Our audience is people thinking about going into the mission field full-time but who know very little about the realities of missionary life. Our study will be helpful to families, singles, and couples of all ages.

We want to identify the realities of missionary life in order to inform others of what it is really like on the field. Again, we will be giving people things to contemplate before entering the mission field.

Christian missionaries are people who have dedicated their lives to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Missionary work began when Jesus Christ gave the great commission in the Bible in Matthew 28: 19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and 10, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." The first missionaries were Jesus' 11 disciples and the number of missionaries has grown ever since. Missionary work began because Jesus' disciples wanted to show the love of Jesus to others and share with people that the only way to have eternal life is by accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior.

To often people enter the mission field impulsively, without sufficient reflection or mental preparation for the hardships lying ahead of them. Our study is needed to help potential missionaries decide whether this is their life's call, and if so, to prepare them for life in the mission field.

We will be discussing what it is like to be among strangers and mentioning some of the cultural differences one might face in a foreign country. We will be talking about what is involved in preparing to go into the mission field, such as: schooling required and raising the monies for the ministries they will be active in while there. We will also discuss the joys and frustrations of the mission field for those thinking about giving up a lifestyle which they are accustomed to and going into the unknown.

People going onto the mission field come from many different lifestyles and backgrounds. Some just have a high school diploma and others have very high degrees ranging over a wide variety of subjects. But everyone planning on full-time missionary work must have Bible training. Abraham Bible, a full-time missionary in the Ukraine, said, "Missionaries MUST go to a Bible college. What are you going to do there if you don't know the Bible and can't tell people about Jesus?" It is very hard and frustrating to try to witness and share the gospel with people if one doesn't have a good knowledge of the Bible and a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, as John O'Brien, a full-time missionary in Russia, commented, "Some countries will not allow you to enter as a missionary without a Bachelor's degree." Many times a missionary will use a degree in a field other than Bible as a means of income while working with the nationals.

Much of the time, before leaving for the mission field, is spent raising the funds needed for life while there. Some people use what they have saved over the years. Others choose to raise support from churches and individuals. Churches are very willing to help support missionaries prayerfully and financially, both of which are of equal importance. Raising funds is not a one-time endeavor. To keep continued support, missionaries have to keep supporting churches and individuals updated on their work on a regular basis through both newsletters and personal contact.

The Joys

There are many joys in a missionary's life. While spreading the gospel, whether it is through teaching in schools, church planting, church services, passing out pamphlets on a street corner, or servant evangelism, the missionary is hoping to reach at least one person who will turn their life over to Christ. As A. Bible put it, "To see [the] many people respond to the gospel and experience freedom and changed lives in Christ that shows they are getting ready for heaven."

The biggest joy of being a missionary is seeing people come to the Lord. As Debbie Bradley, a full-time missionary to Mexico: stated, "The biggest joy that we have experienced is seeing people get saved, grow as Christians, and remain faithful in the Lord's work. It is a reward that will last throughout eternity."

The joys far outweigh the frustrations, because each time a soul is saved that is a delight that cannot be measured. It is always, it joy when someone gives their life to Christ. When a missionary is able to "plant a church", he rejoices because he knows the church will be used for the Lord's work and through it people will accept Jesus as their Savior. When one person is saved, he will bring another to know the Lord, causing the ministry to increase. As Alan Sinclair, a missionary to Germany, put it, " Anytime that I am able to share the gospel with a lost person is a sincere joy to my heart. "

The Frustrations

There are many frustrations in the daily life of a missionary that the lay person is not aware of. In some countries it is the way in which food for the daily meals must be purchased and prepared. With no refrigeration perishables must be bought daily, and in order to do this, sometimes the missionary must walk for miles to the open stall market and select the freshest produce available. After selecting what one wishes to purchase, there must be a price agreed upon with the vendor. To quote Diane Bible, a full-time missionary in the Ukraine, “[The] potatoes, carrots, everything can be quite dirty and have to be scrubbed. Chickens have to be de-gutted and pinfeathers taken off and then cut up. " This would be a real frustration if one were going from a country like America where a person does not have to cope with these problems.

