Staying!

Several years ago  I was talking with a couple who had been on the mission field for over 30 years. I asked the couple about what was the one thing that kept them on the field over the years.

Her answer was quite profound- She looked at her husband and said “we have never both wanted to leave on the same day”. I was probably a couple of years into our time on the field. I did not quite understand her response then. I do now!

Why do missionaries leave the field?

I have asked myself this very question recently.  Our family has been overseas for almost nine years now. Last week I was reading in the Evangelical Mission Quarterly a very good article on this topic. It was an executive summary about The Engage! by James Nelson.

The Engage! is a study comprised of surveys of on the field missionaries and interviews with former field workers. It is across 18 different sending agencies. This blog post does not give the results of the survey.  I recommend picking up a copy online or hard copy of the journal. They consistently produce good stuff!

What really grabbed by attention were the questions that field workers need answered in their lives.  These are in no particular order. As I read them I recognized some would be more important to me than others but I saw how all of them can be relevant to longevity on the field.

Is my family provided for?

Do I have real friends?

Does my agency listen and speak to me respectfully?

Do I have the support of those at home? (I am in the middle of a series on www.theupstreamcollective.org regarding the Sending Church which is an important key for on the field workers.

Does someone know and care about what I do?

Do we (colleagues and partners) live and work well in community?

Is the work progressing with purpose?

Does integrity flow from the top of my agency?

Am I free to do what needs to be done?

Does my agency prepare people to be effective?

I think most of us would agree that our calling is paramount in the missionary experience. However, the truth is that our circumstances quite often affects our calling.

What questions on this list are important to you? How would you answer these questions in your private journal?

What would you add?

more soon,

Larry