country. I’m looking for opportunities to share God’s love more in my community.
Being in any country to serve Him is a privilege not a right.
Secondly, that last-minute packing taught me to keep and collect only the things that matter. Live light with less attachment to acquired material possessions.
This sounds like a cliche but, over the years we had accumulated lots of things we really didn’t need. In a crisis like this you want as little garbage to deal with. It puts pressure on remaining teammates if they have to be the ones to sort through your junk when you leave.
Hebrews 11 and Abraham’s nomadic life came to have new meaning to me. I contemplated where home really is. It’s neither my host nor my home country, it’s where God is and where He is leading us to go.
“By faith, he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
Hebrews 11: 9-10 NIV.
Talking constantly as a family, praying together, and having other people to bounce ideas with, helped us remain sane. It kept us from crumbling under the pressure and darkness of the unknown.
As we evaluated and looked at the reason we had been sent back home, we discovered that it had a lot to do with compliance with visa regulations. We were on business visas and with new government requirements businesses needed to actually do business and make a profit. Through this experience, we learned that we need to work hard to make our role in our host country viable in order to be able to stay. We want to serve the people God has called us to serve in a way that honors His name.
Before you consider any visa entry strategy, carefully count the cost you will have to pay. Examine the time commitments and what you are expected to do under that visa. Remember visa issuance will differ from nation to nation.
A huge lesson learned is that none of us are indispensable. We need to train and empower others. This is especially true of those not bound by visas. They need to take their place in claiming a God-given inheritance in this wonderful nation.
I have learned that God is not limited by our nationalities. He makes a way where there seems no way.
Are you called to a certain nation but it seems impossible to get there because of visas? Trust God to direct you and show you exactly what to do. Thorough research on visa entry strategies in liaison with others who have gone before can avoid costly mistakes.
We are still here.…..and for the record, we were not blacklisted!
Your greatest challenge may or may not be related to a visa. God is with you in the difficulties and will make a way for you. What is your biggest visa or other challenge today? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook group.
*The above blog was written by an African missionary working in Asia. She wishes to remain anonymous.
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One of the new believers I’ve been discipling was confused. “I heard that Christians in South Korea are not afraid of the coronavirus. But they are not being wise, safe, or taking precautions. They are endangering others. My relatives who heard this are questioning whether or not Christianity is good. Are those people real Christians?” she asked. What is the appropriate response to a threat like the Coronavirus?
The impact of this virus is broad. It is affecting millions across the globe, not only missionaries. For those of us serving the Lord on foreign soil, it is definitely a cause for concern, in more ways than one. Meetings and gatherings have been postponed or canceled. Missionary kids’ schools are closing, or parents are asked to show their passports before entering the school grounds.
How do we navigate the path between fear and faith?
Fear is not from God. Wisdom is. The fear of the Lord, not the coronavirus, is the beginning of wisdom. We must actively resist fear and panic. At the same time, we compassionately serve and educate those around us about how to stay healthy. This is our civic (and missionary) responsibility.
I needed to travel through a country that had reported many cases of the virus. Was it safe? My friends assured me of their prayers for safety. I bought masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer.
Travel is stressful anyhow. Luggage can get lost, flights delayed. This particular journey had already been tough. We’d had to reschedule our flights several times due to the airlines canceling flights we’d been on. The day before we left to travel, we were checking every hour or so. Would the flights go? Would we be quarantined when we reached our destination?
Anxiety threatened my heart. “God is with us. He has given us the ‘green light’ to go. He will be with us.” I told myself.
This didn’t mean there was no risk. I knew from past experience, that being a missionary, or Jesus follower, doesn’t mean you never get sick! I’d suffered from hepatitis, malaria and many other maladies on the mission field.
I determined fear would not control my life. God would. As long as I listened to His still small voice, I was in the safest place possible.
“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.”
Ps. 118:8 NIV.
Resist it. It doesn’t come from God. Set a guard over your heart. Fight the urge to panic and reach out to God for the peace that passes all understanding. He promises to give that to us (Phil. 4:7).
There is a difference between being prepared and letting your imagination run wild. Take precautions. Go ahead. Purchase a few needed supplies. That is different than buying up the store’s whole supply of toilet paper, or cold medicine, as some are doing! When your adrenaline starts to race, pause and take a deep breath. Center yourself on God’s promises.
Avoid talking about the virus more than you talk about the goodness of God! If you find this dominating your conversations, you’ve moved from preparing to anxiety. Realign yourself and get back into the grateful zone.
Limit conversation with others who focus on the coronavirus, and don’t obsess by watching the news continually. Limit Facebook and other social media intake so it doesn’t begin to influence you too much. Do some simple research, then stop. Be careful that you are not a part of spreading rumors or panic by sharing sensational news items.
The coronavirus can be a huge distraction away from what God wants to do through your life. Don’t let it be. Continue to do what God has called you to do and do it with all your heart. There may be some adjustments needed for awhile related to travel and meetings. Don’t spend your whole day scrolling your phone, reading all the latest articles, or watching the news constantly. That would be a major distraction from God’s plans for you!
This is a time for our light to shine brightly as Jesus followers. When the whole world is in a panic, we can be at peace. It is a great time for the world to see how radically different we are. Not crazy, not unwise, but peaceable and at rest in the midst of the crisis around us. We can serve, comfort, and help others.
It is also a great way to start spiritual conversations with people. As you share the peace within you, people will be drawn to Jesus. Pray for those who are fearful and minister the comfort of Christ. Do you know someone who is really worried about the virus? How could you minister to them at this time? Ask God to use you as an ambassador of His peace.
God promises to take what the enemy would use for evil and turn it for good. Let’s determine to be part of making that a reality!
Indigenous missionaries and national colleagues seem to believe God for miracles easily. I’ve watched them cast out demons and heal the sick. It doesn’t seem as difficult for them to believe God for these things, as for some of my Western missionary friends. When it …