Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
Have you ever lost your temper? Gotten upset with fellow team members? Differences in personality, culture, and spiritual gifting can drive us apart. Or, these differences can make us strong and effective as a missionary team. My husband and I are extreme opposites in many …
Ever talk to yourself? Every once in a while, I accidentally find myself exclaiming something out loud. I suddenly notice what I meant to say silently in my mind has slipped out my lips. “Come on Anderson, do it right!” is one. Or I utter …
Though I was born in Nigeria, my passport says I am an American. I love my country. But I have never felt like a “real” American. Preparing for a trip back to the USA, someone asked me, “Are you going home next week?” That is a hard question to answer. Where is home anyhow? Is it where I now live on the mission field (Asia)? Is it my passport country? They both feel like home. Neither of them feels like home. There is a kind of “homelessness” we missionaries feel.
As a cross-cultural worker, do you ever feel you don’t fit anywhere? You are not fully a part of your new culture. But you are no longer at home in your old culture either.
God wants to use these missionary challenges to draw us closer to Him. He wants to turn these difficulties into a blessing.
A sense of homelessness can lead us toward a deeper discovery of our true identity.
Embrace this journey into a deeper understanding of what it means to be at home in God. We can learn to be at home in Christ no matter where we are. While waiting for the day when we will be forever with Jesus in our new Heavenly home, we can rest with Him now.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”
John 14:1-2 NIV
In the Old and New Testaments, we read God’s promise to create a home for His people. Finding “home” is part of what it means to experience salvation. In Christ, we finally and fully belong. He says He will both…
1) bring us to, and
2) plant us in, the place of our inheritance. We will have roots going down. We will not be nomads forever! God has prepared a place for us- a place to call home.
Several years ago I struggled deeply with this issue. I had become a new grandma. My heart longed for a place to welcome my children and new grandbaby. We rented homes in India and Nepal, but they were not ours to own. The Lord had even spoken to me saying He would give us a home, more than fifteen years before…but it had never happened.
Will I ever have a place to call my own? I wondered. This unsettled feeling disturbed my heart. Sometimes it affected my marriage, as I unfairly shifted into blaming my husband for not finding a way to provide a home for me.
I needed to go back to God in prayer and find my home in Him again. Only then could I find peace.
In John 13, there is a beautiful description of John’s intimate friendship with Jesus. It says in that chapter, John reclined on Jesus’ bosom. He was leaning up against him. They were close. They were comfortable together. John felt Jesus there. He was home.
Intimate friendship is like that. We hang out and relax together. This looks different depending on the culture you are in. In Asia, both men and women walk down the street holding hands. Where sports is popular, a soccer team huddles in, to plan for their game, arms around each other. In other cultures, they greet with a kiss on both cheeks. Most cultures have some way to express closeness and intimacy through physical nearness…through touch.
Like John, we can come close to Jesus. He wants to draw us into that place of intimacy and friendship where we are at home. Jesus wants us to lean against Him. Dependent, close, comforted, loved, hanging out with Him. This friendship is ours to have. He calls us to it.
Loneliness on the mission field can drive us to negative things. We feel the shame of not belonging fully. We pursue inappropriate solutions. Food, too much time on the internet, self-condemnation, overworking, and many other things are where we tend to go. When you feel the ache of missionary homelessness, run home to His arms. He is where you fully and forever belong.
As we encounter Jesus in that place of intimacy, He shows us once again who we are. We are sons and daughters, members of His family. We are also His chosen ones, royal priests in His Kingdom. Not only do we have a home in His arms, a family in which to belong, but we have a country. We have a Kingdom of which we are both citizens and ambassadors.
Understanding our Kingdom identity gives us a different worldview. It gives us new values and ways of behaving. Life on the mission field creates an incredible opportunity. In the midst of the trials of transition or feeling homeless, we can learn to deeply embrace our true identity in Jesus.
While we work hard to adapt to our new culture, we also reject some behaviors and ways of thinking we find there. We need to recognize things in the culture around us that are not in line with God’s values and ways. As we discern these, we live out our Kingdom identity. We are in the world but not of it. (John 17:14-15)
Another thing happens as we come to love the ways of those we now live among. Our eyes open to our own culture’s faults. This too is an opportunity to embrace who we are as Kingdom citizens. We don’t reject our home cultures. Discern what is of God’s Kingdom and what is not. Our loneliness, our missionary homelessness, creates in us a longing for the Kingdom to come on earth as in heaven. That’s a good thing.
If this feeling becomes severe and affects our ability to function well, we may need to talk to a counselor or member care person about these issues. They can cause great anxiety and distress, particularly among women. God created females with a desire to make a home for our families. Things like COVID-19, visa challenges, or other crises sometimes force us to travel endlessly and prevent us from going home to the “nests” we made around the globe.
