Advice from the Field
Last night we had dinner with the Tisbury's and the Stanleys, Dustan and Darlene. They are a couple around our age who have traveled the world the past few years as apostolic missionaries. Erin and Chris have been friends with them for a while, and last night Chris chose to tell them the story of how the four of us have been feeling called to go. They were thrilled for us and had some great advice to share with us.
1. Wherever you go, go with an exit strategy. Whatever you are doing, the weight of it should not depend upon you, but nationals. You never know when you might need to return to the states or be called to a different region. Have a plan in mind for the possibility of leaving at any given time.
2. Make sure that your kids always remember they are Americans. It can get hard when they've been in a country for a while and have learned the language, culture, and even beliefs of that region. Make visits to the U.S. as much as possible.
3. Try to find a way to raise funds yourself. Professional blogging, writing a book, crafts, whatever our talent might allow. We should try to avoid depending solely on American supporters.
4. Sometimes you have to pretend you are a little girl playing dress-up. You might not like how you have to dress in a certain area, it might not make sense to you, but do it when necessary.
5. Be flexible.
6. God will hold your hand at first, and then let go. Serving in missions is the ultimate act of surrender and total trust in the Lord.
I am sure I am forgetting other things they shared, but these were some really helpful tips I gathered from the discussion. Dustan was envious of the stage where we are at, somewhat of a honeymoon stage. They stressed that missions is not saving a country, but seeing God save individuals. And there will come times when you feel like you're doing a great work, and other times when you feel discouraged and want to give up. Darlene felt like family missions will provide great opportunities for Erin and I to minister to other mothers. It was so refreshing to be encouraged by others who've been there. Their faith and passion for the Lord were contagious. Thank you Lord for that opportunity to be strengthened and blessed by active missionaries!
1. Wherever you go, go with an exit strategy. Whatever you are doing, the weight of it should not depend upon you, but nationals. You never know when you might need to return to the states or be called to a different region. Have a plan in mind for the possibility of leaving at any given time.
2. Make sure that your kids always remember they are Americans. It can get hard when they've been in a country for a while and have learned the language, culture, and even beliefs of that region. Make visits to the U.S. as much as possible.
3. Try to find a way to raise funds yourself. Professional blogging, writing a book, crafts, whatever our talent might allow. We should try to avoid depending solely on American supporters.
4. Sometimes you have to pretend you are a little girl playing dress-up. You might not like how you have to dress in a certain area, it might not make sense to you, but do it when necessary.
5. Be flexible.
6. God will hold your hand at first, and then let go. Serving in missions is the ultimate act of surrender and total trust in the Lord.
I am sure I am forgetting other things they shared, but these were some really helpful tips I gathered from the discussion. Dustan was envious of the stage where we are at, somewhat of a honeymoon stage. They stressed that missions is not saving a country, but seeing God save individuals. And there will come times when you feel like you're doing a great work, and other times when you feel discouraged and want to give up. Darlene felt like family missions will provide great opportunities for Erin and I to minister to other mothers. It was so refreshing to be encouraged by others who've been there. Their faith and passion for the Lord were contagious. Thank you Lord for that opportunity to be strengthened and blessed by active missionaries!
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