People assume that missionaries get a lot of attention during festive period especially Easter and Christmas but over the years I have realized that it is not always so.
In our experience, I have realized that most festive period, we don’t really get much support and that has made us over the years reach out in support to some missionaries that we have reached out to in the course of the year or in the line of our work because if we experience it, then we are certain some even in more remote areas will experience it.
In fact, for urban center missionaries like us, it can be worse because everyone sees them and some still feel that the true missionary is the person in the interior villages not understanding that you are a missionary at the station God has sent you.
It is not the location that determines your missionary status, it is your posting and the assignment from God.
Quite a lot of missionaries don’t get support during festive period except from organizations that are deliberate about this and this can’t really go round.
So I am writing this article to draw the attention of believers to this as we prepare for the Easter celebration.
What are the few things that you can do to support a missionary?
1. Pray
I will always start with prayers. During the festive season, people are celebrating and having fun with their families, but missionaries that are not able to travel from their mission stations can feel alone or lonely and if they don’t manage this well, it can lead to discouraging thoughts especially on fields that are quite hard.
Your prayers for them
– is to be strengthened with might in their inner man.
– Ask that they will experience the love and comfort of God like never before.
– Ask that the Lord will speak to them and give them visions concerning what he wants them to focus on in the coming year.
– Ask that the blessing of the Lord be upon them.
-Pray also has led.
2. Reach Out with words of encouragement
It is a very good practice to send a letter, a video recording or any other means, with words just to encourage them and let them know that the work they are doing is recognized and it has eternal significance.
More than gifts, words of encouragement go a long way; not just casual overused words but thoughtful words from the heart.
Then you may also want to add some goofy dance, jokes, etc. just to make them have a good laugh.
3. Reach out to them through giving
Gift them food items, buy clothes for their children, give them some money as well…put them in your festive season budget. It doesn’t matter how little or much, let something reach them. It will ease the burden off their necks especially missionaries with children. The parents are the missionaries not the children, it is just good that the children also experience the season like any other child.
You can take it further by raising support for them for the coming months/year. Everyone knows how the New Year can be long and people generally go lean with their spending especially at the beginning of the year. You can be a mobilizer for them and share the work that they do with people, asking them to give towards it has led and decided.
4. Visit them
If you are able, you can also decide to go spend some time with them, not to preach but to just hang out with them. Experience what they experience daily, play some songs and just have fun in their station.
It can be lonely for some, so if you are able, spend some time with them. It will go a long way to strengthen them.
Visiting them will you give you proper perspectives on how to plan your support for the coming months/year.
Can you add more ways to be a blessing to missionaries at festive seasons?
I will love to hear from you, send me an email using topeomoniyi@gmail.com
Written by
Omoniyi Mayowa Temitope