"The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of His servant." Psalm 35: 27a
Several weeks ago, I was on the phone with a noted psychologist in the field of missionary care.We were discussing my new role in Word Made Flesh (WMF) and the development of some of the initiatives we are instituting in the WMF Community Care Center.He shared this verse with me from Psalm 35 and reminded me that God truly delights in the well-being of His servants.
Last week, I attended a conference of about 150 people who are involved in care-giving (Member Care) to missionaries.It was encouraging and affirming to be surrounded by people who share with me a similar vocational expression of their calling: Supporting overseas staff in spiritual formation, mental and emotional well-being, and physical vitality.The message was clear; as Psalm 35 says, God truly does delight in the well-being of his servants.
Returning to work after the conference, I was struck by the reality that it is not as simple as I would like it to be.Though our overseas staff members need care and I am in the position to support them through resourcing, preparing them for what they will face and helping them walk through critical events in their lives, I am faced with the fact that there are many outside of the mission who are not convinced of the value of my current role vs. my previous role as an overseas missionary.
This dynamic of the value of overseas ministry compared to the value of a supporting role from within the USA plays out beyond my own experience and communicates a mixed message to the mission's community in general.A missionary going overseas can raise support for their ministry with relative ease compared with a missionary called into a supporting role—even when that supporting role is directly linked to the sustainability of the missionary going overseas.This indirectly communicates a message to the overseas missionary that they are being supported for what they do and the ministry they have been called to but not necessarily for their own well-being; not their felt needs or the felt needs of their family.And the message to the supporting missionary is that their calling is invalidated because they are not serving (or no longer serving) overseas.I do not think that anybody involved in the sending and supporting of missionaries would say that was what they believed or how they felt.And yet, this message is being sent indirectly if not directly to missionaries on a regular basis.It is most clearly communicated in how budgeting decisions are made.For instance, a mission's committee in a church may structure its budget to expend a certain amount of money each month toward supporting overseas missionaries but none to the support network that is essential to ensure those missionaries are able to thrive.It communicates an unintentional assumption that we are more valued for what we do than for who we are—that our worth is in our output.
Consider other ways this is communicated to missionaries.How often do those serving overseas truly feel the freedom to share how they are doing?It is hard to tell people who are supporting you financially that things are going badly or that after two years of language learning you still sound like a five year old.What if they decided you weren't trying hard enough or that their "investment in the Kingdom" could be better placed somewhere else?When they feel that so may of their supporting churches are expecting a positive return on their "investment" it is hard for overseas missionaries to ask for the help they need.They feel the pressure to be above the mental, emotional or spiritual needs that "others" face.Studies show, however, that missionaries serving overseas operate at a much higher stress level than most people living in their home countries.Just the fact that every activity from ministry to paying your bills to ordering a pizza is different—communicated in a different language with a different set of cultural expectations and differing values and world views.Almost every environmental factor a person has come to accept as normal and has integrated into their lives as a part of their culture has changed.It is a process of giving up of self, grieving loses and feeling isolated.These kinds of things create an intense living environment for people serving overseas; an environment that requires specialized support and understanding.
Since I am no longer serving overseas, it is difficult for many to understand the validity of what I do.For the first time in over a decade of raising support, I find myself having to prove the value of what I do.I am aware that there are so many opportunities to give and we always want to ensure that our investment is having the highest possible impact.If you find yourself wrestling with supporting us vs. an overseas missionary, please prayerfully consider these statistics:
One in 20 missionaries who intend to make overseas missions a career choice leave the field permanently every year.
Of those who leave, 71% leave for a lack of factors directly related to what I do—supporting staff in spiritual formation, mental and emotional wellbeing, and physical vitality (8.000 of an estimated 150,000—200,000 missionaries serving overseas leave the field).
Of those who leave the field, 50% leave within the first two years of service.
78% of those leaving within the first two years cite reasons for leaving that could be preventable with adequate spiritual formation, mental and emotional wellbeing, and physical vitality.
*Statistics taken from: Taylor, W. (1997). Examining the Iceburg Called Attrition. Too Valuable to Loose, 13
Our staff members serving with WMF are particularly vulnerable.Many of them serve in some of the most dangerous locations around the world.They serve among those who experience the worst our broken world can throw at people—former child soldiers, abandoned children, girls abducted sold into a life or prostitution.By continuing to financially support Kimberly and I your financial investment will go beyond simply supporting us in ministry.It will directly influence multiple lives serving around the world in some of the darkest places you could imagine.Your investment in the ministry we have been called to will ensure the longevity of Kingdom communities among the poor.The poor whom we all love and desire to see reach their potential in Christ are directly impacted by the thoughtfulness and support that we give to an entire community that ensures sustainable ministries.
We sincerely thank those of you who have already made the decision to continue contributing financially.And for those of you who are discerning, we ask you to prayerfully consider how to continue supporting us in our calling to serve Jesus among the most vulnerable of the world's poor.
