The REASON I want to be a missionary...

[Rhoni]

I think it a hoot that everyone is deciding if I have a call to be a missionary and if I did whether I'm make a good one or not. For the record...I have no call to do anything but help in this area, but if God did call me then I am sure he would prepare me.

Now as far as the lives of missionaries: I have known many UPCI missionaries over the years and some had more material blessings on the field than they would have ever had in these United States. It all depends on the area you are called to. I knew missionaries who served in Africa who had pools, a housekeeper, and every modern convenience a person could have. They came home to beg money and live in a broken down RV.

Bro. & Sis. Alvear are in a very low economic area and they have family and lives there. They work as hard as any I know and I pray God give them many souls for their labor. I would not take away from their ministery and comparing us, as some of you did, was like comparing apples to oranges.

The only thing a degree does to help a missionary, is the same thing it does here in the United States; it gives open doors to minister in places that would otherwise be closed to you. For instance, TRFrance was speaking of teaching English as a second language as entrance into a foreign country to work while ministering. For me, the entrance to some foreign countries would be as a crisis counselor where a missions work would be blocked.

God uses degreed and undegreed people. God's qualifications for ministry exclude no one. The harvest truly is great, and the laborers are few...Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest.


If some of you had your way - no one would go because no one would be good enough. Thank God for Jesus who died to make those of us who were unworthy - worthy through His blood/righteousness.

Blessings,
Rhoni

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by dansamy

I don't get what having a secular degree has to do with other people being honest with the OP. I'm sure that many of us are degreed in varying fields. And all of us who do possess degrees can prove it. I read the whole thread, but I'll admit I am still confused about the "secular education" remarks from the OP.

Originally Posted by Rico

No comment!

Originally Posted by Oneness Man

Rhoni,

Wouldn't it be better if you do God's will rather than your will?

Originally Posted by Sassy

Wow...things are getting a little right around here!

Originally Posted by Oneness Man

Rhoni wants to be a missionary for the wrong reasons and if she did do it, would most probably fail. The only way that it would not fail is if she is doing God's will rather than her own.

Originally Posted by Sassy

I understand.....I truly believe it would be hard enough to be a missionary even in God's will. ALOT of sacrifices I have seen!

Originally Posted by Oneness Man

Sister Alvear has experience in being a missionary and from what she has posted, there are a lot of sacrifices to be made. I also think that there would also be a lot of benefits to being a missionary too. Now, I would never want to do this or any other type of ministry like this, but God has a calling for me that hasn't came to pass yet, and I believe that it will be very soon though.

Oneness man,

The difference between all these posters and myself is that I don't worry about what God is or isn't 'calling' me to do...he has already given the great commission and we are all responsible for going into all the world and preaching the gospel, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All of you waiting for God to say something He has already said is just laziness.

Blessings,
Rhoni

[dansamy]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

Nothing said about me on this forum is without prejudice because of what I do and how I defend the right to a secular education.

Sis., this is the post that confuzzled me. When I got to it, I went back and re-read the thread and saw no one bashing your secular education, so it seemed out of the blue to me. Perhaps, I am missing a months-long undercurrent of animosity that I am unaware of? What do you do that biases posters on this forum regarding you and your education?

I understand how your education would be applicable to foreign work and be a potential point of opening doors. That wasn't my point of confusion.

[Sister Alvear]

Rhoni, is a good person. Some took offence to the title and I feel misunderstood what she was trying to say and started giving advice and opinions.

I would love to have the privilege to sit down right now and talk with Rhoni she is very skilled in her profession.

I personally am for higher education. I have taken a few collage courses and nothing in books have affected my heart. Whatever that is taught different than the Bible I don´t pay any attention however we learn LOTS from good books. One of my best friends is studing to be a counsellor. She has studied several years and is keeping her books for me to read.

We all get bored at times, suffer burnout...even missionaries...

[OneAccord]

Originally Posted by Rico

This is so true. We all go through this struggle. It seems to get more and more difficult as we age. I've been struggling with this "purpose" issue myself for about the last ten years. I'm 41 now and feel as if I have wasted half my life. My biggest fear is waking up someday an old man and realizing that I never fulfilled the purpose God had for me in this life, especially when it comes to the Gospel. Surely God saved me for more than just posting my opinions on internet forums! I know I am called to preach to prisoners and am really struggling with how to move forward in this area, seeing as how I don't have anyone I am accountable to in ministry. It's one thing to be a maverick with my walk with God. It's another thing to get into a pulpit and have others rely on the things I say to show them God's way. I am torn between knowing God has chosen me to bring His truth to these men and the risk I take with these men's salvation if I go it alone.

This is true, but what is even more true (and scarry) is looking back and seeing where you have been and where you are now. I am 52 and I look back and remember the times when I stood in pulpits in many states and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I preached on radio, on street corners, in tents and in churches from Florida to Indiana. I've prayed for and with people who were sick (and saw them healed), lost (and saw them saved), bound by drugs and alcohol (and saw them delivered). I had a good wife, and a good family, and God was blessing. But today, I sit alone at a keyboard, because I disobeyed what I felt God had laid on my heart. Yeah, brother, not getting there is scarry. But being there at one time and not being there now is even scarrier.

I haven't read much of this thread, but what I sense in Rhoni is the same thing I sense in myself. And in the post quoted above- a longing to BE what God has called us to be. You see, I say "what God has called us to be" rather than "what God has God us to DO" because Paul said we are "living epistles read of all men". Anybody can preach, but not everyone can BE a preacher. Or a missionary. Rhoni has DONE much, but what I sense is a longing to BE rather than just to DO. Course, in all fairness, I see Rhoni has being in the perfect place to BE something great for God. Educated, committed, wow... fully equpped to be of great service to the Kingdom of God. How I'd love to be there. See? there it is.... that longing. That desire. The poster above wants to work with prisoners. Then don't just DO it - BE it! Don't have all the details worked out? Thats not your job. You just provide the loaves and fishes....leave it to the Lord to feed the multitudes. Theres a difference in BEING a missionary and in DOING missionary work. BEING an evangelist is vastly different than DOING evangelistic work.

