I was a missions major in college. It’s a long story, but I don’t think I ever fully expected to be an overseas missionary. I definitely didn’t have a country or people group on my heart like most of my classmates. I never once considered that I might be an in-state missionary.
I’ve heard a lot of people say they hope God never asks them to be a missionary; I understand that. Although I never said that myself, I completely understand it. Most people are comfortably settled in their own cities and homes and wouldn’t want to move or raise support. Even though I didn’t leave the country, I had zero desire to move to Florida. While I’m thankful that my move didn’t require learning a new language, leaving home and raising support were still big steps that took me way out of my comfort zone.
When I first said yes to Emmaus I started reading a book by missionaries, for missionaries. I will never forget when I read: “If a billionaire offered to pay the full salary of all of our staff I would graciously decline. Yes, I would be open to putting those funds toward ministry projects, but I could not deprive our staff of the incredible experience and growth that comes with raising support. Nor could I rob thousands of our donors of their eternal rewards.”
I can’t say I totally agree with that sentiment but there is a lot there to unpack and I can affirm that there are many incredible things I have experienced by being a missionary and having a support team.
According to statistics, less than .05 % of Americans are missionaries, which means there is a good chance most people don’t have a personal relationship with a missionary. Considering this, I would like to share some insider knowledge since I am now part of the .05 % 🙂
I am going to write a series of blogs to try and provide some insight into this unfamiliar people group known as, MISSIONARIES.
I want to begin by sharing one of my favorite parts about being a missionary. Since a lot of people pray that God won’t call them to be a missionary I’ll share a different perspective. One of the best things about having a support team is the ongoing, enduring connections and the meaningful, life giving conversations I get to have with my team. Tune in next week as I elaborate on why these connections and conversations have been such a sweet reward of raising support.
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Kristi Marsh 