IN THE FACE OF SUFFERING
STATEMENT
Suffering is a universal reality because of sin. God’s Word tells us that Christians suffer with Jesus and that God uses suffering in the life of Christians for their good. While all of God’s people suffer, those on the mission field face unique challenges.
God empowers missionaries to suffer with joy and hope. While the current age is fleeting and full of afflictions, glory, and eternal life are yet to come. God regularly uses suffering to conform missionaries to the image of Christ and to strengthen Christian witness. As missionaries share in Christ’s suffering, they display Christ’s redemptive suffering to the church and the nations. They proclaim with their lives that God will use all suffering for his purposes to the glory of Christ.
Article Written by Dave FurmanAndrew and Lily came to the mission field ready to lead the world to Christ but soon realized they couldn’t even lead themselves. They landed overseas with six suitcases filled with all they owned and hearts filled with dreams of planting churches among the least-reached. Soon after they landed, everything fell apart. They were serving faithfully, doing what they believed God had tasked them with, but they faced one impossible challenge after another. Their suffering stalled not only their ministry but made everyday tasks laborious. Andrew and Lilly soon grew depressed and confused. They were ready to live out their lives just as their missionary heroes of the past had done by bringing the gospel to the unreached. But now they were tempted to think that God had brought them to this place to destroy them.
What had gone wrong?
Suffering in the Scriptures
The Christian life is not about health, wealth, and prosperity. Instead, Jesus commands all believers to take up their cross and follow him (Matthew 16:24). Those who follow Christ should expect suffering as they live as exiles in this foreign land (1 Peter 1).
Suffering is a result of the fall, the consequence of sin and life in a broken world. Sometimes, suffering is a result of our own sin. And yet, faithfulness offers no guaranteed protection from suffering and trials. The Bible is full of heroes of the faith facing trials of many kinds. Joseph was thrown into a dungeon, Daniel into a lion’s den, and Jonah into the belly of a large fish. Moses had to lead God’s people while struggling with stuttering in his speech, Joshua had to lead in the battle of Jericho with musical instruments for weapons, and David battled Goliath with a few smooth stones.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8 that it is normal for Christians to face trials. In 2 Corinthians, Paul boasts in his suffering and weakness and presents it as the pathway for Christian discipleship and ministry. Arguably the greatest church planter in history, Paul suffered unimaginable trials. In 2 Corinthians 11, he gives us his resume of suffering. He faced danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from his own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, and danger from false brothers. Paul faced danger from all sides and was beaten and persecuted for his faith.
Suffering shouldn’t surprise us as Christians. It’s been a part of God’s story in the Scriptures and throughout history.
Suffering in the History of Missions
The story of missions is a story of suffering. What started with Paul has continued up to today.
William Carey, the father of modern missions, was no stranger to suffering. One of the most discouraging episodes in his life was when a fire burned a decade of his translation work in South Asia. In a day with no backup devices, he had no path forward except to start over.
John G. Paton, the missionary to the New Hebrides in the Pacific, was constantly faced with the threat of being eaten by cannibals. Once, he hid in a tree all night to evade capture. He also lost his wife and newborn within a month of each other.
Amy Carmichael suffered great physical pain while ministering to orphans in India. One day, she tripped on a hole on their premises and was confined to a bed for years. She lived with her “family” for 50 years, never returning to her home country.
Traveling to Bahrain, you can find the graves of two children of pioneer missionaries to Arabia, Samuel and Amy Zwemer. In the early 1960s, Pat and Marian Kennedy also moved to the difficult desert sands of the Arabian Peninsula to work long hours to start a hospital. They were the doctors, nurses, maintenance crew, and administrators.
Countless other missionaries have suffered through the centuries, including many who have given up their lives for the cause of Christ. At a Christian guest house in the Middle East, the caretakers kept a list of the various missionaries who had passed through the home and were later martyred. The list exceeded 30 souls.
