A Missionary Writes Home
by Brother D.A Missionary Writes Home
I have been overseas on the mission field in the mid-1990s. I’m a pretty normal guy, not this amazing saintly type. Actually, most missionaries are pretty normal folks. If you had known me in my teens, I would not have been on your list of likely missionaries. But then I went to Urbana 90, got the missions bug and a few years later found myself in living in Asia.
Living in both Africa and Asia, I’ve had some pretty amazing experiences. I have met some folks I will always consider it an incredible honor to have known. I have seen God move in ways I had never imagined. The stories I could tell if I had more time!
But I have noticed aspects of the American church I previously hadn't. Before I left the States a wise friend told me that living abroad would cause me to see the US in a different light, in both good and bad ways. She was right. Having lived in a few different places I see just what an amazingly efficient nation we are. We can get things done. We are also a friendly country. I thank Jesus for the many good things the American church is doing, and that much of it is still alive.
But there are also negative things that I see more clearly. America is the land of plenty. Houses are just packed full of appliances, cds and clothes. There isn’t anything wrong with being a land of plenty, but what is done with the plenty. Amos decried the cows of Bashan of his day, who wallowed in their wealth and didn’t care about the poor. What would he say to our country?
The American church too often throws money at a problem without being willing to get dirty hands. This approach has been especially destructive for many Africa churches. Even today, certain individuals from the States come in to do evangelistic rallies. They recruit local pastors, give them money and the use of vans to get their congregations to attend their rallies. The rally happens, an altar call is made, many people go forward, and the Americans go home to tell of the huge amounts of conversions (I’ve heard that if you add up all the statistics for conversions in Africa, it has been saved five times over).
The places they leave show no noticeable changes in church attendance or in society. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not against evangelistic rallies. I question, however, the in-and-out mentality of many people who come without considering the effect of large amounts of money being thrown around at poverty-stricken areas.
Although I strongly believe in government's importance, I have been cured of putting much hope into any government for social change. I want to weep over the corruption I’ve seen in some countries. How can doctors in China allow their patients to die, unless they are paid a bribe? How can African governments steal the money intended to build housing for the poor? And in the US, how can we allow the poor to keep getting poorer while the wealthy keep getting wealthier?
I could easily allow myself to get depressed and cynical. But my experiences in the states and abroad have taught me: the gospel works! Wherever I have seen groups of people dedicated to following Jesus, there has been change. Jesus' words are true, when he speaks of a city on a hill not being hidden.
Consider the house churches in China, who despite the threat of arrests continue to meet, and share the good news of Jesus with those around them. They are seeing whole villages transformed! Consider Africa: in small pockets a new generation of leaders are being raised up and trained, willing to risk their lives in evangelism. They are beginning to focus much more on the need for discipleship and leadership development. Consider the US: thousands of believers are moving into the inner city, loving their communities and serving local churches there.
The gospel works: that fact is imbedded on my soul.
But I think we have only scratched the surface. God is not limited by us - if we don’t cry out for him, the rocks will - but I believe he wants to involve us more, and I think He wants to start today.
I love this generation of college students. The confidence, the creativity you possess. This generation of Americans is already accustomed to working with different cultures. What I would question, however, is your staying power. Short term missions are great, and I support them, but what the mission field needs today is people who are willing to stay for awhile.
I challenge every Urbana 03 participant to prayerfully consider making a two-year commitment on the mission field in the next year or immediately after graduation. If God can provide you that career now, or the school-loan payments, he can do it two years from now. Yes, you would run the “risk” of God calling you to stay longer, but we both know that following God’s will is no risk at all.
The question shouldn't be, “Lord if you want me to go abroad please show me,” but, “Lord if you don’t want me to go please show me?” Upon graduation, my wife was trying to decide if she should go abroad for mission work. She had no clear sense of a specific place; instead she felt the Lord say, “if you go I’ll bless you.”
When an opportunity came, she prayed and got a lot of input from church leaders, family and friends. She didn’t hear anything specific. But she decided she would much rather risk doing the wrong thing, than stay at home and risk not doing what God desired for her to do. And the Lord has blessed her in many ways.
I challenge you to dare to ask God, if he would have you to go.
Brother D. (name withheld upon request)
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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