Nevertheless, the director of the missions program encouraged me to tell the students what I had learned in my first year of missions work. So I set about the task of preparing for this opportunity.
I tried to be very practical when coming up with this list. What follows are some more of my thoughts:
Think Long-Term
Don't allow yourself to believe that results will be quick and easy. We were told by some seasoned missionaries not to attempt any ministry endeavors for the first year. They said we should concentrate on becoming acclimated to the language and the culture.
It was great advice. Although we did do some ministry, we limited it to a few things. It kept us from doing more harm than good. This doesn't provide incredible stories for newsletters, but it's an important first step.
We just explained to our supporters that we were told not to expect to see any fruit for the first couple of years. God was very gracious in that we did see fruit, sometimes in spite of ourselves.
It took Jesus three and one-half years just to get the message over to His small group (the disciples). And even then they didn't get it some of the time!
But the process worked...eleven of those twelve changed the world as we know it. Jesus was committed to the long-term process because He knew that a process has the power to change people.
We need to approach our ministry as a process, especially as it concerns the people to whom we are called to minister.
Study a Map
You should know a little about the layout of the land where you are going. This will be an enormous benefit to you. You should know where you are in relation to other cities/countries.
For instance, we had only been in Germany for a few months when I was invited over to a person's house. The directions were given to me in the typical European style, "Take the Autobahn Koln-Bonn, direction Siegburg..."
I got horribly lost because I didn't know how to make sense of them. And the language barrier made it difficult for me to understand more precise instructions.
Now when someone tells me that I am to take the Autobahn, direction Koblenz, I at least know I'm headed south.
Knowing the layout of the land also helps when talking to the locals. Sometimes they talk of towns, cities and rivers as if you should know where they are located. And they sometimes become frustrated when you don't!
Assume the Position of a Learner
I have found favor sometimes just because I ask the people to help me discover their culture. I often ask them if what I've heard about their culture is true. People love talking about themselves. It's the same when talking about their country.
We were in Texas for seven years before moving to Germany. I learned that no matter where you are in the world, if you meet another Texan, you're family. And Texans love talking about their state (and rightly so!).
It's the same with the people we minister to. You don't want a travel agent - someone who's only read about it in a book - leading you through a foreign country; you want a tour guide - someone who's been there. Besides, no one likes a know-it-all, especially when the know-it-all is a foreigner.
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