“Missions Possible, Part 2” by Larry Stout
“Missions Possible, Part 2” by Larry Stout
I had spoken at a church in the USA and afterwards was greeting the people after the service. One lady commented to me, “It must be easy for you now on the mission field after all these years.” I thought to myself, “Oh yes, it is easy to live for months at a time thousands of miles from your loved ones, in a country that speaks two languages that defy your comprehension, constantly dealing with a host of petty government bureaucrats on an almost daily basis, and all the time depending on the uncertainties of financial support.” I did not have the heart to tell her that far from getting easier, it actually got more difficult with the passage of time.
Missionaries are probably the least understood people in the universe. The pressures of the mission field are like nothing experienced in one’s home country. Some denominations have very elaborate support mechanisms, yet even with these we witnessed dozens and dozens of missionaries return to North America broken in spirit and believing their efforts were in vain. Debbie and I took it upon ourselves to help develop a missionary-support group for just such a reason. Our Monday Night Fellowship in Riga was open to all expats in ministry and served as a very vital source of encouragement and spiritual enrichment to well over a hundred missionaries for more than a decade.
Besides this mutual encouragement, another big reason why Debbie and I survived all those years in Latvia was because we had support churches that truly supported us. I would strongly suggest all churches to examine their mission support role by asking a few questions:
1/ How much do you really know about the life and work of the missionary and his family? This question goes beyond the obvious (church planting, pastoral training, etc.) and seeks to find out how much the home church knows about the struggles and hardships that the missionary experiences. I remember when a group of Americans came to Latvia to assist in building sleeping cabins for a church camp. These were experienced builders who thought they could easily whip up one cabin a day, but quickly discovered that between foul weather, inadequate transportation, pesky local authorities, lack of simple tools and basic building supplies, and a host of other handicaps – their work was slowed to half and even two-thirds what they expected it to be.
We developed a motto on the mission field that served us well, “No matter how simple something might seem, nothing is simple.” A small card, email, or letter of encouragement that acknowledges these difficulties and appreciates the small progress that is made is a wonderful pick-me-up to a service-weary missionary.
Remember also that missionaries are real people – they have birthdays and anniversaries, and truly appreciate an acknowledgement, even from a stranger, that reminds them that they are remembered on these special days. Do you know what type of music they like or films they enjoy? A CD of their favorite music or DVD of a long-desired film is a gift that speaks volumes. One dear friend of mine went into my wishlist on Amazon and purchased about a dozen of the books I had listed there. I was so overwhelmed. It was more than a dream come true. Acts of kindness like that to a missionary on the field last a lifetime.
2/ How much do you really pray about the life and work of the missionary and his family? Increased awareness should also result in increased prayer. Simply putting the missionary and his family on the wall of a hallway in the church is not going to encourage church members to remember them in regular prayer. I have often wondered why churches pray so diligently in the Sunday service for their members who are on a short-term trip, but rarely if ever pray for the ones who are serving full-time.
This PrayerNet was started because one of our prayer partners cornered me during a visit to the States and complained that he did not have specific prayer requests from me. He told me he prayed for me regularly, but he felt his prayers would be much more effective if I could keep him better informed about our particular mission focus and needs. Our first email edition of PrayerNet went out in January of 1997 to 40 individuals, and over the years we have learned that these requests have keep hundreds and hundreds of believers located around the world praying for the work that the Lord called us to do. One precious brother downloaded each and every one and gave it to us as gift one year. Seeing how the Lord answered the countless requests we have sent out over the years was an encouragement beyond description.
3/ How much do you really care about the life and work of the missionary and his family? We have known missionaries that come from established denominations, and I have marveled how their operations are set up better than some major corporations that I have worked with. But as I got to know the missionaries themselves, I felt that they seemed, for lack of a better word – lonely. They got regular support, all their material needs were met, and they even got periodic visits from their supervisors right on schedule. But behind it all, one sensed that they were still an interchangeable part in a big machine. If they failed (and many of them did), there was someone else right behind them to take their place.
Our mission organization was one of the most haphazard, thrown-together structures on the planet. I would never suggest our model to anyone. Yet, each and every person that served behind the scenes did so out of a labor of love. Debbie and I knew that people truly cared about us, and if push ever did come to shove, we could count on those people.
I believe most missionaries would prefer fewer support churches that they knew really cared about them, than many churches that provided a better financial base. We had a church tell us some years ago that they were going to take us off their support because they wanted to focus on fewer missionaries which they had developed stronger relationships with than us. Rather than being offended, we were delighted! We knew that the Lord would bless them for their faithfulness, and in turn, He would take care of our needs as well. It was a win-win situation.
As I noted last week, missions work is not optional for the church. Obviously I have focused on foreign missions, but this is also what our Lord commanded us to do – go into all the world. Debbie and I have been enormously blessed by faithful believers who practiced these principles listed above. We would never have made it without them!
