** This week I continue my missions Top 10 of how to set yourself up for success while on the field. Obviously this is not comprehensive, but should serve as a good guideline to help every missionary thrive both personally and with their ministry.
Number 2
When someone accepts the call of missions on their life, at that point you know they truly are a special creature! It takes a special person to move to a foreign place, potentially learn a foreign language, eat foreign food and live as a… foreigner. Throw in living off support and raising your own funds and it makes for an interesting life to navigate. To say the least…
Being a missionary truly is a life shift from what most people are accustomed to. More like a life overhaul actually. Long gone are the days of living in the same town as parents and friends. The days of not getting lost and being able to navigate roads are a thing of the past. Or how about being able to complete a “To Do” list in one day. Yeah, that one day “To Do” list turns into the month list overseas.
It can be easy to fill inefficient, incompetent and any other “in” you want to throw in there. Last week I talked about communion as the number one thing to thriving on the field. This week, I give you number two.
A PLACE OF REFUGE
For some people this might be a home, or maybe an apartment or maybe for some it’s just a room. Some of you laugh because your thinking my refuge is the CLOSET inside of the room that you share. Whatever and wherever it might be, we all need a place of refuge. A refuge by definition is a place of safety and shelter away from anything that could be harmful. I look at it like this… Your refuge is the place you can go to find peace. To clear your mind. A place where things feel right and comfortable. That place where the world slows down, distractions are laid aside and peace is embraced.
I remember living in China and the constant mayhem that can be Chinese culture. The thing about China was that you could just never get away from people. They were everywhere. I grew up in the piney woods of East Texas so this was even more magnified to me. I made having my own apartment a priority for me in China so I budgeted accordingly. You can’t have it all while your on the missions field, so you HAVE to prioritize what you know you need. I knew I needed a place of refugee. A place that was comfortable and familiar. A place that looked like me and smelled like me. My apartment in China was a life saver. It was a wonderful place of refuge and peace for me. I might have gone insane without it.
Some of you can’t afford your own place or for whatever reasons can’t have your own place. I understand that. My main point is to prioritize that place of refuge wherever it might be and whatever it might look like. It could be a coffee shop or a friends house or a certain quiet street that has beautiful landscaping. The location really doesn’t matter as much as making sure that in the craziness and chaos of missions, you know there is always a place you can go to find peace, refreshing and rest. What you will find is that those who prioritize having that place of refuge are the ones who stay fresh, stay inspired and stay committed. We all want to be that person! So take the step towards refuge… You will be so glad you did!
Marvin Slaton – Modern Day Director
