What is Missions Like?

Recently we received an email from a college student who had been diagnosed with severe depression and after some counseling realized that they were depressed because they were "resisting the call to the mission field" and wrote us to ask what being a missionary is like. Here is my response. By the way, one of my pet peeves is when people talk about suffering and the mission field as if they are one in the same. Missions is not miserable... I'll talk more about this in a later post.

H-----,

Missions is the most exciting and fun thing you could ever do with your life. Each day there are new opportunities for ministry and to my wife and I there is nothing we would rather be doing. The best thing about missions is that God wants to use whatever you are good at. He gave us gifts for a reason and wants us to use those specific gifts for Him.

Having said that, each day there is also a new set of challenges. These challenges can be just normal cultural, frustrating things, or sometimes they can be life-threatening. In each of these situations the missionary has to be very sure of his/her calling to be where they are. This is not something you can do just because you want to. There must be a definite call on your life to cross cultural boundaries and take Jesus where He hasn't been. It is only a certainty in that call that will help you through the hard frustrating times, and give you peace in the terrifying times. It is the sureness you have that you are exactly where God wants you to be that gives you the strength.

I pray that you find God's best for your life. Don't force it, but look for the opportunities God gives you to minister, in the ways that you enjoy, using the gifts He gave you. God's calling is not a punishment, or a banishment, or a life-sentence of suffering. It is the most fulfilling, joy-filled life you could ever experience.

Striving to make heaven a little more crowded,

I also directed them to visit our blogs to see a day to day synopsis of our lives.