Facing Difficult Questions

A missionary family in Africa is greeting a local elder. One of the sons bows respectfully, and the elder responds by spitting on his head. What does it mean?

Another missionary family is perturbed by their house worker. When they ask her to cut roses for the table, she only ever brings withered, dying blooms. Why would she be so careless?

A husband and wife return from furlough to be suddenly and unfairly accused of serious crimes by the church they helped to start. Has God turned away from them?

Many confusing questions face missionaries. The consequences of going unprepared range from social embarrassment and broken relationships up to burnout and deep depression. We have heard these and many other stories from other missionaries over the last couple of weeks.

We are taking the Intercultural Communication Course offered by JAARS. We are in the second week of the course, and we are seeing what a great blessing God has given us. We are joined by about thirty other students who are going all over the world to spread God’s kingdom. There are also about 20 staff who bring many years of field experience and pour into us.

We have been coached about the importance of drinking deeply of the Living Water. We have explored the many different worldviews and their response to the Gospel. We have debated the methods of Biblical interpretation and application. We have laughed together at the cultural faux pas committed by the veteran missionary staff.

God has been present in our worship, our fellowship, our reflection, our tears; we are certain he is using this time to shape us like our pattern, Jesus Christ.

Time In Ohio

When we finish this course in mid-August, we will drive to Ohio to spend a couple of months. Our purpose is to visit friends, churches, and our team of supporters. We are looking for opportunities to see people, whether to just catch up or to share about God’s work in Honduras. We would love to see you!