Don’t make these five mistakes in missions I made when moving overseas.
I wrote such a painful article in the hope of helping you. To get you ready for a life of missions and not make the same mistakes in missions I made.
At least not these five.
The dream of missions. Traveling, living out of the country, sharing the gospel, and seeing people give their hearts to Jesus.
At 18, I left for Europe on my first long-term mission training and experience. It was a great adventure and one I will remember my whole life. I moved to France and lived there for just over 2 years.
I loved it, when I saw France for the first time it was like a saw my home. Breathtaking, the country, the people and the culture. I truly was blessed to experience missions in France.
It wasn’t all wonderful, people were distant and thought you lost your mind for believing in Jesus. At that time France had one of the smallest percentages of Christianity in all of Europe. But I loved the challenge.
Yet, looking back now I would have changed these five things.
My first mistake in long-term missions was the just get-by mentality.
When I returned from missions, I had a job lined up and nothing else. Nothing in my bank account, no car and no savings.
Invest in retirement and your future.
I am not saying thousands of dollars, but at least $25 to $50 monthly.
And if you are starting in your missionary life, please listen to me.
Some trips or experiences can be total financial faith.
Meaning you will get the exact amount of money needed to go.
And that’s an amazing experience and gift from God.
But if you plan to go into long-term missions for two years or more. If you are starting to find supporters, add at least $25 for the future.
Start saving for your retirement.
Invest in your future and start right away.
I lived an extraordinary life of faith and have seen miraculous provisions throughout my life.
I wish I had done one thing. I should have prayed, planned, and prepared for my future life once I moved back home.
I am in no way regretting living life in faith.
I am just saying I would have put money aside for my future.
Now, so many good apps can help you save money, from $5.00 a month to hundreds of dollars to round-ups.
When I was still going on missions but working for a ministry, I started an account with Acorns.
It’s a money-saving app that is incredibly easy to use. Here is a link for Acorns. (If enough people sign up, I could get a small commission at no cost to you and you could get an $25 sign up investment from them.)
I have used Acorns for years. It’s easy to take your money out if needed, and you can set your investment at just $5.00 a week or round-ups for credit or debit transactions.
If I could take a time machine, I would invest $25 to $50 a month. I would start from the time I was 18 years old.
And then at 25, I would start putting in $100 a month. This is a great and easy way to start to prepare for you future no matter where you go or how old you are.
Caring too much that I will never fit in in both worlds.
If you plan on adapting to the culture and blending in when you move there your culture will change.
You will live in two worlds.
After I spent years in the field, adapted to the culture, and blended in, I was still an outsider.
I ate the same food and spoke fluently in the language. You would have thought I was born there if you had seen me on the street.
Locals would tell me I couldn’t understand because I wasn’t born there.
That was true.
I could always return to America if anything happened, like a war or a national disaster.
For them, that wasn’t true.
I was an outsider.
When I would come home to visit, life would be so foreign to me.
Culture, clothes, conversations, shopping.
I was living in two worlds and didn’t fit fully in either.
So, after years of feeling out of place in two worlds.
I stopped caring.
I started focusing on what I was doing and how God gave me a kingdom culture. (Kingdom culture to me means focusing on God’s culture above a country)
I couldn’t fit in either world fully, but I always fit into God’s plan.
So I accepted this, and when people would remind me, “You don’t understand because you’re not from here,” I would remember that I was first a child of God and not worry about it.
It no longer hurt my feelings.
Staying on the mission field for years without a break.
Now that I am half in and half out of missions, I live with new experiences.
One where vacation is given.
Not just a few days to get a stamp on your passport for your in country visa.
Literally, two to three weeks of vacation, holidays, and paid time off for medical.
Bear with me as I’m about to go on a little rant.
In missions, you are often expected to stay in that country for years without going home.
Only leaving for emergencies.
Please name a job where you would work for three years straight.
What would that human resources office look like?
This is abusive in many circumstances. It burns out missionaries faster than a bad boss.
After 10 years in missions and feeling burnt out, worn out, and tired, I stopped doing this.
I started to pray and ask God to help me.
I felt like God asked me, “Who asked you to stay without a break that long?”
Then I prayed and asked the Pastor I was working with if I could go home once a year. And I went home once a year.
My fears about the cost of the trip, supporters not agreeing with it, and the church staff all thought it would be good.
Instead of a decrease in support, I had an increase in support.
It changed everything; my outlook and burnout were gone, and I felt more rested.
So, if you’re starting in missions or have been on the field for years, think and pray about going home or at least on vacation once a year.
Don’t make the mistake I did and end up burnt out and frustrated for too many years because you didn’t rest.
Not understanding the effects of others being persecuted.
On the mission field, there is miscommunication, loneliness, and isolation, but those are things that can be understood.
Yet, when those you have prayed with to accept Christ begin to get persecuted for their choice, it’s extremely hard.
When you train and disciple Indigenous Christians, and they get arrested, kicked out by their families, disowned by Fathers or Mothers, fired.
It’s so hard.
When I began my life as a missionary, I signed up to live and die for Christ.
But when you disciple someone else and they become persecuted, it’s so painful and scary. You feel like you signed up for it, but they did not.
You want to save them, take their place. Do anything to stop them from suffering.
So what do you do?
Pray for strength for those persecuted, and remember that Christ is their Savior, not you.
Think about life after this one, an eternity with Christ.
Release them into the hands of God. And don’t let guilt into your heart or mind.
Not preparing to leave when I first get there.
I feel like I need to explain this a little more. This may be the most important thing you can do on the mission field.
It’s also the least talked about everywhere that I have been. Preparing to leave.
When you live in another country, you will always be a foreigner in that land.
It will never be your country. (I am not talking about getting citizenship, that’s different.)
Anything can happen.
War, laws, leadership, and nature can all end the service you provide in a country.
Once you arrive, start preparing to disciple and pray for those who will take over when you leave.
Don’t get trapped in a colonization missionary mentality.
The dictionary version of colonization is “the action or process of settling among the indigenous people. It also involves establishing control over them.”
Your way, your ministry, you know what they need.
This is why so many ministries have done damage to communities around the world.
They think they know what is needed, and don’t ask what is really needed.
This is colonization, not missions.
Change your thinking. Once you get there, prepare to leave.
Pray and seek God about someone who could take your place.
Disciple and mentor that person or group.
Build up leaders within those you are working with, discipleship.
Remember what Jesus said,
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
John 14:12-14
One of the most important things you can do in missions: is pray, disciple, and prepare others to follow Jesus.
And if you follow Jesus as our example, when he started his ministry, the first thing he did was gather others to teach and train them. He spent time investing in them and the ministry they will have.
As I mentioned above, prepare for your future and the future of those you serve by ensuring the programs or work you start will continue once you leave.
In conclusion, if you are preparing to start your missionary life or going on the field for a year or two, these tips can help you as you serve.
Recap
- Not preparing for my future: retirement, savings and a plan for future.
- Caring I will never fit in in both worlds.
- Staying on the mission field for years without a break.
- Not realizing the effects of others being persecuted.
- Not preparing to leave when I first get there.
- Not asking what they want or need
- Practical bonus. Remember the time difference on travel days.
Here are some related articles to read:
How to guide on breaking through language barriers on Missions
Am I called to missions? How to know guide.
Pack Light, Serve Big: Your Essential Guide to Mission Trip Packing
I would love to hear from you about mission trips you have been on. Please leave a comment and let me know if you would add anything to this article. I would love to hear from you.