What a missionary should be?

Whatever you do, don't look at me!

For starters, I am a terrible entertainer (missionaries are meant to be masters of hospitality, right?). I'm not much of a cook and my house is generally a mess. Our dishes are mismatched and our chairs creak and groan (I'm not keen to update when it is all just put back into storage). Besides, the kids are noisy and it just plain stresses me out. And that's in Australia.

But, we gladly put such excuses aside for one type of people - those interested in missions. We bring out a simple (ie fail-proof) Sunday lunch of fresh salad sandwiches and listen to their journey of faith so far.

Our most recent visitors were a newly married couple with great questions. But it was getting tough to talk over the kids who were bored in the newly tidied house. As my frustration grew, I suddenly thought to ask the kids if they'd like to answer some questions. They were keen to talk about Cambodia - for them, it is home and they are keen to get back there. With their seemingly boundless energy focused on communicating, I slipped away to chop the salad which I had not prepared in advance.

After it all, there was one question that remained with me. "What is your greatest challenge as a missionary?" The answer was immediate and clear. "Not meeting my own expectations of what a missionary should be." As a mother of young children, I feel like such a pretend missionary living out a life that can be easily transported to another context without my main role or even my key relationships changing at all! It is tempting to look at the work and lives of others and wish I could be as "good" as them.

Yet, a missionary "should" be someone who is (by grace) faithful to whatever God has called them to. Not distracted by the need or by the works of others but commited to the call and the One who calls. Then, there will be no mismatch of expections and enterprise.

Mothers take note!