Unique Challenges in Missionary Suffering
Missionaries face challenges others may face when crossing cultures and moving away from their home country. These challenges could include missing family, adapting to a new language, and other logistical concerns. However, missionaries face a few unique challenges compared to Christians who don’t leave home. Here are ten of them:
1. Ordinary sufferings magnified.
It’s often a surprise to missionaries, but getting on a 747 and moving halfway around the world doesn’t erase your everyday struggles. Most of the time, chronic pain, depression, and other daily trials increase on the field. The same problems that plagued one at home will continue on and they must face them without the help and support they once enjoyed.
2. Political tumult in the country.
Many missionaries are living under unstable conditions. One family on the mission field recently had missiles from a nearby country land two miles from their house. Missionaries often live with the threat that war could break out at any point. Economies fluctuate, and the cost of living can change in an instant.
3. Intense communal conflict.
While there are many reasons a missionary may leave their field of ministry, it’s often been stated that the number one reason missionaries leave the field is because of other missionaries. The reasons are many: relentless proximity, a divergence in ministry philosophy, or failed team expectations, to name a few. Whatever the cause, it’s clear that a missionary team working together has the potential for the closest-knit community and the greatest relational pain. Without the in-person support of one’s home church, family, or friends back home, missionaries often rely on team members for things they cannot provide, such as emotional or physical support.
4. Lack of adequate medical care.
In certain places, there is the potential for contracting exotic diseases. Missionaries can struggle to receive healthcare of similar quality or cost as they received in their home country. There are many stories of missionaries developing digestive issues or contracting some bacterial infection or parasite due to poor drinking water or unclean food. Pollution affects the breathing of many.
For me, soon after we decided to move to the field, one of the primary nerves in both of my arms was damaged. I had surgery on both of my arms before we moved, and we thought I was healed. However, only a few weeks after arrival, my health went into a tailspin, and I struggled with depression and anxiety along with the nauseating, burning pain in both of my arms. I couldn’t carry anything, shake hands, write, or get dressed. We were alone in a village, wanting to change the world, but I had difficulty getting off the couch. I ran out of medication, and because of where we were living, I was unable to get more medicine or the treatment I needed.
Missionaries often face the challenge of how to proceed with ministry despite physical and mental health challenges. The challenge is not only the lack of appropriate care but also the mental anguish of staying in pain or leaving the field because of the pain. The decision is often excruciating, and there’s often no correct answer.
5. Anxieties and doubts in the ministry.
The missionary knows what Paul meant when he talked about his “anxiety for the churches.” (2 Cor. 11:28). A missionary often has no guarantee they’ll be able to stay in their country of ministry. One’s work could be torn down and taken away at any point. One can get pushed from their community. There’s often a feeling of unfinished business and fractured relationships. Constant questions about whether to leave the field permeate the missionary’s thoughts. Missionaries face situations where they desperately need and want to see God work and intervene, but often, God chooses not to intervene in the way the missionary hopes. In addition, most missionaries raise funds, which can be challenging for some. Once on the field, there can be pressure to “succeed” in ministry. But a missionary could be on the field for years and see no fruit.
6. Family concerns
Missionaries might struggle with loneliness, and singles who desire marriage might wonder how they will meet their future spouse. One of the unique challenges missionaries with children face is watching their children suffer in ways that they might not suffer if they were in their home country (medical care, terrorism, health, schooling, isolation, lack of friendships, etc). How long does one submit their children to suffering? God may have given the missionary a calling to go, but their children typically had no part in that decision. Missionaries are also far from extended family and often miss celebrations, reunions, and even a parent’s last breath.
7. Loss of the sense of home
Missionaries and their families can grow confused about where “home” is. Their children are often called third-culture kids and struggle with their sense of identity. Many missionaries have never owned a home and have no place to put down roots, living what can feel like a nomadic life. When they return to their home country on breaks or at the end of service, they may feel like strangers in a foreign land and wonder, where do I belong?
8. Living in a fishbowl
The missionary is a public figure, and it can feel like “living in a fishbowl.” Depending on the situation, a missionary might stand out from the people they seek to reach. They deal with many expectations, assumptions, and a lack of privacy. They are publicly known but not known personally.
