Many times we have unrealistic views of the missionaries. We believe they are spiritual and have great courage to leave the comfort zones to work in different remote places. This is all right, but too often under this concept, we forget that they are human beings too, and are as weak and worrisome as we are. They will also be inpatient when seeing no progress in ministries, feeling frustrated when lacking funds or defeated when problems arouse within their missionary families. They need us to care, to pray and assistance.
It is a pity that not every believer has an understanding of mission and has a commitment to the Great Commission. Perhaps some have participated in short-term missionary trips and gathered some insights and experiences. However, because of the short days, they have light interactions with local people. Even some trips may be overly designed, everyone is fully occupied and leave no time to communicate with missionaries.
In fact, it is not difficult to understand or care missionaries. One can start by paying attention to the world news, such as the ISIS persecutions of Christians, or by surfing the websites of different mission agencies or reading the home church bulletins to follow missionaries' updates if the church has sent somebody out. If you can, regularly offer money to the mission fund and let God leads the church how to support the ministries and missionaries. Of course, the most efficient way is to enter the fields directly because it is the best and quickest way to learn. Would you ask God to show you how to participate in His Kingdom and to bear a role in the Great Commission? God is delighted to have His believers to listen to Him and willing to take actions.
I had been to China, mid and southern America since 2007. When my husband, Ruden, he retired on 2013, we both visited Laos, Indonesia, and Cambodia. Our missionary path started step-by-step, along the road we saw many great missionaries and learned a lot from them. We prayed for God's direction to identify what role and which place we can be involved, and how to serve Him and His workers efficiently and effectively. Praise to the Lord, He enlarges and provides and now we can see more and enjoy His presences, and that cannot be easily seen if we still indulge in our comfort zones.
We hope that this booklet will share you how we start in the Riau Islands, how do we help missionaries to reach the unreached in Indonesia, and also to become your starting point of knowing missions and missionaries.
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