Life as a Modern Missionary

I wish I could say it's just like the biographies I read while preparing to come here. I wish I could say it's right out of the pages of Amy Carmichael's, Jim Elliot's, David Brainerd's, or Hudson Taylor's writings. I wish I could, but I can't...

There are some similarities- learning a new language, adapting to a new culture, feeling sick a lot of the time. Those things are still a part of it, but overall, I am coming to understand that the life of a modern missionary is quite different than those lived by missionaries of the past.

This week, for example, I have gotten to spend very little time with the children I actually came here to serve. Instead, I have stood in lines, waited in offices, gotten stuck in downtown traffic, and failed at a lot of attempts to get things done. So much of me gets easily frustrated when I lay down to sleep at night without having held a single orphan that day- and so I find myself wrestling with God about how much of my time is spent doing paperwork, errands, and administration. "This is not why I came here! I am here to care for orphans, and so my time should be spent doing just that!"

Problem is, I don't actually get to care for orphans if I don't stand in the lines, wait in the offices, stick in the traffic, and attempt to get things done. Those are necessary parts of the initial work of Special Hope Network here in Zambia. And in order for me to be faithful to that which God has called me to do- I must be patient during this time.

What has me encouraged, however, is the way patience seemingly pays off here in Lusaka. About two months ago, we walked into the Toyota dealership and bought a Land Cruiser. Since then, we have probably been back to Toyota about 25 times, and gone to visit most of the Zambian government buildings in this city in order to be able to actually take the car home with us. I cannot tell you how frustrating this process has been- but today, we finally got to drive away from Toyota with the truck. It was incredibly exciting, and a big milestone for Special Hope.

Probably not something that the old missionaries celebrated- but we, as modern missionaries, celebrate indeed God's providing this car, and it finally making its way through all the red-tape and into our driveway.