We should simply present our bodies as a living sacrifice and leave it to him to work it out. I don't want to just "occupy" til He come. I want to BE all I can BE for the Lord. I want to start a library. I want to start a magazine. I want to help evangelists in their ministries. But I can do none of that til He works out the details. All I can do at this point is what Sis. Rhoni is doing. And what Bro. Rico is doing. And what we ALL should be doing. I am praying, "Lord. here am I, send me"!

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by OneAccord

This is true, but what is even more true (and scarry) is looking back and seeing where you have been and where you are now. I am 52 and I look back and remember the times when I stood in pulpits in many states and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I preached on radio, on street corners, in tents and in churches from Florida to Indiana. I've prayed for and with people who were sick (and saw them healed), lost (and saw them saved), bound by drugs and alcohol (and saw them delivered). I had a good wife, and a good family, and God was blessing. But today, I sit alone at a keyboard, because I disobeyed what I felt God had laid on my heart. Yeah, brother, not getting there is scarry. But being there at one time and not being there now is even scarrier.

I haven't read much of this thread, but what I sense in Rhoni is the same thing I sense in myself. And in the post quoted above- a longing to BE what God has called us to be. You see, I say "what God has called us to be" rather than "what God has God us to DO" because Paul said we are "living epistles read of all men". Anybody can preach, but not everyone can BE a preacher. Or a missionary. Rhoni has DONE much, but what I sense is a longing to BE rather than just to DO. Course, in all fairness, I see Rhoni has being in the perfect place to BE something great for God. Educated, committed, wow... fully equpped to be of great service to the Kingdom of God. How I'd love to be there. See? there it is.... that longing. That desire. The poster above wants to work with prisoners. Then don't just DO it - BE it! Don't have all the details worked out? Thats not your job. You just provide the loaves and fishes....leave it to the Lord to feed the multitudes. Theres a difference in BEING a missionary and in DOING missionary work. BEING an evangelist is vastly different than DOING evangelistic work.

We should simply present our bodies as a living sacrifice and leave it to him to work it out. I don't want to just "occupy" til He come. I want to BE all I can BE for the Lord. I want to start a library. I want to start a magazine. I want to help evangelists in their ministries. But I can do none of that til He works out the details. All I can do at this point is what Sis. Rhoni is doing. And what Bro. Rico is doing. And what we ALL should be doing. I am praying, "Lord. here am I, send me"!

My brother, I'm not sure what has happened in your past, but it is vividly clear to me that you have a gift RIGHT NOW of bridge building! You always bring peace to situations on this forum that are in turmoil, and you have this wonderful ability to see the good in everyone and every situation.

When I was reading this post, this is the scripture that came to my mind, and I truly believe that this is part of your ministry:

ISAIAH 58:12And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

[OneAccord]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

My brother, I'm not sure what has happened in your past, but it is vividly clear to me that you have a gift RIGHT NOW of bridge building! You always bring peace to situations on this forum that are in turmoil, and you have this wonderful ability to see the good in everyone and every situation.

When I was reading this post, this is the scripture that came to my mind, and I truly believe that this is part of your ministry:

ISAIAH 58:12And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Ahhh, brother, if half of what you said here were true, I'd feel pretty good. I'm nothing more than you're average "arm chair quarterback". I can't do, but I'm sure good at telling what I think should be done. I appreciate the verse you posted. I really like that, and, hope, in some small way, I can one day measure up.


BTW, are you THE Michael Phelps or are you that guy that one some kind of metal for swimming?

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by OneAccord

Ahhh, brother, if half of what you said here were true, I'd feel pretty good. I'm nothing more than you're average "arm chair quarterback". I can't do, but I'm sure good at telling what I think should be done. I appreciate the verse you posted. I really like that, and, hope, in some small way, I can one day measure up.


BTW, are you THE Michael Phelps or are you that guy that one some kind of metal for swimming?

I was Michael Phelps for 23 years before THAT Michael Phelps (the medal winner) even came along!

Originally Posted by Rhoni

Oneness man,

The difference between all these posters and myself is that I don't worry about what God is or isn't 'calling' me to do...he has already given the great commission and we are all responsible for going into all the world and preaching the gospel, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All of you waiting for God to say something He has already said is just laziness.

Blessings,
Rhoni

Rhoni...my remarks were just in general.(as for being a missionary)
I was just really responding back to oneness man.

Only you know what the call for your life is....that is why haven't responded directly to you in this thread. But I also realize that you were throwing a thought out ....not that you were packing your bags tomorrow. I do that sometimes....but I guess the people around me know well enough to know what I am doing...just thinking.
I am sure you will do the right thing.

[A_PoMo]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

1. Because there is always something to do.
2. Because life in these United States is getting unbearable; between the abortion, homosexuality, addictions, and financial crisis...
3. There is a 'hunger' in other nations, and we are spoiled here. Even though we have the best of everything we gripe.

I feel a change coming but don't know how, when, or where...but it's coming.

If you feel this way about the US then make fer sur you don't go to an industrialized Westernized country, especially Europe cuz they're way worse than the US in terms of all the things you've mentioned here.

If you have the missionary urge why not try to learn to connect with and minister to post-modern generations in the US? It's like being on the misison field. It's a whole different world.