If I could go back in time to give myself some encouragement, this is what I would say. “Helen, the God you’re getting to know is bigger than any challenge you will ever face.
One day He will return in the same way He ascended. Will He find us standing and gazing into heaven, or will He find us busy at the work He has given us to do?
As Christians, we are called to spread this Good News. Perhaps to you this call means becoming involved with missions. Here’s some advice from that historic night in Bethlehem to help you on your way.
What is it about holidays that brings Charlie Brown movies out of the woodwork? Everywhere we turn, it’s time for another Peanuts episode!
Are you looking for your next mission in life? Whether you’re searching for a new career path or a volunteer opportunity that aligns with your values, MissionNext can help you find the perfect fit.
What if we run out of money? What if times are hard? Is Covid a problem? What about medical care? What if I can’t stand local food? Will my family be alright? Are these concerns you’ve had as you consider the unknowns of a mission field? As we seek answers, let’s focus on God’s character as seen in the examples below. First, have you ever wondered what it would have been like to see the multiplication of the loaves and fish which allowed the disciples to feed thousands? Was it magical? Did it happen suddenly or slowly? I guess we’ll never know exactly how it happened, but it did happen because of who God was and still is. Second, some years ago, during spring break at a school for children of missionaries, some students went to needy areas on service projects. When they returned, they reported on their experiences. “Marie” went to an African country. They painted classrooms and helped teach Vacation Bible School. As they began an art project on their last day, Marie pulled out a large bag of crayons and started giving six crayons to each student. Too soon she realized that there were only ten crayons left in her bag and several more children waiting. She considered going back to the first children to take some of theirs away or giving less to the remaining children but she didn’t like either option. As she pondered this she gave six crayons to the next child. She then looked into her bag and saw that she still had ten crayons. She continued around the room and did not have an empty bag until she had given the last child six crayons. What do these stories say about God’s character? In the story of the loaves and fish, Jesus demonstrated compassion. “… ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way,’” (Matthew 15:32 ESV). In the example of these students in a remote country, the creator and sustainer of the universe saw to it that each small child had six crayons. What else can we call that but compassion? May we be challenged by these examples to grow in our compassion toward others’ needs as well as our trust in the God who sends us to the place of His calling! May we be challenged to be a part of what God is doing worldwide by seeking His call on our lives! If He calls, He equips, and He provides. “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord,” (Psalm 27:14 ESV)!
It is the missionary task to disciple the nations—and to disciple with great joy.
In this season of waiting, it is good to take the time to make eye-contact with the Lord
I am passionately committed to SAT-7, the organization I work with to advance the Great Commission. As a volunteer who co-ordinates SAT-7 Ambassadors, I am seeking advocates who will become engaged in our ministry and assist informally, joining with me in volunteer efforts. SAT-7 values our partnership with MissionNext, although our interest in candidates is not typical of most organizations. SAT-7 provides satellite Christian TV in the Middle East and North Africa over five channels, with 24/7 program coverage. We are crossing boundaries in an effective and unique way into countries where media censorship is extensive, and persecution of believers is very real. Our international staff is centered in our main broadcast studios in Istanbul, Cairo, Beirut and two offices in Cyprus, where our international headquarters is located. 80% of our programs are produced directly by SAT-7, and we do not take any paid advertising for airtime. All hiring and employment of international staff is handled abroBehind the scenes, we have about 20 employees in the U.S. Serving in a support role, we pursue financial resources for the ministry’s very cost-effective expenses. We clearly are not partnering with MissionNext with a goal of recruiting employees. However, MisisonNext is a great fit for us! I am finding interest among candidates who will not be engaging in missions immediately. Some have accepted a missions’ position but are on hold due to current international limitations. They are willing to invest time as a SAT-7 Ambassador while waiting to start a recently accepted job assignment. In other instances, candidates have had a change in plans since submitting their profile on MissionNext’s site. Health issues, complications with a current employment situation, or unexpected family circumstances may have resulted in modified plans. SAT-7 Ambassadors offers an opportunity to be involved in international ministry immediately, with a very minimal and flexible time commitment. Our partnership with MissionNext has been positive and helpful. The quality of candidates is extremely impressive. Many are Christians with extensive, valuable backgrounds and skills, whether from past ministry experience or from the secular working world. Quite a few have advanced degrees, including theological studies. So, this is SAT-7’s success story, but what are your agency needs? If you are excited about the “fields that are white unto harvest” at your agency’s doorstep, and return on investment is important, check out MissionNext. The staff is friendly and helpful, and they offer great suggestions for marketing efforts to meet your recruitment needs. The database works seamlessly to identify candidates that fit match criteria. Since each profile provides dates for the most recent revisions, it is easy to identify those are just initiating a job search. Do you have positions that need to be filled? Qualified and worthy candidates are waiting right now in the MissionNext database.
The delivery of the Great Commission is also an impressive operation. Will you volunteer to participate?
In all circumstances we must be satisfied with Jesus. Allow your cup to run over.
CEO VLOG POST – Sept 2023 This Vlog is of special interest for those following the MissionNext Journey. https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/560702755
Jesus meets us when we step out in faith and work through the barriers to accomplish what he has put in our hearts. He meets us at the point of need.
