6 Reasons Why You Should Not Go Overseas

Wesley Mills • May 29, 2018

Working for a missions agency , we get to assess, equip and deploy missionaries all over the world. When we assess them, we’re looking at more than skills and gifts; we look at motivations and reasons why someone wants to go overseas.

There are plenty of reasons why people go overseas , but not all of them are great reasons. Maybe the intention is pure, and we want to affirm genuine and holy desires. But we also want to steer those desires in ways that truly honor the Lord rather than fulfilling one’s own mission.

Some of the most popular reasons people give for wanting to serve internationally are also some of the most lacking. Below are six motivations that seem solid on the surface, but lack what it takes to thrive cross-culturally.

“I want to go overseas…

1. because I want to help people.”

Far and away, this is still the most popular answer people give for wanting to serve overseas. Mostly viewed through a material-laden lens, this motivation is more about being a savior than worshipping the Savior. The emphasis is on you “helping,” rather than going and serving and learning. It presumes “help” is needed, typically lacks a gospel-centered posture and usually is interested in being the teacher, not the one who’s taught.

2. because I think living overseas will be fulfilling.”

Maybe it will be. But this should not be the reason someone goes. If this is a motivation, it’s most likely that this person hasn’t met a cross-cultural worker before. There could be an aspect of fulfillment that comes. However, living overseas means learning a new language , adjusting to a new culture, feeling like an outsider, being misunderstood and possibly never seeing someone come to know Jesus. If you told someone that would be their experience, it would seem much less appealing and certainly less fulfilling. This motivation is more concerned with self-fulfillment than it is the fulfillment of their neighbor.

3. because God told me to.”

This one is tricky. It is masked in spiritual language and puts the ultimate fence around anyone who thinks to question it. Who would dare question God? And who would question someone if they said they heard from God? And yet, as an agency, we ask who has affirmed this call of God to go: the church, one’s community , other mentors? One may sense God’s leading to move internationally, but the blanket defense of “God told me to” is not enough. Typically, this motivation is rooted in a very individualistic call to go overseas. It’s unconcerned about the counsel, pushback and wisdom of the body of Christ.

4. because I want an adventure.”

Living overseas will be an adventure, but maybe not the one you want. It may require sickness and heartache and trouble. One may encounter doubt and tragedy and dark nights of the soul that you would never have elsewhere. The adventure most people want is filled with fun and new experiences and Instagrammable moments. But that vision is too small and motivation too weak for the weightiness of cross-cultural life. We dilute the Christian life when we talk about it as an “adventure,” rather than wrestling with the realities that lost people will be in hell, the effects of the fall, and ministry of reconciliation.

5. because I want to start a new life.”

This reason is also common. One of the last reasons to go overseas is out of dissatisfaction with one’s current situation. If life is challenging now with a familiar people, language and culture, who’s to say it will be easier living the opposite of that? Paul tells Timothy, “But godliness with contentment is great gain” ( 1 Timothy 6:6 ). To flee discontentment will only heighten the frustrations and hardships of life. There is a “holy discontentment” that is rooted in the effects of the fall and realizing we are living in the already, but not yet ( 1 John 3:2 ). But holy discontentment is different than earthly discontentment — mere dissatisfaction with the path of your life. If circumstances are constantly dictating your contentment, the added complexity of living cross-culturally will only amplify that.

6. because going overseas is more spiritual.”

There’s an old line of thinking that says immature Christians stay home and mature Christians go to the mission field. Crossing international borders does not make one any more spiritual than walking across the street does. This thought process is rooted in the work of missionaries being more spiritual than “secular” workers. But if we look at Jesus’ life, He held a pretty secular vocation in carpentry. Going overseas will expose your spirituality, but going overseas has nothing to do with one being closer to God or “more spiritual” than someone who sends missionaries from home.

So how does one discern pure motives for going? We all are broken , including our motivations. We all have ulterior motives and do things out of selfish gain. But, some practical questions to ask ourselves when thinking of serving cross-culturally are:

  • Is going overseas about fulfilling a calling or about loving my neighbor?
  • What missionaries have I talked with who have lived overseas, and what counsel have they given?
  • Who has investigated my interest in serving internationally with me?
  • Am I engaged in cross-cultural relationships now , and what am I learning from them?

Ultimately, the motivations listed above aren’t enough. None are deep enough or draw from the well of Christ enough. Some of them may be clouded in spiritual language, but they are not rooted in the love of God, obedience to God or love of neighbor. They are rooted in a mission that says God’s mission is about me.

But we know the mission of God is never about us. It’s about God. It’s about Jesus laying down the riches of heaven out of obedience to the Father and love for His image-bearers. It’s about His coming and becoming like us — fully human — and redeeming us so we could become like Him. This is the motivation that has carried missionaries for 2,000 years. And it will carry the rest until He returns.

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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