9. Persecution and opposition
A missionary may face physical violence or slander. Two days after returning from the Arabian Gulf for some rest, three Christian medical professionals were shot and martyred at their hospital in Afghanistan. In a South Asian country, a mob of people attacked a church after they had concluded their worship service. Many other missionaries are gathering under the constant threat of being shut down. Life could be made difficult by the authorities. One may face an uphill battle for visas and permissions to remain in the country. The missionary’s children could be bullied in the neighborhood or school.
10. Increased spiritual warfare
The devil despises the advance of the gospel, especially on his doorstep. However, not much would upset him more than churches being strengthened and the gospel spreading to unreached peoples. Today, missionaries have been slandered in local newspapers and attacked by wild dogs. They’ve endured panic attacks due to stressful work, and battled depression and doubt. The evil one will do whatever he can to eliminate faithful workers.
Response of the Missionary, the Mission Agency, and the Sending Church to Suffering
A missionary shouldn’t be surprised by their suffering. The Bible promises suffering will happen when one takes the gospel to various places as the missionary participates in filling up the afflictions of Christ. As Christians participate in Christ’s suffering, they walk in his resurrection power in this life as a testament to the life to come.
A missionary should grieve and lament their suffering but should do so as one with hope. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul talks about how the current age is momentary and full of afflictions but that glory and eternal life are worth it. The Bible urges us to suffer with hope and also with joy. 1 Peter 4 speaks about the ability to rejoice in suffering (also James 1). Missionaries can rejoice in hope, knowing that God is using their suffering for his purposes. This hope and joy-filled response will encourage both missionaries who serve and new believers as they inevitably face their own trials and tribulations.
How does the mission agency and sending church help the missionary in the face of suffering? Below are seven suggestions:
1. Healthy communication between the sending church and mission agency.
This communication must start long before the missionary faces suffering. In places with a field church, steps should be taken for all to be involved in communicating with one another. Early and continuous communication helps keep the missionary from being caught in the middle of the decision-making process, where two parties may have different opinions on the way forward. These conversations will prepare all parties to be unified in making challenging decisions along the way, which may include rest for the missionary, strategic planning, and even evacuation.
2. Education in helping one who is suffering
Sending agencies and churches need to prepare themselves for the care of missionaries. Leaders need to read, study, and learn from veteran missionaries. A robust theology of suffering can go a long way.
3. Encourage vulnerability and honest sharing of one’s suffering
This should also be established long before the missionaries arrive on the field. Churches and agencies should consistently ask intentional questions and invite honest and vulnerable sharing.
4. Listen well
Often, missionaries just need someone to listen and encourage them, not solve the problem or try to remove the suffering. A good starting point for all parties would be listening well and entering into the suffering of the missionary before offering advice and wisdom. This approach encourages the missionary’s continued openness and honesty.
5. Refrain from the impulse to remove a missionary off the field too quickly
Years ago, a missionary family experienced intense suffering when moving to a small town in the Middle East. Soon after arrival, the husband’s health was failing, and he became incredibly depressed. His wife was holding on by a thread. In many cases, these missionaries could have immediately been sent home. However, their field mentors understood that choosing missions meant choosing a life of suffering. They understood that spiritual warfare was part of life. They had seen and experienced suffering themselves, and instead of sending them home, they entered into the suffering with them. Now, almost two decades later, that same family remains on the field, and much fruit has been seen in the growth of the church in the region.
6. Leave most field decisions to the field workers
There needs to be an understanding of who makes field decisions. The sending church and mission agency should be involved, but it’s best for those on the ground to make important decisions for the ministry. Missionary efforts are often risky, and those on the field must own their decisions.
7. Make sure the children especially are cared for well as missionaries
One last area of concern is the care and well-being of missionary kids. The temptation could be to help the adults to the neglect of the children. A mission agency and sending church would do well to consider the ongoing care of everyone on the field.
Conclusion
The story of Andrew and Lilly is, unfortunately, not a rare one. The story of the suffering missionary is the story of missions. However, there are things that the missionary, the missions agency, and the sending church can do together to help the mission work in the face of trials.
