Feeling called overseas

[LeeJUk]

Hey guys,

This is something I thought I would share and get your thoughts on. Recently I feel like I was challenged by the Lord to be willing to go overseas for him. This was something I was often quite...unwilling to do. I'd much rather just serve here in my country plus the climate and conditions are a lot more comfortable right?

So I came to the point where I said OK Lord I surrender all I'll go where ever and do whatever you want me to. Since then I've really felt strongly and thought a lot about serving in mission in Africa. Had a number of small providences over several days to regarding this to. Non believing step-father asking me if I'd ever go do mission work in africa (without me indicating this to him), Sunday evening service happened to be someone testifying who recently came back from a mission trip and during her talk I felt rather stirred.

So I've begun looking at major missions organisations and the opportunities overseas in Africa. I seem to have found some short-term ministerial internships that are available in Africa that are seriously up my alley. I'm currently heading towards the ministry in my denomination and studying at university so I feel that a preaching/teaching/pastoral internship is where I should be and I think I could teach/preach Christ and the word for the sake of the kingdom whilst growing personally in my gifts.

Short-term mainly because I would need to be back in time to start a new university term. 2-3 months.

I'm obviously going to consult those wise Christians I have around me and I'll not be making any rash decisions but what do you guys think?

What advice would you give me? Is there other ways I can test this call?

I'm especially looking to those who have done mission work before on this board. How did you know? How did you come to the point of going overseas to serve either long term / short term?

Thanks

Lee

 

[lynnie]

This group is in the USA near Westminster TS. Originally PCA. Reformed and in Uganda. Maybe they can give you some good advice. I know they have a director who talks to people about missions.

History - World Harvest Mission

 

[Edward]

I'd much rather just serve here in my country plus the climate and conditions are a lot more comfortable right?

? I can think of a lot of places with climates more pleasant than found in Scotland. So I wouldn't use that as a criteria.

 

[N. Eshelman]

I would like to see an answer to Josh's question. It's really a good one. What was the criteria for the challenge?

Also, Cush4Christ

Southern Sudan is in the news right now- but many of us in the RP Church support it with prayers and $ often. They have short-term trips that go out and help the long-term missionaries. You could look into something for a month to three months just to test the waters.

 

[LeeJUk]

I'd much rather just serve here in my country plus the climate and conditions are a lot more comfortable right?

? I can think of a lot of places with climates more pleasant than found in Scotland. So I wouldn't use that as a criteria.

I meant on a personal level this was the sort of idea I had whenever anyone would speak to me about mission work overseas. I would rather just serve here (which I do still plan on doing long - term God willing). Also Scotland is a lot more comfortable for me on a personal level. I ain't into a lot of sun or heat. It was a rhetorical statement not really meant to be a criteria or taken so literally.

As to how God challenged me, through my christian friends as we were sharing testimony and about 3 people in the group spoke about their experiences in mission overseas and one in particular who is just now into her first week of a missions trip in Africa. It was like the Lord was saying would you be willing to sacrifice your nice savings, free time and comfort to share the gospel overseas. From there I kept thinking about it and prayed surrendering to the Lord eventually if he did want to do that I would go.

 

[Tripel]

Recently I feel like I was challenged by the Lord to be willing to go overseas for him.

You should consider coming across the Atlantic. We could use your service in the US.

 

[LeeJUk]

It was like the Lord was saying would you be willing to sacrifice your nice savings, free time and comfort to share the gospel overseas. From there I kept thinking about it and prayed surrendering to the Lord eventually if he did want to do that I would go.

Dear Lee, I hope you will bear with me, because I'm not trying to be petty, but can you tell me how it is that you measure the Lord's talking to you? Respectfully, the Lord doesn't speak these days by mystical inner promptings or voices in your head, heart (or even ear), but by His Word. I only want to caution you about listening to what are perceived to be promptings, etc. and, instead, if missions is something you would like to do, you do so by way of proper means (local session, presbytery, etc.).

I understand your concern and I have the same concern to when it comes to such things. The Lord didn't "speak to me" as such. Perhaps it could be more described as an inner battle that I think the Lord caused in me by the means of brothers and sisters in Christ giving testimony and then implanting of a desire in me for mission in Africa.

 

[Pergamum]

Lee;

It seems that a missionary calling is a strong desire to serve, seconded by the Bible and confirmed by your local church.