Another frustration is wanting the natives to accept what the missionary is telling them immediately rather than patiently waiting for the Lord's timing, Sam Bible, a full-time missionary to Ukraine, put it this way, "The Lord's time is not ours." Many times a missionary will share the Lord for years without seeing the fruits of his ministry . There is not enough time in the day to spread the word the way a missionary would like.

Full-time missionaries also experience frustration with other mission workers. People enter the mission field unprepared for what they will find and what is expected of them. Jeff Shults is a Bible student and missionary who works coordinating summer mission teams. He says his biggest frustration is "seeing how unprepared some are to represent Christ. . . I'm speaking from my experience in that I haven't been frustrated with the full time missionaries but with the short-term [lay teams] who are unprepared [spiritually]."

Raising support so a person can go to the mission field is another frustration for some, because it can take up to three years. Without the support of churches, the private sector and organizations, mission work would be almost impossible due to the expenses that are incurred in and out of the mission field. The best way to handle frustration of the support issue is to put total trust in the Lord that He will provide what is needed.

Cultural Changes and Lifestyle Differences

When people move from one lifestyle and culture to another, they will always encounter culture transition. Many people don't think about the changes they will have , to make until they begin struggling with them. Culture transitions are something that should be prepared for ahead of time as much as possible and expected whenever one moves from one country to another.

Culture shock is one of the most common transitions that people encounter and can affect people in many different ways. Culture shock is when one's body has a hard time adjusting to a new culture, new foods, and a new lifestyle and surroundings. One of its effects is on physical health. It will often cause stomach ailments and loss of appetite anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks. There is usually not much that can be done about this other than just waiting it out and allowing your body time to adjust.

Although physical health is the most common affect of culture shock, another affect it has on people is often emotional. Denise Sykes, a full-time missionary in Russia, said, "Be prepared for emotional reactions and feelings you never had to deal with before. Know you might feel totally irrational and near insane at times. This is normal as far as I've learned from myself and other missionaries."

Other culture transitions involve the language barriers and lifestyle differences. For many people this is very hard, and for others it is easier to adjust. D. Bradley said, "The language and culture of Mexico was hard to adapt to, but we always kept in mind that the effectiveness of our ministry for Christ would depend much on how well we . could understand and communicate with the people of our mission field."

Communication with the natives is a must for effective ministry . It is a good idea to become as fluent in the native's language as possible before starting a ministry with them in their country . Some people do not struggle with the culture change as much as others. Shults commented, "Culture transitions. are cool for me. I love the differences you find on the mission field." Often one's personality and flexibility have a lot to do with this.

Lifestyle differences can be some of the hardest transitions for missionaries. Some of the differences that are the hardest to get used to are:

1. The lack of electricity in some countries. This is especially hard for women because it causes the most adjustments when preparing meals. There is often no refrigeration, so fresh food has to be bought on a daily basis before each meal. D. Bible said, "Daily life in the Ukraine is hard. A lot of the time is spent just buying food and preparing it."

2. The lack of vehicles and paved roads. This can be hard for women when they have to buy groceries and do shopping. This requires missionaries to make many adjustments, especially if they come from being used to just getting in a car and going to do errands, etc. This can also cause problems for pastors and men who have to travel from church to church or have a ministry in many parts of a city that requires a lot of travel time. In many parts of the world, the most popular means of transportation is by bicycle, which some missionaries may have a hard time adjusting to. Often times in the city, the only means of transportation is by bus or trolley, which is also very different for people who are used to having their own vehicle.

