found on the net

[Sister Alvear]

I was reading from a Baptist site and thought this was interesting...I did not see anywhere they said it could not be copied... what are your thoughts?





Have you ever considered the costs in time and money to get a missionary family on a foreign field? It will take at least 2 or 3 years, and maybe even 3 or 4 years, of deputation to raise the unbelievable amount of money they will need to live on a foreign field. During this time, they'll wear out a vehicle or two and a few sets of tires, burn thousands of gallons of gasoline, and spend big bucks in restaurants and motels. There are also the expenses of slide projectors, prayer cards, and a hundred other things. When they have enough support, then there is the passage and shipping to get them and their belongings to the field. It would be easy for a small family to spend $10,000 on this alone. When they arrive, they are going to spend thousands more for language school, if they are fortunate enough to have one to attend.

Now, how long are they going to stay on the field? And perhaps more importantly, how effective are they going to be? They told the churches (at least 200 of them) what they planned to accomplish on their chosen field. Will they do it? I know one couple that spent 4 years raising support and then stayed only 3 months on the mission field! Many missionaries stick it out for one four-year term until they take a furlough, and then never return to the field. I'm not judging; God knows there are many legitimate reasons why a missionary family must terminate their service on the field. It would be great if, after such a large investment of time and money, he could spend a lifetime or at least 30 or 40 years on the field. But this rarely happens.

Concerning effectiveness, many are not very successful. They may fail to learn the language or languages necessary, and they work only with a few who speak English, or else they are bound helplessly to an interpreter.

What if, on the other hand, a missionary family spent a little more time (9 months, for example) and money (a student family attending BBTI pays no tuition, but only $225 per month for housing) and received specialized training in language and culture learning?

Yes, getting a missionary on the field represents a tremendous investment. There are always risks and there are no guarantees. But does it make sense to stop short and not prepare the missionary properly, just to save a little time and money?

Your servant,
Rex L. Cobb