How do I get all the training done and keep my current job?
At some point, each potential missionary must take a leap of faith.
Each journey from “Send me!” to “Here we go!” is going to look different. There is no one way that missionary candidates transition out of their employment to support-raise full-time.
Often it starts gradually, working the support-raising plan in free time, weekends, days off, etc. When families get their support to a survival level, some people work less or change jobs, or just one spouse works.
Sometimes missionary recruits move in with friends or family during their support-raising process, which can be an extremely sweet and necessary time of connection before the missionaries venture so far away.
Some bosses are extremely understanding, flexible, and accommodating. More commonly, at some point the potential missionary takes a step of faith. They leave their jobs and trust that God, who called them into obedience in His Kingdom, will take care of everything they need.
It’s a faith they will use every day on the field.
Do we have to sell our house?
Our house is a major financial investment, but it’s also our haven in the proverbial storm.
Not necessarily. Sometimes missionaries decide it’s worth it to them to find a reliable manager who will oversee a house rental while they’re on the field.
So not everyone decides they need to sell their house, and as long as the logistics and upkeep don’t become a distracting burden, that’s a perfectly fine decision.
But there’s a bigger question here, too. Often, what someone who asks this question really wants to know is, “What if this whole missions thing is not for me?”
When we buy a house, it’s a big deal. It’s a major decision, and then we flood that home with our memories and art and sense of home. Our house is a major financial investment, but it’s also our haven in the proverbial storm.
This cross-cultural ministry thing is huge. It’s a big step, requiring wave upon wave of sacrifice, reflection, refinement, and pure blind faith.
So, we understand that it’s hard to walk away from that. And we’re not going to tell you what you have to let go of to follow Christ into the unreached parts of the world.
But we are going to challenge you to pray, seek, and discern the WHYs of your choices.
For more information, to take the next step, or to ask your own question, fill out this quick, no-obligation profile.
In what circumstances would you see a benefit in keeping property in your home country? How do you think it could get in the way of effective ministry? Let us know in the comments.
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