it’s been two years already in thailand, and we’re back in usa for our mid-term reporting; my agency strongly encourages this visit, esp after the first two years, cuz people tend to forget the missionaries. long-time missionaries already have well-established relationships but the new guys like us have to work on it. that’s the reason.
we’re really enjoying our visit with our old friends; they’re loving us in many ways; stuffing us with great food, giving us their time, money; some even take time off work to hang out with us; it’s been very encouraging and refreshing; i’m glad that most of my supporters are my old friends; but i also hope to get more churches set up in a supporting relationship cuz we only have 8 right now. we’re ok with living expenses, but now that we want to do some work, we feel a need for a greater budget, starting with a vehicle purchase. so this makes me appreciate active mission depts in local churches.
but one of the issues i find myself addressing, as i talk with friends, is that “missions” is not reserved for special christians. a lot of my friends are already involved in amazing ministries, and many of them are not even pastors or church leaders; i see them fulfilling the Great Commission right here in their neighborhoods! i want them to know that in biblical terms, they and i (missionary paul) are in the same category– believers trying to fulfill the great commission; the institutional church has different categories for us, of course, and treats people like me in a more special way;
that brings me to question the very existence of missions depts in churches; does that misrepresent the great commission in some way, so that many of my friends are led to think that i’m more special in God’s eyes than they are, just cuz i left the country?