3. The lack of high quality medical care. This can be a fearful reality for women who are expecting babies or have families with small children. Sometimes a missionary will have to go back to the States if he/she becomes ill. Many times missionaries will live in cities where air pollution and water contamination is really bad (D. Bible). It is a very good idea to make sure that each person going to a new country is properly immunized so that the possibility of disease is not so great. "The Bible says not to worry about anything, but to give it all to God in prayer" (S. Bible). Living in a country with major pollution and contamination problems requires trust in the Lord that He is going to work everything out to His glory.

Not all countries have these problems, but many do, especially in the poorer sections of cities.

There are ways to prepare for culture shock, though. Chris Gardner, a full-time missionary in Peru with his wife Andria, said "The greatest thing that will help you with culture is having a good relationship with God, daily devotions and prayer." God does not send people to the mission field to do His work and then leave them there all alone. Missionaries have to depend on Him daily to help them every step of the way. Another way to prepare ahead of time is to study about the country one is moving to. Sandie Rohlin, a missions team leader with her husband, said, "We try to learn as much as possible about the culture before going and when there, we ask the nationals questions. It is important to he humble and patient." One of the best ways to learn about a culture is to talk to people who have lived there before and ask them questions and then to watch and listen to the people very closely when arriving in a new country. It is very easy to become frustrated with not being able to adjust, but Sykes said, "Give yourself time to adjust and be patient with yourself. Know that it will get easier."

What Missionaries Do On the Field

Missionaries do a wide variety of things on the mission field. Some missionaries plant churches, some work with children teaching school, and others work in orphanages and Bible schools. Other missionaries work with already established churches, train pastors, and work with people in a local area. Yet other people go to start hospitals and medical clinics to serve health needs.

These are just a few of the many, many jobs that missionaries do. As Bradley said, "The daily duties of each individual may vary greatly depending on the particular ministry that he is involved in." Much of a missionary's time is spent building relationships with the nationals. This is very important in order to lead some one to Christ. Many people will more readily believe what one is telling them if they can see it lived out in front of them and not just talked about. Gardner said, "The main goal of the missionary . . . should always he to get the gospel to the world."

The best advice that could he given to anyone thinking of entering the mission field would be to make sure of one's call from God and not just a desire to do something for personal gratification or due to feeling sorry for the people of that country. As Chris Gardner put it, "Don't go on the foreign field unless you are 200 percent sure that it is God's will. There are problems in the States, but let me promise you that they are nothing like the ones that you will face on the mission field. When you step on the mission field you are stepping into Satan's playground. Prepare yourself."

Priscilla Gollan, a missionary in the Ukraine, made a valid point when she said, "He [God] will take you where He wants if you hold tightly to His hand and keep your heart soft." Gollan also stated that, "Where you are is where God has put you for the time." Before entering the mission field, whether it he in the United States or abroad, extensive prayer and confirmation are necessary to be sure that this is God's will for one's life. Because, as D. Bible stated at the end of her interview, "It is the greatest privilege you can have, even if it means laying your life on the line. There is a cost to pay. There is no question."

Several conclusions can be drawn from this study.

I. A person must get Bible training before going to the mission field.

2. Raising support for mission work should begin many months before one's work begins.

3. A person considering mission work should learn as much about the culture and lifestyle of the people as possible before living with them.

4. Speaking the natives' language is very important for effective ministry.

5. Missionaries have to learn to be flexible with their schedules in order to not become frustrated with the culture changes and lifestyle differences.

6. A strong relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important part of a missionary's life.

Anyone considering the mission field as their life's work should consider all of the hardships that they may encounter in the field. Some of the hardships that we discovered while doing our research are:

• Inferior hospitals
• Unsafe food - due to lack of refrigeration
• Contaminated water
• Bible illiteracy- not having a Bible written in the native's language.
• Language barrier - the majority of people in foreign countries cannot speak English fluently, especially in Third World countries.
• Culture shock - all countries are not as advanced as the United States. Some J>eople may start behaving differently when they are in unfamiliar surroundings.
• Primitive transportation