Don't Ignore this!

Note: I asked some of our students and trainees to review one of my articles and tell me what they think about mission. I just can't help but publish this. Please read to the end. I have chosen to publish it the way it was written; although it has a few errors, you can't resist the fact that this young missionary has had an indelible experience. You can let me have your thoughts after reading. Be blessed. 

WHY BECOME A MISSIONARY?

I recently, read about three (3) xaverian missionary nuns murdered in some part of Africa over the weekend. Women, who gave up everything in life, choose to follow the Lord even in their their old age. The same people they came to help raped and murdered them in cold blood. How sad can this be!? They loved the people, villagers and children; shared the gospel with them and yet they died for the course of Jesus Christ. I will say they were women in love with God and those they served.

Mission can be said or define as the act of sending. To send someone, or group of people to carry out a mission or an assignment in a place or a particular country. Or to be a witness in an event, cross-culture, preaching, educate, give healthcare, evangelize or give service to a group of people or a village. Been called to do mission, is indeed a privilege to be involved in God and the things of God. It is a great opportunity to be called a missionary and to do mission.

Who is called to do mission? A missionary is one who is called to do mission, follow Jesus Christ in total service to God. Also a person who dedicate his or her life in total fulfillment to God, by preaching, teaching, making disciples, spreading the gospel of Christ with everyone he or she comes in contact with. When you are called to mission, you should have great knowledge about serving God and his people. As a missionary, you sacrifice your life, food, money and material possessions for the people you are called to serve. As a missionary you are expected and required to go extra miles to making them happy and comfortable in their state of living. It is your duty  to lead them to Christ, share the gospel with them, let them know that God cannot and did not forget or abandon them in their present living condition. Being a missionary, you live with them, eat with them, respect their cultures and traditions; yet show them the way that leads to Christ. God picks who He wants to use to do His work; as a missionary, you did not send yourself to your primary assignment. God choose you for the job, you are there to meet the need of His children; God expect us to minister, love, care, educate, provide, preach and teach His people who He (God) is. He sent you for His purpose, so as to bring mankind back to Him.

Everyone loves comfort. Nobody wants to go through the hard and painful life or being uncomfortable, when he or she has all it takes to be comfortable. A lot of people left the comfort of their homes, beds, good living and the amazing luxuries of their fantastic jobs; all in the name of doing missions. Being a missionary, you are called to service and living a hard life. A great man used to say to me “my dear, you need to suffer now so that you can enjoy tomorrow.” I left the comfort of my country, home, family, life, job, business and relationships just so that I can be here. I didn’t like the fact that I could not wear my pretty dresses, fantastic high heel shoes; carry my designer bags, nice hair-do like and etc. When I look back now, I tell myself that it all doesn’t matter anymore to me now. In life, you sometimes don’t have a need of so many things; you need to be uncomfortable if you want to see the glory of God in your life. He expect you to give up things you love so much; like putting it in the garbage can and putting on the clothing of service and also getting dirty and messed up by doing missions.

I have heard a lot of things happening to missionaries today;  how the women and young ladies are been raped and killed, young men got killed in the course of serving God. Trust me, it is so much risk and many people are afraid to come to give help to the people in need. The risk of walking on the street without knowing what awaits you, the risk of helping some kids in a village and some men in that village come to you, saying “if you don’t allow me sleep with you we will kill all the kids in your care”. What will you do? Will you let them kill the kids or save them and let them have you? In life, we all go have to go through or take some kind of risk and ask God to help us overcome it. In all, if you are a lover of God you will know that this life I have is not mine, but it belong to the lord; you will do anything that will please the lord. You may say to yourself I am going for mission, and will return back in peace; that is what I call faith. God always makes a way for His own, and shows up in time. So people; what is worth doing is worth doing well. Choose this day who you will serve, for me; I will serve the lord my God who made the heavens and the earth.

The life that I live today does not belong to me, God gave this life so that I can use it to glorify His name; and also use it to bless the lives of many generations born and yet to be born. I never knew I had the grace of God upon my life to serve Him. As a young fresh graduate, I had dreams of working and owning my business; in the course of planning and also trusting the lord for open doors after my service to my country. I will like to be established, I knew I couldn’t do it alone but I need God to carry me on.  I can still recall how He sounded to me, when I asked Him what will be the next chapter of my life; and He said to me, give me one (1) full year of your service and see what becomes of you after then. That is how come I am called to do missions.

I have seen things in this country, how kids walk several kilometers to school and walk back home after the close of school; they walk to church and everywhere without shoes on their feet. It is heartbreaking, how this people feed, what they put on their body and yet happy with life. I saw and still see little babies and kids without cloths on and even when they do, you see that it is total rags, playing in weather that is 16 degrees Celsius, yet happy in the cold. It is amazing how God preserve them. They say primary education is free for all in most countries in Africa today, but yet some kids can’t even get it free or afford to go to school. I saw some kids in the course of my visit to the villages; they have never seen a real building or been in school since birth yet many of them are about 8-10 years old. And I felt for them, and cried to God to help me sponsor some kids; which I have done and there is great joy in my heart. Because, I have been able to help a child to get a good education in life. I see the older people, no way of getting help, food, cloth, shoes, and good living conditions.  Their homes have no roof, some roofed with banana leaves and when the rain comes, they sleep in it with their children like that. While so many of us have beautiful homes, expensive televisions, classy phones and so on. Some don’t even have bicycles but we have all the exotic cars, not one but cars.

I challenge all those out there to give to missions, you may just be saving a child, helping a family or saving a whole Christian village at large. When I was still back home, I was told how some people, old, young, families, kids and villages need help. I did not understand it. But I know better now. So many of us can’t come for missions; but we can be part of missions. I encourage you to support, and help the kids in need of your help and you will get your rewards in hundred folds. 

I love this mission of God, In my next world, if there is anything like that, I will do mission. Mission it is.

OM.