8 Things Missionaries Wish Their Supporters Knew

Anna Price • May 22, 2017

For every missionary sharing the Gospel cross-culturally, there is a team of people making the work possible from sending churches to the many individuals praying and giving financially. No one can serve alone.

But even though missionaries share a tight bond with their supporters, it can be hard to honestly share the ins and outs of missionary life. To shine a light on the things unsaid, we asked several missionaries, “What do you wish your supporters knew?” Their answers might surprise you.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m not adding anything to my team.”

Going from a life of ministry in North America to spending your days acclimating to a new culture can be difficult for a new missionary.

One new missionary shared that although she knows this process is important, she struggles with finding purpose: “All I am doing is learning the language, and I feel terrible for not ‘doing’ anything important.”

As a supporter, you can encourage and validate your missionary by celebrating all of their ministry accomplishments — whether that’s acing a language test or baptizing a new believer.

“Cards and notes mean the world to me.”

From pictures made by kids and long letters from senior adults to Snapchat messages or emails, over and over again, missionaries mentioned that contact from those back home is always encouraging.

“They let me know that I am remembered, even though I am far away,” one missionary shared.

To make sure your missionary receives written encouragement, consider asking a Sunday school class or youth group at your church to “adopt a missionary” and regularly send him or her letters.

“My life is full of goodbyes.”

When a missionary first leaves, they say goodbye to their family, friends and home culture. And just as they get to know their team, their coworkers might move to a new ministry area or go on home assignment for a year. Then, when it is time for their own home assignment, missionaries say goodbye again to new friends from their host culture.

Supporters, you can ease some of the difficulty of these transitions. Read this article to learn how to help your missionary prepare for a healthy goodbye. And bookmark this article to learn eight tangible ways you can serve your missionary on home assignment.

“Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads my newsletter.”

It’s hard to condense the last month or two into a newsletter that people will want to read . Bonus points if you can make it look great , too! But oftentimes missionaries can send their newsletter into the internet abyss and not know if it is helpful, if people are interested or even if people read it.

If you receive a missionary’s newsletter, reply! Let them know you read it and are thinking of them. Be careful to use sensitive language for those in high-security areas, but talking about your own life and avoiding spiritual words can keep the connection open.

“Everything takes four times longer.”

In a new culture, with a different language and unique transportation, it can take all day to run one errand. Valerie, TEAM’s third culture kid coordinator, often mentions during TEAM’s missionary orientation, “You have to adjust your expectations. A successful day can mean just completing one errand.”

Having supporters who understand this can be a huge relief — and encouragement — to missionaries. Instead of asking for stats to quantify their ministry, ask them about the lessons they’re learning, laugh with them over their mistakes and let them know you’re praying for their adjustment process.

“I worry about what I post on social media.”

One missionary in South Africa shares how difficult it was to share pictures on Facebook of her days off. “On my day off, I might do something touristy like a safari or take a day on the beach, but I was sometimes worried about sharing those things on social media because I didn’t want supporters to feel I wasn’t using their money for ministry.”

This common fear is often rooted in a sense of guilt for taking time off from ministry. As a supporter, encourage your missionary to rest — and even take time to visit local sights, too! Remind your missionary that resting is an act of obedience and keeps them healthy and vibrant for ministry.

“I have to mow my lawn.”

This is often something missionaries don’t share, but, of course, not every moment is spent in Gospel conversations. Missionaries have to go to the store, change their kid’s diaper and mow their lawn like everyone else. They just happen to do it in another country.

Show your missionary you care about their whole life –– not just their ministry –– by asking about their daily routines. Ask questions like, “How is shopping different in your host country?” or “How has your dinner routine changed?”

“I can’t bake my favorite comfort food.”

Because chocolate chips are almost impossible to find in some countries!

Surprise your missionary with a package of their most-missed items. For ideas, check out this post on nine things your missionary wants in a care package.

By Suzanne Pearson 19 Mar, 2024
Previously on the TEAM blog, we sat down with Justin Burkholder (pictured above at left, with TEAM's Executive Director of Communications, Aaron Catlin). Justin will become TEAM’s next International Director on July 1, 2024. Justin shared about his background, family, and the journey that led him to TEAM. Check out that interview here . Today, we pick up the conversation as Justin shares how God called him to the role of International Director, and what he sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church. Q: How and when did you first consider applying for the position of International Director? How did the Lord reveal Himself to you as this opportunity presented itself? A: For some time, I have been evaluating how God wants me to use the gifts He has given me. Jenny and I have had a fruitful ministry in church planting in Guatemala and would happily continue doing so as God leads. However, as God blessed my efforts in TEAM leadership, there were friends and family who expressed that I should consider using my gifts in the International Director role. I don’t believe that everything necessarily rises and falls on leadership, but I do believe that it is a core component in the body of Christ. Using the gifts God has given me is a way that I want to bless the body of Christ in TEAM, making my contribution to the global purposes of God’s mission. Jenny and I spent a lot of time praying about this and decided that I should put my name in for consideration, trusting God’s guidance. We had a tremendous amount of peace throughout the entire process and were blessed by the prayer-filled process that the board undertook. Q: This is a key role in a large and complex organization, and I’m sure this was a big decision for you and your family. What were your fears or concerns? Why did you ultimately decide to accept the position? A: You say “were” like the fears have passed! I still am quite aware of my youth and inexperience - of the responsibility and weight of this role. Mostly, I’m afraid of leading an organization like TEAM in the flesh. Many of the fears that I have faced have been fears rooted in fleshly desires and concerns. I have no desire to succeed in the world’s eyes and fail in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why did I ultimately decide to accept the position? I’m convinced that the Good News about Jesus is true. The tomb is empty, Jesus is King, and the world needs to know, because Jesus is coming back. He will put things in order. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice for all mankind, and He has commissioned His Church to proclaim and demonstrate His rule and reign. I want to use my gifts to do whatever I can to amplify the proclamation of this message and the multiplication of His Church around the world. Q: What are your goals and vision for the future of TEAM? A: This is something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I’m certainly not ready to present a fully-shaped vision and goals for TEAM’s future without the input of other people in different contexts in TEAM. But, I will share a few things that I think are important: First, we need to model God-Dependence . I am hopeful that as leaders in TEAM, we can continue to model God-Dependence. As Hudson Taylor said years ago “…God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” I am hopeful that we can increase our sense of faith in God, prayer, and seeking direction from the Spirit. Secondly, we must strengthen our relational fabric . Due to the changes that we have experienced by decentralizing our home office functions, and the challenges from the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of relationships. It is imperative that we intentionally prioritize the building of relationships with one another. I plan to visit our workers and staff, and I am expectant that other key leaders and staff will be doing the same. Third, we must pursue the greater presence of the global Church. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn’t look like any single geopolitical, ethnic, or racial culture. If we want to truly see the Kingdom of Jesus come on earth as it is in heaven, then we as citizens of this Kingdom must learn from one another, submit to one another, and grow with one another. The missional potential of the global Church has been unleashed by God’s Spirit since Acts 1, and we have an opportunity to learn from many brothers and sisters in Christ who can help us to better model and proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus to those who have yet to believe. Lastly, we must increase our Gospel boldness . There are still many places of great spiritual blindness and spiritual brokenness around the world. The apostolic impulse of cross-cultural organizations should call us to the to the edges of where the Kingdom of Jesus is not penetrating. Whether spiritual blindness and brokenness exists because of lack of access, idolatry, injustice, or any other myriad of reasons, I prayerfully hope to see more and more TEAM workers continue to move into spaces of great Gospel need.
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.
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