Comments on: What I Want for All Missionaries

By: Keep holding the ropes! « Johnny and Ann McClean

Keep holding the ropes! « Johnny and Ann McClean — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 13:40:01 +0000

[...] Gospel Coalition have just posted a thought-provoking article What I want for every missionary. When William Carey volunteered to be a missionary, he implored those who sent him, “Remember [...]

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 17:10:27 +0000

Love this humbling response!

By: Devin mork

Devin mork — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:19:48 +0000

As one who does not feel the call to international missions, I often find myself a little distanced from those who do. This post was very helpful for me. Thank you!

By: david bartosik

david bartosik — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:07:55 +0000

I am new to this thing..."missionary" and its only for a limited time in eastern europe, but I was exposed to a sad conception that I thought about when I was on the other side as a supporter...missionaries aren't always great at communicating back and it becomes easy to become out of sight and out of mind. If you aren't receiving care packages.....I could speculate that you are not doing a great job at communicating with your people back home. This isn't indicative of everyone, but it has been something I have observed here.

Do you have a core team that you continually check in with? 5 or so families that are committed to supporting and praying for you?
Do you have a representative that you report to from your sending agency or church....or are you all alone?
Are you consistently sending monthly or quarterly reports of what you are doing?
Do people have any clue what you are doing?

I def. agree it is nice to receive those care packages, but if you're not intentionally building those bridges and doing the hard relational development on the front end or having people on a core team who are seeing that it happens, I wouldn't expect it.

By: Christina

Christina — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:20:02 +0000

I have been on both sides on this one - spending a short time as a missionary abroad and, having supported missionaries for many years. It is so true that the packages we received from home while abroad were such treats, and the monthly financial support, and occasional extra gift carried us through. I truly appreciated those who supported us by gifts, prayer and financial support.
As a supporter of missionaries, it is at times disheartening to not know if something you sent or contributions you made were ever received. As a family we frequently send out packages and respond to special needs requests from several missionary families we support, in addition to regular monthly contributions. However, it is not common for us to ever hear anything back. In the era of easy mass communications, a simple hand written note is fabulous, but even a personal email (for some missionaries it may be the only dependable means to communicate) would be encouraging. There are missionaries we support whom we have not heard from at all - apart from a Christmas letter - in years even though we consistently support them. So yes, missionaries are often forgotten, but the communication goes both ways.... it does not take very long to send off a note on email recognizing the receipt of a gift, and as Mike Pettengill so eloquently said - it is part of the mission work....
I realize we are not giving to get, and it has been and continue to be a good object lesson for our children who often give of their own resources in response to an urgent plea.
We will continue to send gifts, pray for and support financially the Kingdom work, being grateful for those willing to go and share far away from friends and family. It is so much easier to see the other person's speck while disregarding the log in my own eye .

By: Mike P.

Mike P. — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:03:54 +0000

SJK:

Wow...thank you for serving those missionaries and their kids. We love the occasions when people remember our kids. You are doing a great service.

By: sjk

sjk — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:40:57 +0000

Thank you for this reminder. My family and 3 other families from our church have made the commitment to go a group of CM&A missionaries living abroad and serve them. We are going to host a "getaway" where the missionaries can plan and rest while we will make meals and plan a VBS for their kids. We do not know them well but we are heeding the call to love others who are serving the Lord overseas!

By: Mike P.

Mike P. — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 13:23:55 +0000

I couldn't agree more Isaac. I have taught a class on Communications to outgoing missionaries. I start by stressing to them that financial supporters (churches and individuals) are not a means to an ends. They a people who have agreed to partner with you in your mutual service to our Father.

In each class I teach someone asks, “How will we have time to communicate with supporters AND do ministry?” My response is that communicating God’s glory to your supporters IS part of your ministry.

I believe that my supporters are just as called to pray and write checks as I am called to go. It is irresponsible and sinful if I do not help facilitate my brother’s service to our God.

In our ministry we send out monthly newsletters, write 3 or 4 blogs a week, take pictures, make videos, use twitter and Facebook and more. I don’t think every missionary needs to communicate with their supporters as much as we do, but I tell people in my classes, “Pick the one mode of communication you like and do well and use that. But, you MUST communicate.”

Amen brother.

By: What I Want for All Missionaries – TGC Blog « iNehemiah

What I Want for All Missionaries – TGC Blog « iNehemiah — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 02:57:35 +0000

[...] What I Want for All Missionaries – The Gospel Coalition Blog. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:47:30 +0000

As someone who is in college preparing to go to the foreign mission field, I want to say thank you for writing this. It's a great reminder to those of us who are sending, as well as for those on the field to communicate clearly to our sending church. This is so helpful and I'm praying for you, your family, and your mission team. Soli Deo Gloria!