We are called to be stepping along on our journey to be directed to restore this imperfect world.
Throughout history, Christians have cared for the sick around them, providing food and water instead of abandoning them often with their “quaranteam.”
Where have you been encouraged to see the church reaching out during our current pandemic?
There are things that only another doctor can understand about the real life of being a doctor. There are things that only a mother or a teacher can understand about those roles. In the same way, only another missionary can really understand the life of a missionary. One of the many challenges is “culture shock” usually followed by “culture stress.” A missionary may have a short-term trip and enjoy the experience. However, if they return for a long-term commitment, they may become overwhelmed by culture shock. When we embarked on our first missionary trip, we committed to a semester of teaching at LCC in Klaipedia, Lithuania, a university built after the Soviet occupation. A full semester was a good length of time to begin to immerse ourselves into the culture of a former Soviet bloc country. We had to adjust to their view of life and a modernization that was entering the culture too quickly for economics to keep up. Other challenges were evident when we entered our second missionary venture to Germany where we stayed for seven years. Even though our apartment had basic furnishings, we needed a few additional things. In the US, I would have known the stores I needed and even visualized where the necessary items might be. In my new location, I could not even visualize where the roads out of our small village would take me. We asked questions and did some searching, but it wasn’t always easy to find what we needed because of unfamiliar brands, store layouts and items I did not recognize at all! We also discovered that language can be a challenge when I turned up late for surgery! We did not understand how time was marked. As it happens, “half seven” (as it was stated in German) was 6:30, not 7:30! Culture shock will vary depending on the location to which you are going. Whether it is a first, second, or third world country, a large city full of tourists or a remote rural area, the challenges will be very different, but they will be very real. The point is, be prepared to be surprised and roll with it! This has been a peek into some of the stresses of life in another culture that only missionaries (or those who are relocating to a foreign culture) will experience. We have not even touched on the challenges of actually working there. However, please note the following links that offer more discussion on the challenges of serving cross-culturally. https://askamissionary.com/daily/ https://www.theaquilareport.com/missions-and-the-shocking-reality-of-culture-shock/
God surprised us with unexpected answers to prayers during our seven-month whirlwind after being accepted as members of Wycliffe Bible Translators. My husband completed his semester of teaching University, and I began an online course. We wrote letters, visited churches, and made phone calls. We had a very successful garage sale and arranged to store items we wished to keep. Our house rented more quickly than we had expected so we began to search for an efficiency apartment with an open-ended lease! Then, friends unexpectedly invited us to live with them until our departure! After moving in, we continued raising support. We traveled to the location of our mission’s headquarters for three weeks of training and finally to the site of my two-week educational therapy training. During all of this, I was having extreme left knee pain, and after several failed interventions, a partial replacement was my only option. We continued making support contacts while I recovered at our friend’s home. One day, while our hosts were not at home, their phone rang. My husband answered and found that it was from an investment company. He dutifully took their number and offered to give our hosts the message. As my husband told me about the call, he thought a little more about the name of the person representing the company and realized that the name was the same as that of a former university student. He called back and discovered that this person had indeed once been his student. They caught up with one another’s lives, and as my husband described our future plans, the investor excitedly said, “I want to be part of that by sending monthly support. Just tell me how and where.” We had been praying that God would supply our needs, but we had never prayed that God would use a “cold” call while living at a friend’s house to be part of that answer! Every missionary can tell similar stories. Our support came from churches and individuals as well as from unexpected sources. There were acquaintances who heard about our plans “by the grapevine,” and someone we got to know while trapped in a blizzard! Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God is full of surprises, and when we follow his lead and step out in faith, he will continue to surprise us with unexpected answers to prayers; even when we have not specifically prayed them.
How will a culture to which God calls me compare to mine? Most cultures are similar in that people get up in the morning, work, and care for their homes. They supervise their children and want their lives to be better than that of the previous generation. Cultures differ in that they may have access to fewer amenities and have different occupations. Some shop for food daily. Some struggle for every crumb because of drought, poverty, or poor farming techniques. Some tend to be late and others early. Some follow societal rules legalistically, and others are more spontaneous. Despite the similarities and differences of cultures, our goal in missions must never be to “Americanize” their culture but to show them the Savior. Our focus should always be on the fact that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” [Romans 3:23] And that includes us! But we cannot ignore the struggles in meeting basic needs when we do missions. We can show the love of Christ through charitable work such as teaching more efficient farming practices, helping to dig wells, and teaching skills to guide them toward a living wage. This charitable work is necessary at times, such as the family mourning a child’s death from dysentery. They may not be able to hear about a Savior above the sorrow of digging yet another grave. But if we can show them how to protect their children with clean water, we can then demonstrate how the Savior can give them eternal hope. A society that has been oppressed may have those who turn to alcohol or drugs to drown their hopelessness. They, too, need to know that, despite their circumstances, there is hope in a Savior. No matter where we go and no matter what work God calls us to embrace, we must remember that our ultimate purpose is to introduce others to the Savior, whether we go to the “front lines” or serve in a support role. Charles Spurgeon said, “If there be any one point in which the Christian Church ought to keep its fervor at a white heat, it is concerning missions. If there be anything about which we cannot tolerate lukewarmness, it is in the matter of sending the gospel to a dying world.” This kind of focus can help us navigate the everyday similarities and differences that we encounter when entering another culture. Servant leadership and humbleness before God are basic tools.
