Advice to new missionaries

[Sister Alvear]

In a missions course I did many years ago I had to make a speech. This was part of it. Since my original computer was stolen I do not have the references I quoted from but anyway I did have a copy of the speech thought some might enjoy reading...

"HELPING A FOREIGN PEOPLE"


To be able to help a people one must understand at least a part of their way of life, customs, traditions, and background. If not, we generally approach them from our way of life. It is the opinion of this author that this has been one of the main hindrances to productive missionary service. So many times the missionary has set up " his home " in " their country " as soon as gets to the field. Expressions such as “these people “and closer home, “the Brazilians “, (or any other nationality of people) have cut the missionary off from being one of them. He has from the start placed the people apart from himself and his way of life. I have heard it said many times by missionaries, “I will not change my life or customs for the people…" and a large percentage never do! That is why they often fail in their missionary endeavors.
The great Apostle Paul understood the values and cultures were different to each group of people. An example of this is when he circumcised Timothy because of the Jews in Acts: 16:3, but did not compel Titus to be circumcised. Gal: 2:3. This was not incoherency (contradiction) on the part of Apostle Paul but a demonstration of the scripture that says, “He that winneth souls is wise."


There are some things such as the plan of salvation that never changes for any people. The way we present the message must relate to the people we are working among. No doubt that is why Jesus spoke so often in parables when He was teaching.

Their language became His language. Most Brazilians believe it is wrong to own a gun or rifle while many North American homes display guns and rifles both in their living rooms and cars. Many Brazilians think it is wrong to have birds in cages, others think it is wrong to buy a ball of any type for a child and for a girl to ride a bicycle would be, in their eyes, a great sin. Brazilians consider Americans cold natured because when they meet they do not hug and kiss one another. Brazilians are constantly hugging and kissing one another because this is a part of their nature and culture. The Brazilians culture causes them to choose rice and beans while the American choose potatoes and hamburgers.

The nationals regard the missionary as a foreigner- a stranger with odd customs from a far away land. He is not identified with the people unless he decides from the very beginning, “I will identify myself with the people that God has called me to work among. The missionary must divorce himself from his own culture and customs for he is not taking a culture to another country, but he is taking the WORD OF GOD.
Christ always identified Himself with the people. Oh, the adaptable Christ.

The love of God is for the whole world, for each human being. He does not see any one group of people better than another group neither does He love any one group of people better than another group. It is our job on earth to manifest his love to all nations.
I
n order to be able to pray intelligently for a people and most certainly to be able to win them to Christ, it is absolutely essential to understand them and way of life. For it is Christ we are taking to them. He is becoming to all kinds of cultures. It is He who breaks the bonds we are unable to break, but we need to know and understand something about the superstitions, fears, traditions, and customs that so bind them. The native has to be taught how God looks at human life and behavior. He has to learn what sin really is. "Oh", says the child of centuries of Christian background, "that is very easy; his own conscience would tell him what sin is." Oh, no it won't! Conscience is trained by background, until it is yielded to the Holy Ghost. A difficulty that missionaries often face is the nationals conception of what sin really is, which so many times differs whit our opinion. Once they hear and understand the wonder of the Christ child, their conception of a newborn babe will take on a new significance. Once they lay down their idol gods and embrace the Christian faith and experience the precious Holy Ghost baptism life will have a new meaning and a new value, for the life of a pagan has little value except to his own people. With the Holy Ghost experience a new conception of their old ways of life will take place.


The setting up of Christian homes will revolutionize their entire way of life. All the terrible satanic influence of the witchdoctor and Catholic Priest will disappear because evil spirits no longer control their homes and lives. Their homes will never be North American homes, but they will be Christian homes indwelt by Christy Himself.
The missionary that never learns the language is of little or no use in a foreign land. For the missionary's sole purpose is to reach a people that have not yet been reached with the precious Gospel. How can he effectively reach souls if cannot speak their language? How can one transmit that which is in the heart if he cannot express himself in the language? One of the most important things is learning to communicate fluently.


It has always been our custom to speak Portuguese around our people. Our home has become a Brazilians home. Our prayers are prayed in Portuguese. Our friends at home, who send us off to foreign shores with adulation and tears over our sacrifice, throw us out of step with the drumbeat of His army. They are apt to give us the idea our particular jar is really a vase; less of earth and more of porcelain, you understand. Then the Lord has the unpleasant task of getting us back into step with His drumbeat. Before we can show off our jewel, we must thoroughly learn that we ourselves are but earthen jars. And our fellow missionaries must be patient with us while we are learning. Anyone who comes to the mission field with even a subconscious idea that he or she is someone special is due for a crucifixion experience. That one will not be useful to the Lord until he receives it. It would be good if anyone planning to come and work on a mission filed could take a few lessons on mission work from some Bible school that gives guidance along these lines.
When a missionary is going through a crucifixion experience it will be a burden to have to live with him; for he may be forgetful, remorse, and irritable- and always critical. He may even write to the friends in the homeland criticizing the work on the field. This is generally the hardest thing for the resident missionary to take. After all, the resident missionary is usually the one that has labored sometimes years to bring the Christians to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.