Do you have feelings that you would classify as a strong desire? Or is missions merely one option out of many at this point. Does your local church support you? Would they be willing to counsel and to recommend and officially send you? Do you desire to go long-term? short-term missions, unless in a very specific area like medical missions, usually are not all that effective and it takes a number of years to learn the language and the culture of a place adequately.

If you are called, why Africa? I have heard it said that it is not so much where you go but what team you play on. Do you feel that you have a strong specific calling to Africa, or just a general strong desire to serve where the needs are? Is there a strong team there for you to join?

Contrary to Josh, I do believe that the Lord does give specific inner desires. and these desires are critical ("if a man desires the office of a bishop...etc). Go to our local church with those desires and become an object of prayer and mentoring. You must not merely "run" out forward, you must be "sent".

Also, strive to be action-oriented. What steps to the field are you currently taking?

 

[LeeJUk]

Hi Pergamum thanks for your reply.

1) Yeah I have a strong desire
2) It's specifically for Africa for some reason. There is need everywhere including Scotland but yeah Africa seems to be on my heart.
3) Short-term right now I'm considering.
4) I'm under assessment in the church of Scotland and I'm in a very awkward situation.. My former minister though tried to get me to go overseas before on short-term mission. I'm between about 3 different churches right now. a. Church I'm being assessed in(soon to change) b. Church I'm a member of but don't attend due to assessment c. Evangelical church that I attend in evenings but I'm not a member of.
5) A missions organisation has 2 posts advertised where I would serve in local African evangelical churches under the leadership of the pastor/elders and they would direct my day-to-day activities in the church.

To clarify my long term goal and desire is ordained ministry in the church here. Going on a short term mission trip to Africa seems to be on my heart to perhaps between this term and next term of university.

Right now I'm considering apply to the missions organisation and seeing what they recommend and what advice they give. Also going to consult my mentors in the faith including a minister of one of the churches I'm involved in and go from there I think.

 

[Pergamum]

Lee,

It sounds like a great plan and i will be praying for you!
It sounds like you have your ducks in a row!

 

[PuritanZealot]

I could put you in touch with Dr Ian Sadler of the Free Grace Evangelistic Association, they're just really getting on their feet as a charity, but the main thrust of the work is helping the African churches in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria etc to see that the Word of God is final, handing out Bibles, doing sermons etc to instruct them in sound doctrine. He's been battling against corruption a lot of late.

 

[LeeJUk]

Well Brothers and Sisters I've made contact with 2 missions organisations tonight to see whats available in Africa. Please pray that the Lord would lead me in it and his will be done and that I would have wisdom. This is very much in the enquiry and preliminary stages right now but we'll see where it leads.

I will consider Cush4Christ and Craig, if you want to give me the contact details of Dr. Ian Sadler by PM then that would be great. I'm keeping all options open and will narrow it down to where the Lord would have me be (perhaps no where?).

Thanks for your message of wisdom and support.

Lee

 

[Leslie]

Short term trips are fine for look-see, smell, and feel, find out what is out there. However, don't think for a minute that short-term accomplishes diddly as regards the kingdom of God. People who live in a culture for years, learn the language, and interact with nationals on a deep level, these are the ones that make a lasting impact for the Kingdom of God, not sanctified vacationers. It's a shame that huge quantities of money, better used for long-term support of serious missionaries, are squandered on short-term trips that are nothing more than glorified vacations. Go on a short term trip if it's a matter of investigating long-term. Stay home if you have no interest in long-term. Send the airfare to a serious mission organization. Does Pergie concur or will he give me an argument?

 

[LeeJUk]

Well Leslie I'm sorry you feel that way and I do recognise there is a number of people who do use it as a "sanctified vacation". Thats not the way I look at it I can assure you. I would also be cautious with the claims your making. I do agree long-term missions work has a much greater effect but short-term missions are not totally in vain plus the money spent will most probably be my own savings not other peoples.

 

[Pergamum]

Short term trips are fine for look-see, smell, and feel, find out what is out there. However, don't think for a minute that short-term accomplishes diddly as regards the kingdom of God. People who live in a culture for years, learn the language, and interact with nationals on a deep level, these are the ones that make a lasting impact for the Kingdom of God, not sanctified vacationers. It's a shame that huge quantities of money, better used for long-term support of serious missionaries, are squandered on short-term trips that are nothing more than glorified vacations. Go on a short term trip if it's a matter of investigating long-term. Stay home if you have no interest in long-term. Send the airfare to a serious mission organization. Does Pergie concur or will he give me an argument?