If you need to talk to someone and get some debriefing on this issue, do it! You are not going crazy. Living in constant transition wears down emotional strength. What I’ve written in this article is not meant to be an easy fix to a complex problem.
Ask God to use the challenge of missionary homelessness for good in your life. He is calling, “Come into My arms. Let Me show you where home truly is.”
Won’t you turn to Him even now?
Want to share your story, or ask questions about this very real issue? You can do that on the Missionary Life Facebook group. Or post in the comments below.
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“Ughh. Not again! Another day of language learning. Why not quit? I can already understand and speak more than a lot of people.” These, and other negative thoughts cross my mind as I stare at my language books. Language learning is hard work. You need to know why you are doing it, to press through the challenges.
Sometimes language learning is fun. Embracing a more relational approach helps. I like the GPRA or LAMP methods. These approaches to language learning get you out among people, not only learning but practicing what you learn. Check out my free ebook to help you choose a language-learning approach if you want to know more about these methods.
No matter your approach, days will come when you don’t “feel like it” anymore. What will keep you going? Understanding the value of learning the heart language of the people you are trying to reach helps greatly. Let’s dive into this a bit more.
Language and culture are deeply connected. They both relate to the heart. We long to see the hearts of those around us transformed by God. This happens through the bridge of language. Knowing God speaks our language makes Him relatable, someone I too can know personally. This motivates me to want to press through and keep learning, even when it is tough. I want to be able to communicate God’s heart with those around me. Don’t you?
“Classifiers? Ughh. Yes, I remember learning those months ago. I haven’t used them much though and they are not at the tip of my tongue. The word for pineapple? Nope. Drawing a blank there. I know I’ve memorized this word before. Why won’t it surface when I need it!”
Thai is my fourth language to learn in the mission field. There are days when I consider quitting. Many excuses run through my head. “I’m too old to learn another language. I can get by without it. Many people here speak English.” You name the excuse. I’ve likely had it cross my mind in the past few days, months, or years.
Language learning is not easy. It requires discipline and diligence, even if you use an immersion approach and are gifted in languages. Many people are not, and ideal language-learning situations are hard to find.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Cor. 15:58 ESV.
Some argue that modern missionaries don’t need to learn to speak the local heart language. We have many media tools to help us share the gospel in other tongues. We have Google Translate after all! (Yes, and I use it often!) Working through local partners, we can disciple and train using English. At least that is what some people say. And when we need to preach or teach somewhere, translators can assist. True? Maybe, but keep reading.
Trade languages are common in nations that have many different people groups. In much of West Africa, English or French are the common languages. Why bother to learn Hausa? In a country such as Nepal, you’ve already invested time in learning to speak the common language, Nepalese. Do you also need to learn to speak Sherpa?
Isn’t it too slow? To learn and master languages before sharing the gospel and making disciples?
These are all somewhat valid arguments. This makes it even more important to know our why for language learning.
The number one reason we invest in language learning is love. God put His love in our hearts for this people group. We reflect His love as we invest the time and effort to understand their particular language and culture. Nothing communicates love as clearly as when you leave your own culture and language behind and learn theirs. Individuals want to be loved for who they are. In the same way, cultural groups often draw identity from their particular language and culture. It sets them apart from the rest.
For some, the majority culture is oppressive. Though they understand the trade language and use it because they have to, it is not the language of their heart. When we take time to learn their unique language, we show we value their people group.
The opposite is also true. When we do not learn the language and culture, we can inadvertently communicate a lack of commitment and genuine love for them and their people group.
Jesus was our model. He left Heaven and became a human. He took on humanity to show us how to know God. We too must be willing to leave behind what is natural and easier (using our own language and culture.) We embrace the hard road of language and culture learning. Why? So we can be a bridge of Christ’s love.
Can you get by with translators and trade languages? Absolutely. Is that all you want though? To get by? You left home, secure jobs, friends, and family to come and be on the field. Take the next step. Do what it takes to be fruitful and identify closely with the local people.
What is it you want to communicate? Information or heart? Information can be passed through trade languages and translators. Maybe not well, but to some degree. Heart-to-heart connection comes when you speak their mother tongue or heart language. When they speak to you in words that come from their heart, something different happens in the relationship.
In that heart-to-heart connection, deep feelings and longings are shared. You have the opportunity to minister and disciple differently than you ever can using a translator.
Surface-level discipleship will not produce the fruit we long to see. Multiplication of disciple-making happens fastest when we use the local heart language and not the trade language. One of the characteristics of a Disciple Making Movement is that it is indigenous.
