Oh, the life of a missionary. Preaching in the bush church, the endless amounts of rice, the mismatched clothes, the endless string of e-mails, talks around the water cooler. . .wait, what?
That’s not missions.
When I first knew that my life would take a path towards missions, I imagined living deep in the jungle, far from lights and noise, teaching kids and cooking with the locals. I imagined swimming in the local river and watching the sun set on hot, sticky, tropical evenings while playing guitar and singing worship songs.
So why do I sit in a office for eight hours a day in Gainesville, Georgia, under the glow of fluorescent lights and taking in the sounds of clacking keyboards and the gurgling of a coffee pot pumping out liquid motivation?
I’m a missionary.
Last year, I was a missionary. There were bugs and mountains and orphans and bus rides. That was missions. . . right?
Last year, Adventures in Missions (AIM) sent out over 6,400 missionaries to the field. It was through a whole network of people that make that possible. AIM currently employs over 150 staff members at its headquarters in Gainesville. It is from this home base that thousands of people of all ages are mobilized to reach the nations.
My job in the Admissions department is part of the network. When I was getting ready for my World Race, there was someone in the Gainesville office there to help me with support raising and blogging and choosing my gear, and now I am here to see the next ‘generation’ sent out.
So no, it’s not so glamorous. I don’t hold AIDS orphans on a daily basis or pray with widows. I prepare those who will. I don’t pray for the sick or preach the Gospel. I prepare those who will.
And with this role as missionary comes the task of support raising, a job that is second in torturous misery only to being locked in a windowless cell for a week, your only company being the smell of fried chicken that you don’t get to eat.
Okay, so I don’t like support raising if you didn’t catch that earlier.
BUT, I’m going to put on my big girl pants and do this thing. And as much as I’d rather clean out pirate kitty’s litter box with my bare hands than come to terms with this, it’s Biblical! What?! Yup.
We see numerous accounts of missionaries being supported for their work in the scriptures. In Luke 10, Jesus sends out his twelve disciples and instructs them to go on their missionary journey and “take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.” (Matthew 10:9-10 NIV)
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he makes a point to thank them for their provisions for him. He says, “for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. . .I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you have sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:16-19 NIV)
Paul later teaches on the importance of supporting Kingdom workers in 1 Corinthians.
“Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes?
For it is written in the Law of Moses, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.’ Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.
If we have sown a spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?”
1 Corinthians 9:7-12 NIV
We are sowers of the field and are worthy of our wages.
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