"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." [Galatians 6:8–10 ESV]
I saw the eye roll again, and it hit me hard. They didn’t mean to do it, and I didn’t mean to cause it, but after 14 years on the mission field, it was all too hard to avoid.
The conversation was so innocent. It was about fixing vehicles that had broken down, but my interlocutors were normal American men sharing stories of fixing a car and a tractor when they broke down. I wanted to jump in (I had some great breakdown stories), but my stories involved foreign car models and weird challenges that they could not easily picture.
It was not just the eye roll, but the body language all changed. The animated conversation stopped as soon as my story started; the men leaned back, and I knew they checked out. Sharing my story killed a great conversation when all I intended was to participate.
I knew better, and I tried to choose my stories carefully to avoid disrupting dialogue, but sometimes my life left me with few options. Any story I could have shared would have been out of place. I would have had to go back to an account from my 20s or told a story of my time on the mission field. Either would have felt weird. The fact is that in a regular church environment, the missionary’s experience is shared by few in the church; members don’t know what it is like to be a missionary. When people get into conversations over their head, they back off, tune out, and avoid interaction because they fear looking foolish, shallow, or inexperienced. This is not an easy problem to solve.
The problem is not one-sided either. Missionaries don’t always make it easy. The way most missionaries raise funds for their work requires them to speak about themselves all the time. I have had conversations where I barely let the other person speak. However, I have long tried to break that habit. I have had conservations with other missionaries where they never showed the slightest interest in me but assumed I was fascinated with them. All of that to say: making a missionary feel welcomed in the church and giving them the fellowship the missionary craves can be hard.
The Scripture referenced above is not just about sharing finances and rewards, but our lives. There is a culture gap between a cross-cultural worker and an American church member or even pastor. Suppose we are not careful or intentional in welcoming our missionaries home and preparing our people to fellowship with them. In that case, the missionary can feel just as lonely when “home” on furlough as they are in their host culture.
There are solutions, but the first step to solving any problem is acknowledging that we have one. Next time, we will look at some practical steps you can take to help.
I saw the eye roll again, and it hit me hard. They didn’t mean to do it, and I didn’t mean to cause it, but after 14 years on the mission field, it was all too hard to avoid.
The conversation was so innocent. It was about fixing vehicles that had broken down, but my interlocutors were normal American men sharing stories of fixing a car and a tractor when they broke down. I wanted to jump in (I had some great breakdown stories), but my stories involved foreign car models and weird challenges that they could not easily picture.
It was not just the eye roll, but the body language all changed. The animated conversation stopped as soon as my story started; the men leaned back, and I knew they checked out. Sharing my story killed a great conversation when all I intended was to participate.
I knew better, and I tried to choose my stories carefully to avoid disrupting dialogue, but sometimes my life left me with few options. Any story I could have shared would have been out of place. I would have had to go back to an account from my 20s or told a story of my time on the mission field. Either would have felt weird. The fact is that in a regular church environment, the missionary’s experience is shared by few in the church; members don’t know what it is like to be a missionary. When people get into conversations over their head, they back off, tune out, and avoid interaction because they fear looking foolish, shallow, or inexperienced. This is not an easy problem to solve.
The problem is not one-sided either. Missionaries don’t always make it easy. The way most missionaries raise funds for their work requires them to speak about themselves all the time. I have had conversations where I barely let the other person speak. However, I have long tried to break that habit. I have had conservations with other missionaries where they never showed the slightest interest in me but assumed I was fascinated with them. All of that to say: making a missionary feel welcomed in the church and giving them the fellowship the missionary craves can be hard.
The Scripture referenced above is not just about sharing finances and rewards, but our lives. There is a culture gap between a cross-cultural worker and an American church member or even pastor. Suppose we are not careful or intentional in welcoming our missionaries home and preparing our people to fellowship with them. In that case, the missionary can feel just as lonely when “home” on furlough as they are in their host culture.
There are solutions, but the first step to solving any problem is acknowledging that we have one. Next time, we will look at some practical steps you can take to help.
Read other articles in this series: Church Engagement
Five Ways Pastors Can Prepare Missionaries
Jan 17, 2025 Less than a minute. · Brian W This article by Matthew Bennet is a good overview of how the local church prepares its own church members to be successful missionaries. It is a great read for anyone who wants their church to take a central… Read More
Who is a Missionary?
Dec 23, 2024 4 min · Joel H Who is a missionary? That seems like an easy answer at face value until you realize that many people use the same word and mean different things by it. And then you discover that many people use the word… Read More
Help for Communicating a Change in your Missions Vision
Dec 13, 2024 2 min · Steve B If you begin to see the importance and value of ecclesiology as central to Great Commission missions, it would be wise to review your written documents and current way of communicating missions in your… Read More
Serving the Sent: Create the Fun!
Mar 29, 2024 2 min · Brian W We have explored making fun things for the missionary when they come for a visit, but I wanted to expand on that point a bit here. First, burden-sharing churches should aim for some variety in their interactions… Read MoreAuthor
Brian W
Brian served 14 years in the Republic of Georgia, where he started a youth ministry, discipled new leaders, and planted over 15 new churches before serving in leadership of another missions organization. Brian is married to Maia and they have two children.
Brian served 14 years in the Republic of Georgia, where he started a youth ministry, discipled new leaders, and planted over 15 new churches before serving in leadership of another missions organization. Brian is married to Maia and they have two children.