Learning to use tribal languages, or heart languages encourages those you are training to also use that language. If they hear you praying in their language, they will pray in it too. If you tell a story in their language, they will learn it in that language and can share it with others more easily.
This is a big one for me. I prayed this morning, “Father, thank you for the challenge of language learning. It continues to develop Your character within me. I want to be a diligent person who presses forward in obedience to Your purposes, not someone who quits when things get tough. Help me Lord to persevere until I see a breakthrough with this language. And help me persevere until I see Your purposes come about here as well.”
The two are related. Don’t give up on the dream God has given you!
Don’t wait to do ministry until you have mastered the heart language of those you are reaching out to. Ministry is about people and language learning itself is ministry. Let Jesus shine through you as you struggle through the language-learning process. At the same time, don’t quit learning the language because you can already minister without fluency. Press on! You will see much greater fruit because you did. Preaching to myself? Yes! I am!
Where are you at in your language learning journey? Need prayer for perseverance? Share in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook group. We’d love to stand with you in this!
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“I don’t have connections and contacts with people I could raise support from. I don’t know any __________________.” Fill in the blank. Some would say I don’t know pastors. Others would say I don’t know many foreigners. Some would say all my friends are fellow missionaries, I don’t know any rich people interested in missions.
These “I don’t” statements are a major hindrance to being fully funded as a Christian worker living on gift income.
If you assume people won’t want to support you, they will not. You may need to change your mindset. Shift from thinking you are asking them to give you money, toward understanding you are extending an invitation to be part of what God is calling you to do. It makes all the difference.
I listened to a podcast a few weeks ago. It’s an excellent one I highly recommend called “Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership” with Ruth Haley Barton. She was talking with Adele Calhoun, the author of Invitations from God. They talked about the name of the book and why Adele chose the word invitation.
“An invitation is something you have a choice about. It’s not something you are being forced to do,” she said. It’s a great book that talks about how God invites us to rest, weep, etc…
Billy Graham wrote about the Invitations of Christ. In evangelism, he liked to use the language of invitation. Invitation removes coercion or manipulation from the equation.
It got me thinking about the word. When someone asks me to do something, it can feel awkward. Especially if I want to say no, but have a close relationship with this person. It’s a bit different if I am invited. I feel freer to choose.
Steve Shadrach has an excellent book on ministry partner development called The God Ask. It’s particularly written for Christian workers in the United States. I wonder if a better title would be “Inviting People to Join in God’s Dreams.” Not as catchy, but you get my point.
I find it easier to think of inviting people into something than to think of asking people to be financial donors. Maybe you do too.
Okay, that was a slight tangent. Let’s go back to the idea of how I don’t have thinking impacts us.
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3
The above scripture says that God has given you everything you need to live for Him. If He has called you to live on gifts from others, He has already provided the people who will partner with you. You just need to identify them.
How do you do that?
First, you must pray with an open mind.
There are primarily two types of people likely to become financial partners. Whether they give one-time gifts or whether they support you and your work monthly.
Sometimes these people will give even when they don’t understand or believe in your ministry’s vision. That’s okay, invite them to partner. They will be blessed and grow to understand more over time.
Are names floating up into your mind, even as you read that? “Yes, but…” your mind is saying. “They don’t have much money themselves.” This can be a big hindrance.
When does the Bible say that those with only a little money couldn’t or shouldn’t give to His Kingdom? Those with little money can be some of the most generous people on the planet. And as they give to God, He blesses them back.
You believe that right? We can not out-give God? That when people give to His work, He will reward them? Stop thinking you can’t invite those without much money to partner with you. They may really want to give to the vision you’ve been entrusted with by God!
It’s a strong word, but we need to use it. Repentance acknowledges a wrong belief and decides to think differently. Your incorrect thoughts about this could be preventing you from living the life of freedom God intends. Ask God’s forgiveness and go forward with His help.
You don’t have to show this to anyone, but make your list before the Lord.
Crafting your presentation of the vision is important. You will need to be able to share clearly what it is that God has called you to do and why it matters. Then practice saying it and at the end of your sharing invite people to be a part of it through joining your ministry partner team.
It will take discipline. As you start making appointments with people to share, those thoughts will rise up and try to keep you from progress. I find it helpful to choose a statement I will say to myself when this happens. Here is an example. “Jesus invited everyone. When I invite people to partner with a Kingdom vision, I’m being like Jesus. There is no shame or compulsion in that.”
Let me know in the comments if you can identify with the above. Have you struggled with the “I Don’t Haves” when it comes to personal support raising? Join the Missionary Life Facebook Group and we can chat further.
What is one action step you will take this week to move beyond the “I don’t haves”?
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