Deputation Ministry
Being an independent Baptist missionary, we had to raise our own support before going to the field. I got on the phone and called Pastors of like faith and practice. I told them, who I was, what Bible School I graduated from, what country God called us to and what we would do when we got there. We presented our burden and vision to 150 churches and 50 of those churches took us on for support.
Once we received 90% of our level of support we packed up and took 2 of our 4 children with us and arrived in the Philippines on July 1, 1980. Once we arrived on the field we began to receive new support from churches each month for one year. Some churches will not begin their support until you reached your field.
We did not take a survey trip because we were definite of God's calling and that was all that mattered.
Deputation was a blessing and hard work. We never asked for money but only shared with the people what God had called us to do. We encouraged many Pastors and challenged the church to evangelize their own mission field around them.
I learned never to tell other missionaries who were on deputation what the percentage I had reached or how long I had been on the deputation trail. It would only discourage them. It may take you longer to raise your support than others. Stick with it!
New Missionary, never forget the time and the place where God called you to the field. There will be times when Satan's attracts will overwhelm you and you will be tempted to quit. Quitters never win and winners never quit. God never does anything to you, He always does things for you. Remember Romans 8:28 and 1 Thess. 5:18
There has never been a time when we ever regretted obeying the call to serve the Lord. We would have missed so much if we had said "no" to God during those years.