I had spoken at a church in the USA and afterwards was greeting the people after the service. One lady commented to me, “It must be easy for you now on the mission field after all these years.” I thought to myself, “Oh yes, it is easy to live for months at a time thousands of miles from your loved ones, in a country that speaks two languages that defy your comprehension, constantly dealing with a host of petty government bureaucrats on an almost daily basis, and all the time depending on the uncertainties of financial support.” I did not have the heart to tell her that far from getting easier, it actually got more difficult with the passage of time.
Missionaries are probably the least understood people in the universe. The pressures of the mission field are like nothing experienced in one’s home country. Some denominations have very elaborate support mechanisms, yet even with these we witnessed dozens and dozens of missionaries return to North America broken in spirit and believing their efforts were in vain. Debbie and I took it upon ourselves to help develop a missionary-support group for just such a reason. Our Monday Night Fellowship in Riga was open to all expats in ministry and served as a very vital source of encouragement and spiritual enrichment to well over a hundred missionaries for more than a decade.
Besides this mutual encouragement, another big reason why Debbie and I survived all those years in Latvia was because we had support churches that truly supported us. I would strongly suggest all churches to examine their mission support role by asking a few questions:
1/ How much do you really know about the life and work of the missionary and his family? This question goes beyond the obvious (church planting, pastoral training, etc.) and seeks to find out how much the home church knows about the struggles and hardships that the missionary experiences. I remember when a group of Americans came to Latvia to assist in building sleeping cabins for a church camp. These were experienced builders who thought they could easily whip up one cabin a day, but quickly discovered that between foul weather, inadequate transportation, pesky local authorities, lack of simple tools and basic building supplies, and a host of other handicaps – their work was slowed to half and even two-thirds what they expected it to be.
We developed a motto on the mission field that served us well, “No matter how simple something might seem, nothing is simple.” A small card, email, or letter of encouragement that acknowledges these difficulties and appreciates the small progress that is made is a wonderful pick-me-up to a service-weary missionary.
Remember also that missionaries are real people – they have birthdays and anniversaries, and truly appreciate an acknowledgement, even from a stranger, that reminds them that they are remembered on these special days. Do you know what type of music they like or films they enjoy? A CD of their favorite music or DVD of a long-desired film is a gift that speaks volumes. One dear friend of mine went into my wishlist on Amazon and purchased about a dozen of the books I had listed there. I was so overwhelmed. It was more than a dream come true. Acts of kindness like that to a missionary on the field last a lifetime.
2/ How much do you really pray about the life and work of the missionary and his family? Increased awareness should also result in increased prayer. Simply putting the missionary and his family on the wall of a hallway in the church is not going to encourage church members to remember them in regular prayer. I have often wondered why churches pray so diligently in the Sunday service for their members who are on a short-term trip, but rarely if ever pray for the ones who are serving full-time.
This PrayerNet was started because one of our prayer partners cornered me during a visit to the States and complained that he did not have specific prayer requests from me. He told me he prayed for me regularly, but he felt his prayers would be much more effective if I could keep him better informed about our particular mission focus and needs. Our first email edition of PrayerNet went out in January of 1997 to 40 individuals, and over the years we have learned that these requests have keep hundreds and hundreds of believers located around the world praying for the work that the Lord called us to do. One precious brother downloaded each and every one and gave it to us as gift one year. Seeing how the Lord answered the countless requests we have sent out over the years was an encouragement beyond description.
3/ How much do you really care about the life and work of the missionary and his family? We have known missionaries that come from established denominations, and I have marveled how their operations are set up better than some major corporations that I have worked with. But as I got to know the missionaries themselves, I felt that they seemed, for lack of a better word – lonely. They got regular support, all their material needs were met, and they even got periodic visits from their supervisors right on schedule. But behind it all, one sensed that they were still an interchangeable part in a big machine. If they failed (and many of them did), there was someone else right behind them to take their place.
Our mission organization was one of the most haphazard, thrown-together structures on the planet. I would never suggest our model to anyone. Yet, each and every person that served behind the scenes did so out of a labor of love. Debbie and I knew that people truly cared about us, and if push ever did come to shove, we could count on those people.
I believe most missionaries would prefer fewer support churches that they knew really cared about them, than many churches that provided a better financial base. We had a church tell us some years ago that they were going to take us off their support because they wanted to focus on fewer missionaries which they had developed stronger relationships with than us. Rather than being offended, we were delighted! We knew that the Lord would bless them for their faithfulness, and in turn, He would take care of our needs as well. It was a win-win situation.
As I noted last week, missions work is not optional for the church. Obviously I have focused on foreign missions, but this is also what our Lord commanded us to do – go into all the world. Debbie and I have been enormously blessed by faithful believers who practiced these principles listed above. We would never have made it without them!
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