WHAT ABOUT
THOSE OLD MISSIONARIES
THAT HAVE RETURNED FROM THEIR FIELD,
AFTER GIVING THEIR ALL FOR SO MANY YEARS?
Let's begin
with Dr. David Snyder,
President/General Director of BIMI, open letter in the BIMIWORLD.
In the beginning remarks of my
Introduction I said, "Can I give you some
good ideas on how to support missionaries, whether they be home missionaries or
those who go abroad. Short term or life time missionaries. How about National
missionaries or National Pastors. As you can see this subject is very broad
and complex."
I hope you have read the above article Dr. David Snyder wrote in the BIMIWORLD Number 1, 2012. I have highlighted the part that pertains to me. We like many at that time focused on the work and gave what God had given us through our supporting churches and friends in light of our Lord's soon return. Savings, investments, IRAs, etc., etc. and retirement never entered our thinking. We gave it our all.
So, we had to leave our field of service (Our situation) with all our worldly goods in a 4X4X8 wooden container facing the challenge to buy a house, a car and start all over again setting up housekeeping etc., etc. We had to choose between being a greeter at Walmart or continue to fulfill our lifetime commitment to serve the Lord until He takes us home. We and all the missionaries that we know chose the latter, trusting God to supply all our needs.
Once in the States we began to see some of our supporting churches drop our support for various reasons. Some just dropped us without any notice. Others cut the support 15%, then 50%, then it finally dropped to nothing. One church told us they would continue to support us until the Lord called us home. That was encouraging to us both but we never heard from them again. On the other hand some of our churches are faithful each month with their support.
When we started out back in 1980 many of our close friends faithfully supported us but most of those friends have now gone on to heaven.
One of our churches kept lowering our support until it got down to $15. The pastor called me and asked me if it would hurt us if they would drop our support so they could take on a new missionary. After a short conversation I told the Pastor, "You are dropping our support when we need it the most. We are unable to go out and raise that needed support because churches are not interested in supporting an old missionary not on the field." Please forgive me for being so candid.
So, my thoughts are this, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Churches need to put themselves in the shoes of their missionaries and ask themselves "What would I want my supporters do to me?"
Remember, when a church lessens their support or drops it, that missionary cannot replace that support. Question, if you were that missionary, who has been on the field faithfully serving the Lord, and had to return to the States because of failing health, what would you want those supporting churches do? There is no question what your answer would be.