The past several months have been more draining than usual. Part of that is because there seems to be no relief from gang violence in sight as kidnappings and gang wars continue to rage on, making certain parts of Haiti very high risk and other parts of Haiti simply more difficult. Part of it is the pressure of the continually increasing cost of living for an already extremely poor nation. Part of it is that locally we are the only missionary family still full-time in the area, which brings definite loneliness from time to time. And another part of it is keeping hope alive for all that God has put on our hearts to see happen in our community even though it seems like “bad news” just keeps flowing. So in light of all of this, the question that was rising in our hearts was “how do we keep going? Move forward? Endure?”
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
At the beginning of June our family had the great honor and privilege of going to a missionary conference at a beautiful all-inclusive resort in Cancun, Mexico. Talk about a totally different world than our mountains of Gwo Cheval, Haiti! There were luxurious rooms and pools and ocean and fun for the kids and all sorts of delicious foods to enjoy at any time of day! We got to reconnect with some dear friends of ours (also missionaries in Haiti just a different part and because of gang activity we haven’t been able to hang out in person) and we got to meet SO many like-hearted missionaries from all across the world. There were sessions of worship and teaching and prayer ministry as well as a “kids’ club” during those times so that us adults could concentrate a little bit more. It was literally a dream come true for us. But the thing that we were looking forward to the most, was hearing from the speakers who had been scheduled to be there.
The ones who shared have been missionaries on the field for 30+ and 40+ years… and still actually love God and people. We have met a few very long-term missionaries before, but most seem completely drained and very angry. But these men and women love Jesus and love people and have given their lives to do what God has told them to do. How do we end up like THAT? What is the secret? What are the “5 steps” to staying long-term on the mission field? How do we avoid burn out? How do we keep our marriage and family healthy? How do we keep loving the people we serve day in and day out? How do we find joy in the hard and mundane? How do we keep going? The truth they shared was simple and yet deeply life-giving.
Know God more.
That’s it. That’s what it all boiled down to.
Each one told this group of a couple hundred full-time, over 5 years on the field missionaries in their own unique ways that the only way to endure in ministry… and really in life… is to know God more. To seek His face. To get in His presence. To see that as you know God more, you’ll realize that there is so much more to know of Him. And then at the end of every session we all sought God together. We cried out for Him to meet with us… to strengthen our hearts… to bring healing to our aching souls… to wash over us with His Holy presence… to help us drink deeply of His living water. And you know what? God met with us. He opened our hearts to deeper revelations of who He is… our perfect Heavenly Father. Our Savior. Our King. Our Counselor. Our Mighty God. Our Peace that passes all understanding. Our Justice. Our Strength. Our Endurance.
And so we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We give everything we are FIRST to knowing Him, seeking His kingdom, learning to abide. We soak in His presence, lean in to learn His voice more clearly, immerse ourselves in His Word. We endure only by His strength. We surrender ourselves fully to Him and embrace all that it means to pick up our cross for the joy set before us. Only to Him, through Him and by Him can we endure and walk fully in the calling He has placed on our lives. God is calling each one of us to lean more fully into Himself… to walk in obedience by His grace… to keep moving forward by His strength... to endure.
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”