Five Lessons Learned from Five Years as a Missionary

I never planned to move to the Czech Republic to be a full-time missionary. It was not something I even considered. I developed a heart for missions at a young age but assumed I would do yearly two-week mission trips while living and working in my home country of Canada. 

In the summer of 2017, during a short-term mission trip to the Czech Republic with my church, everything changed. God very clearly told me that He wanted to move there as a full-time missionary. That was not my plan, but I obeyed. It was the best decision I ever made. 

Everything happened very quickly for me and within a year and a half, I was on the field in the Czech Republic. I was as prepared as I could be, but I had so much to learn (and still do). These are the five most important lessons I’ve learned in my first five years of being a missionary: 

1. Focus the first year or two on learning the culture and language of your host country. 

Because I came first as a mid-term missionary, I did not do this. I did intensive language for 4 months, and then moved to part-time language learning while doing ministry. This is common for a mid-termer, but I knew almost immediately that I was planning to switch to long-term, and I regret not fully engaging in language and culture in the first 2 years. It has hindered my ability to learn the language well and to do ministry in the Czech language well. I still struggle with the Czech language as a result. 

2. Make your living space feel like home. 

This may seem silly, but it is so important. I came to the field with only three suitcases filled mostly with clothes. I left behind treasured pictures, favorite books and sentimental home decor. Over the years since, I’ve slowly brought some of those things to Czech, and it’s helped me to feel more “at home” in my home. 

Living in a foreign country can be very overwhelming, and in the first couple of years especially, doing simple daily tasks like groceries can be daunting and stressful. Your home needs to be your safe place. It needs to be where you feel comfortable and free to be you. Do whatever you can to make it that way.

3. Make national friends. 

This can be a challenge due to language barriers, but having national friends in your host country is extremely helpful. They can give you guidance on how to navigate various things in their country, and they can teach you about their culture. It can be tempting to only seek out friendships with your teammates and other expats, but that can make it harder to acclimate to your host country. You can end up in a North American bubble without fully embracing the language and culture of the country you are serving. 

I’ve seen the value of developing national friends through a close friendship that developed with one of the Czech leaders at our Teen Camp. She has helped me with planning and writing curriculum for our camps to ensure that it is relatable to Czech youth. She has also helped me with Czech language by being a language partner and answering questions I have about vocabulary. This past Christmas, when she found out that I often spend holidays alone, she invited me to join her family for a Christmas Eve celebration, which meant so much to me. 

4. Be humble. 

There are times when we, as North Americans, can come into our host country thinking we know better and we can do things better, especially if we are entering a non-Christian or majority-world country. We can be judgmental of how things are done and want to ‘fix’ it. While I believe most people have good intentions and good hearts, this is not a helpful approach. Instead, be humble. Listen. Learn. Build relationships and gain people’s trust. Criticizing and judging will only alienate the people you are there to serve. 

Another part of being humble is knowing when we need to ask for help – something most of us don’t like to do! We don’t want to appear needy or incapable of something. I admit it, I hate asking for help! However, I have learned that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness, and most people are more than happy to lend a hand. Save yourself lots of stress and ask! 

5. Expect the unexpected. 

Missionary life is full of change. Change is inevitable in life, but in my experience, it happens tenfold on the mission field. These changes can include teammates transitioning in and out, new leadership, re-location, ministry redirection, changing churches, changing supporters, changes in your home country, personal changes, transitions to and from Home Assignment, and so on. Change will happen. Embrace it, learn from it, and find healthy ways to adapt to it.  

Stay tuned for an upcoming article from Becky where she unpacks more insight about navigating change in a cross-cultural missions context!