Yes, Mary, I concur for the most part.

It takes at least 5 years of cultural and language immersion to even begin to make a deep impact. I am just now getting to that point now, and, sadly, I look around and most of the people that left the US with me are already back in the US due to attrition.

However, we do see some short-term missions in the Scripture, where Paul and others are given a specific task.

If we have long-term missionaries who are willing to host and help short-term teams for very specific task-oriented and time-limited roles, then these teams can prove beneficial. I am thinking of cleft palate mobile clinics and cataract repair clinics, but even for these narrow purposes considerable on-field pre-trip coordination must be done by the long-term missionaries for the short-term trip to be of profit.

Since I am in a hard area, my policy is that I do not want guests unless they have a "strong likliehood" of returning as long-term workers. I think in terms of "survey trips" or "internships" with a view towards long-term service.

I do realize that most long-term missionaries nowadays have been on at least one or two short-term trips, so I try not to be negative about short-term trips. However, Mary serves in a very hard area and her sentiments represent the sentiments of many, many other long-term missionaries who become jaded at two-week trips that go home with tales of new converts, etc. But, I realize that I myself was mentored for long-term missions during a short-term trip on the Amazon where a long-term missionary allowed me to set up basic health clinics and I ended up delivering a baby on the banks of the Rio Negros, using a modified Wilkerson Shaving razor to cut the cord while the long-term missionary (a baptist preacher with no medical skills) prayed. I was hooked after that, and I realize that I taxed and cost that long-term missionary a lot of his time and focus and he sacrificed of himself so that I could be privileged to experience those two weeks.


So, Lee, I would highly encourage you to look into long-term missions. But, if you do, in fact, pursue short-term trips, please be intentional, focused and realistic in what you can accomplish and link your works to national Christians and under their local structures in order to be a servant to them.




p.s. I wish the folks here on the PB knew Dr. Vanderkooi's missionary resume like I do and all she has added to the Kingdom and how respected she is among even the missionaries that are not with her in Ethiopia and how she has blessed us from afar by her publications and writing. Therefore, when she offers a very strong opinion like the above, I make sure I sit down and I hear it fully.

 

[StrictBaptist]

Lee, it is great to see people feeling called by the Lord to do works in other countries. I am in the same boat as you kind of . I know God is calling me to a area, and thanks to Pergamum I have started my process to be a full time missionary.

Although I feel personally that full time mission work needs to be taken on by more people, I also understand that doing full time mission work is something alot of believers cannot handle, as Pergamum said, he has seen alot of people that he went with leave. Short time mission work however is definatly not vain, because one soul saved means alot to the hosts watching in heaven.

My questions to you (as I am also in the same boat) is:

1. Are you dead set on short term mission work, or do you have an open-mind to maybe doing full time in the future.?

i do know of a group that does alot of work in Africa, however they are not a reformed group. BMFP - Baptist Missions to Forgotten Peoples - Worldwide Ministries is there website. You may want to get into contact with them, I do not know alot about them except a few personal missionaries in Africa work closely with them.

Either way brother, I will pray for you! And good luck, this is a great place to get answers brother.

 

[Pergamum]

World Team also does good work in Cameroon among the Baka and Fulani people (World Team). This group really mentors and develops it missionaries for long-term use and invests a lot in the counseling and professional development of its work force.

---------- Post added at 07:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:10 AM ----------

Well Leslie I'm sorry you feel that way and I do recognise there is a number of people who do use it as a "sanctified vacation". Thats not the way I look at it I can assure you. I would also be cautious with the claims your making. I do agree long-term missions work has a much greater effect but short-term missions are not totally in vain plus the money spent will most probably be my own savings not other peoples.

I know of several African seminaries that utilize western pastors and professors. These seminaries hold intensive theological modules and, if you build an ongoing relationship by means of regular teaching trips down to the same seminary, this might be a way to maximize your use in short-term missions (i.e, by focusing on teaching modules regarding specific theological or doctrinal issues to the student body of an African college).

 

[jwithnell]

I can understand the trepidation about people coming in for a blitz mission. However, it does seem like a short term missions trip might be a good way of confirming a call. For long-term work, some organizations require people (and their spouses) to go through an in-depth examination of what missions entail and their willingness to serve. That also is wise.

 

[LeeJUk]

I am open to pursuing Long-term in the future but right now I still feel called to ministry full time here.