Written by Alexis Faubel
When the word missionary floats toward me, there have often been ideas and presumptions that I have made about those who carry the role. As I have even experienced these assumptions myself, I thought it would be helpful to really analyze what we may think about missionaries, and uncover the truth about the role that they play in our world:
They’re out-of-touch… I have come to find that missionaries are by far some of the most grounded people I know. They often feel the need to be acutely aware of the culture, environment, and context of their mission fields, and, are pretty present because of that.
They only talk about Jesus… Our ministries are based on doing life with others. This means that we talk about family, friends, favorite coffee drinks, and anything in between. And while our goal is to talk to others about Jesus, I have found that those conversations start from another topic 95% of the time.
They don’t have personal lives… Although we love our missional communities, a lot of us have friends and other communities that we love to spend time within our free time.
They have rose-colored glasses… While this may seem true for the often high-vision and hope-driven missionaries around the world, I have found that appearances often hide the reality that all of us have to count the cost of being a missionary, sometimes even daily.
They’re all poor… While many of us make a lot less than others on average, most of us make enough to live comfortably and sustainably. And believe it or not, that’s the goal!
They don’t struggle with doubt… Sharing the gospel is usually a joy, but we question the hard things in life and faith just as much as anyone else. And sometimes, more frequently in our day-to-day conversations with students who are also wrestling with their faith.
The role of a missionary is a ‘calling’ for specific people… To this, I would say that most of us didn’t plan to be missionaries and that the call to make disciples of all nations is already there, for all of us - we just have to say yes to it!
We’re the perfect Christians... Are we professional Christians? Yes, are we perfect? No, and we are usually far from it - hopefully, authenticity and story-telling in our lives and ministries shed more light on that reality for others.
We don’t value stability or routine... While most of us usually live in a state of flexibility for the sake of the gospel, and the many people we are in a relationship with, this doesn’t mean that we don’t strive for healthy and stable careers and lives within the action!
We always love our jobs… Usually, yes. I always say that I love what I do, but sometimes it isn’t fulfilling, enjoyable or likable. But what I have found is that those seasons are only for a time and that the pros outweigh the cons. The joy that comes in the high moments makes the tough ones worth it for me!