“When I arrive on the mission field, I’ll be more consistent with my quiet times.” Have you ever thought that? I did, before I entered the field. We would agree that if Jesus spent time in prayer and communion with His Father, sometimes all night, we ought to do the same. However, Christians, whether missionaries or not, frequently confess that finding the minutes for a consistent quite time can be challenging.
How do we determine our readiness to minister to others? As a starting point for this multifaceted question, let’s consider two topics: spiritual readiness and emotional readiness.
If you are considering God’s call to foreign missions, you’re probably wondering how to choose an area of work. To begin, consider your experiences and avocations.
Raising support for a missions trip is often met with reluctance and fear. However, as we begin to delve into the topic, we realize that we need to learn God’s perspective and promises.
Mission work requires flexibility. Serving in a new culture means adjusting to new norms and customs. Some of them you may be prepared for, and others may completely throw you off guard. Here are a few topics to consider and resources to help.
While starting a new direction in missions may be important to you, I’m sure keeping your family protected, provided for, and intact in a world that tries to tear apart family values is at the top of your list of priorities. When God nudged me to consider missions, we were a very dysfunctional family.
If you’re considering God’s call to foreign missions, you’re probably wondering how to choose an area of work. To start, consider your experiences and avocations.
Fears about joining the mission field are universal. While everyone’s missions journey looks different, many of their concerns or misconceptions are the same.
Becoming a long-term missionary is fraught with change. Rise to the challenge and meet each of these head on with these tips and tricks.
If you’re serving overseas, there are many potential diseases and dangers for your physical health on the mission field. It’s easy for fear to set it.
Searching for a way to travel, experience the world, and witness the beauty of other cultures all while sharing Jesus? Going on a missions trip abroad maybe something to consider. But it’s not the only way to serve.
How do you find a mission agency that is similar in scope to your abilities, passion, location preference and interests? It is important to research any agency you might be considering. While every agency often has a specific focus, their actual ministry footprint can be very large.
I was afraid that I did not know enough about Jesus, that I did not know His word and that I would turn people away rather than draw them to Him. How could I talk to people about a love that I was just learning about and allowing to change and shape my world?
John Piper famously said, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” I would hazard that you and I are needed in missions, then, as an outpouring of our own worship.
Looking back at a career in missions asked myself: Why did I really become a missionary? Was it because of business downsizing, or because I wanted to look holy to my friends? Was it because I wanted to work for God?
When thinking of missionaries, many people think only of Christians who have taken up residence in some foreign country where the inhabitants most likely are unfamiliar with the Christian faith. However, every year thousands of Christians travel all over the world for periods of one week to six months to share the good news of the Gospel.
You believe that God is calling you to serve in missions, but you need to find an agency to affiliate with. Where do you begin? As you begin searching, you find there are a myriad of different mission agencies to choose from. How can you decide?
Get real. I am not a doctor, linguist, pilot, or even a pastor. Why would God call me to be a missionary? But what does God say about going to all the nations?
You feel God is calling you to something, you just wish you knew what that something is. How do you know if a role in ministry or missions is part of His plan for your life?
I don’t feel like going to my usual Sunday school class, I said to myself as I entered church, so I think I’ll watch the video another class is showing. God used my unusual decision to direct our lives in ways we had never dreamed.
The Lord says in his word that “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Mathew 9:37 NIV). Today, the World more than ever is in desperate need of workers to go out into every nation to reach the lost and the broken.
College graduation is both exciting and nerve-wracking. Now what? Rush into the workforce? Freelance? Take a gap year?
Her name was Maria. God sent me across the ocean to pray for her—a girl who was sixteen just like me, but lived in a completely different world.
When it comes to deciding how to serve in missions, the choices are practically endless. Where do you begin to find the right place with so many options?
Reality check: there are abundant ways to serve for mission agencies and organizations, all over the globe.
MissionNext would like to work with your organization to find the workers you’re looking for.
Meet Tom and Vicky Hall from Florida. Their story may be similar to what you’re going through.
What’s it like half-way around the world to teach for an Christian school, in the midst of diverse students and cultures?
When I was finishing my teaching program and starting the process of looking for teaching jobs I knew God was moving in my heart to teach oversees, but I had no idea where.
Comfortable – that’s what you would call my career in the banking field, but God had other plans for me with that two letter command.
Watching and sending is one way of serving Christ. And then, there are times when being the supportive hands and feet becomes a God-guided reality.
MissionNext partners with over 100 mission agencies and Christian schools, all with diverse needs. Be encouraged with two stories of God-ordained connections.
They’re out there. Searching for the right messenger–perhaps someone like you–whose skill and passion match their unique ministry needs.
By the end of this year, I’ll be serving overseas—all because God moved mountains to get me into missions.
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