LETTERS MISISONARIES NEVER WRITE - Frederick L. Kosin

LETTERS MISISONARIES NEVER WRITE
Frederick L. Kosin
Copyright 2002, DIME Publishers

This is a collection of letters missionaries do not write. It is not as if the author found them on their desk or in their computer as they travelled visiting missionaries. They are letters the author found they should have written if we Christians at home are not always expecting them to be super-saints.

I’m listing out the struggles the different missionaries have, and how to pray for them. Check out the book for a full understanding.

A MISSIONARY CANDIDATE
He thought he knew it all because of all the education on missions. He feels that he is God’s gift to missionaries. Most missionaries would be the last ones to want this person on the field with all the answers for all the problems.

A MISSIONARY ON DEPUTATION
People who’re trying to go to the mission field, but not having enough support from local church or Christian organizations.

A SHORT TERM MISSIONARY
People who goes on short term missions, exposed to different cultures and living standards. As much as his perspective has been changed during the trip, there’re ulterior motives on the trip. Some of us went on Short term mission trip for social purposes.

A NEW MISSIONARY
This person has just been deployed to the mission field, and thought he/she could do it all: care for the sick, pray for the villagers. He/she was upset that the older missionaries turned down people who came to ask for help during their Sabbath day and time, who refused to give offerings to the beggars in the road. At the same time, he/she is not ready to share with the committee back home, because everyone thought everything will be alright with him/her

A VETERAN MISSIONARY
Veteran missionaries have worked the field long enough and were able to see some fruits in their work. However, when new missionaries came, they thought they knew it all and tried to change all the methods of the veteran missionaries. They had parcels sent them from home, and some were busy building their home. Veteran missionaries wondered why they need all those ‘luxurious’ stuff since they’re in the mission field.

A MISSIONARY KID “MK”
These are missionary kids who went to the field because both parents have decided to be missionaries. At a young age, they left their culture, family and friends. They went to a new culture, and some of the missionary parents sent them to boarding school. Some even overheard that they are the ‘obstacles’ for the parents to carry on work in the field. Some missionaries chose to ‘home-school’ their kids, but lost most of the time doing that, than doing work in the fields.

When the missionaries finally left for home, or went back on furloughs (short breaks after several years of working the field), these kids struggled to fit into their own home town. They don’t play the games they used to play in the field, and are not acquainted with the trends or games at their own home. The education is different, too. Some MKs may stray from their faith when they grew up.

A MISSIONARY ON FURLOUGH
These are missionaries who have come back from the field, and are resting for a period of time (maybe 1 year). They are disappointed with the lack of passion for missions back at home. The news of their work in the church bulletin is several years old, and their recent updates were not publicized. Churches are not too excited to hear their reports. They have got their pulpit full of sermons they wanted to preach. These people longed for serious discussion of missions and a substantial exchange in the Scriptures. They felt the year back home is wasted, and would like to go back to the mission field to resume work quickly.

A MISSIONARY MOTHER
A missionary lady who went to the field with much passion to serve the field. After marriage, her work is reduced greatly to only taking care of the kids, while her husband will be in full effectiveness in reaching out the land. She battled with the thought that she’s not fulfilling the Lord’s calling by being a mother in the mission field. The communication line with her husband has also been greatly destroyed because of her ‘sick’ mentality.

‘SHIPWRECKED’ MISSIONARIES
A missionary couple who had to come back home because they have ‘failed’. She felt that her talents has been undermined because her task is greatly reduced to taking care of the kids in the mission field. He is greatly excited about the work in the field. However, the line of communication between the two was broken because she was bitter, and he felt that she was not excited to hear about his work at all. As a result, the marriage was broken, and they found comfort with others’ company – he with his office secretary, she with the local gardener who came to visit and understand how she’s feeling.

They had to come back to home, to rescue their marriage. Most Christians at home looked at them with ‘judging’ eyes. However, few offered their assistance, and their marriage was restored.

A RETIRED MISSIONARY
Things have changed much for these people. They were not acquainted with the changes at home – cultural, economical, even the way things are run at church. People are not interested in asking them for advices, even though they have been missionaries in the field, with many insights to the work of the Lord. Now they rarely have someone to talk to at home, only excited occasionally by letters sent to them with missionaries in the field, coz they can offer some encouragements to them.

A FAILED MISSIONARY
A missionary with medical expertise entered the land and was enthusiastically serving the Lord by seeing the sick. In order to see the increased number of patients that were coming, he opened the clinic earlier (skipping breakfast and quiet times) and didn’t stop until the last patient were seen. The children are seeing less of him, and he didn’t get to communicate with his wife properly. After 2.5 years, he began to feel so tired and exhausted. By the time they were there for 3 years, they could not continue anymore. He was not doing well spiritually, and staying there would not help much. So, he’s home.

A MISSIONARY WIDOW
Her husband died in the mission field. He had been the great evangelist, effective and efficient in leading the locals. They had had dreams on how to end it all together in good tones, but suddenly he left first. The people in the field do not seem to miss him, or felt a loss of his talents and effectiveness. She’s concerned about leaving the field and the work half-done. She’s at lost and not sure what to do.

A PREPARED MISSIONARY
A missionary couple who spent decades in their home church before being deployed to the mission field. They engaged themselves with leadership positions in church and marketplace, keeping simple lifestyle and ‘vision’ that they will one day be deployed to the mission field.

The years of preparation do them good. They went into the field being well prepared and were able to fully utilize their ‘trainings’ at home. Whenever they were home on furlough they were again welcomed back into the leadership and continued to learn as well as add insights they had gained on the field.

Part 2 will come as to how to pray for these missionaries, and what helpful actions we can do for them.