Ordinary Missionary: A Narrative Approach to Introducing World Missions

Contributors

W. Jay Moon, PhD, Professor of Intercultural Studies and Director of the Wesley House of Study at Sioux Falls Seminary in Sioux Falls, SD

Pamela A Moon earned a BS in Clothing and Textiles at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA

Emily G. Moon earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree (emphasis in Strategic Communications), Summa Cum Laude-Honors Certificate at University of Missouri in Columbia, MO

We reconstructed this narrative based on journals, newsletters, letters, conversations, and memories. While some names were occasionally changed out of respect for privacy and sensitivity, these stories faithfully portray the truth as we perceived it.

Foreword

I am not like Hudson Taylor, David Livingstone, or William Carey.

I used to read books written about these famous mission figures to my kids in the morning before school. I was inspired by their words, but also a little discouraged at the same time.

They made me question, Am I really good enough to be a missionary? I don’t always consider myself super-spiritual like these missionary heroes seem to be.

I searched everywhere, but couldn’t find any books that dealt with the type of questions that plagued my wife and me. I had some ordinary questions about our own insecurities and inadequacies, but no one seemed to be writing about such topics. These were the real, deep questions that I needed answered.

For the last six years, I taught introductory mission courses at the Sioux Falls Seminary. Everyday, I see young students and families wrestling with these same questions. Periodically, my wife and grown children come into class to share stories, answer these ordinary questions, and give a perspective that puts a face, a feeling, and a person into traditional missiological concepts. And so, I was inspired to write this book, full of unashamed, real situations and answers both from my perspective and my family’s. Joining me in writing this book, you will meet my wife, Pam, and my oldest daughter, Emily.

I hope to introduce missions to you through the lives of an ordinary missionary family who encounter an extraordinary God along their mission journey. Appointed as SIM missionary candidates in 1988, my wife and I flew with our two children to Ghana, West Africa, to live among the Builsa people in 1992. We remained SIM missionaries until 2005, having two more children along the way.

This story is not a triumphant tale of missionary heroes. If that’s what you are looking for, stop reading here. What I found is that God showed up most prominently in my everyday struggles, even in spite of my ordinary efforts. The real heroes show up in unlikely places when they are least expected. Our story intertwines with the stories of Africans to create a very breathing, alive narrative of world mission.

Walk beside me—without purchasing a plane ticket or time machine. My steps are ordinary, but the journey is beyond extraordinary. I hope these real stories will inspire you to trust your own life in the hands of our extraordinary God.

Acknowledgments

One hand cannot clap

(African Proverb).

We wish to clap and thank God for what God has done. To clap, though, we must introduce you to the other hands.

We are deeply grateful for the many people who invested in us along the way to birth this story. Since this book is not a memoire, the details describing the many family members, friends, professors, pastors, Sunday School teachers, churches, etc. that have shaped us are omitted.

Once our families overcame the initial shock, they were very supportive and encouraging of our journey. My parents continue to be lifelong mentors at every twist and turn. Their constant encouragement, support, and work on our behalf have been crucial in our journey. They even came to visit us twice in Africa. My brothers have always been there as well. Pam’s side of the family gradually warmed to the idea and supported us throughout. They also visited us twice in Africa.

There is simply not enough space in this short book to introduce the many friends that fanned the small flame within us. Friends from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (both in high school and college), and Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship provided a unique environment for nurture and growth. Our college roommates and friends provided encouragement beyond belief. Some of my professors also stepped in at crucial times to provide needed guidance.

We can’t tell you how many churches we visited during our journey. We are thankful for the diverse body of Christ that accepted and appreciated us. Many who we did not previously know simply welcomed us into their home and lives to participate in God’s work in the world. Several were from United Methodist churches (due to Jay’s background), but other churches also listened to our story and provided prayer, finance, time, and talent. We wish everyone could meet the godly pastors that spoke into our lives. To every Sunday School teacher and church volunteer, we urge you to continue your vital work even when a child is challenging (yes, I was one of those children).

We have always felt privileged to be a part of the SIM mission. The missionaries that we worked alongside are some of God’s choicest servants in the world. While some expressed their doubts initially about the ruggedness of our family to withstand the rigors of life in the bush, they rallied around us and welcomed us as part of the team. The mission organization and home staff provided excellent support and godly examples of leadership.

If there are heroes in this book, we would have to say they are the African church leaders with the Bible Church of Africa. These godly individuals who demonstrated faith amidst adversity still speak into my life today. They have challenged us to learn other aspects of culture, faith, and Scripture.

I also want to thank the Sioux Falls Seminary board and president, Mike Hagan, for granting me a sabbatical to write this book. In addition, academic dean and vice president, Ron Sisk, protected my sabbatical time from distraction by running interference. I am also thankful for the other professors who assumed additional duties in my absence.

I can’t adequately acknowledge the huge role that my wife, Pam, played in keeping this story alive. She is a true lifelong soul mate, who rises to every occasion. The children that God gave us are precious gifts. Jeremy, Emily, Joshua, and Bethany all bring joy and spice to our lives. While Emily carried the huge load of editing this book, each of them read portions and provided helpful comments. Our newest addition to the family, Emily Julia, also provided helpful suggestions for the book.

We clap to thank God for these people who shaped, confirmed, and challenged us.

Without them, this story would not be possible.

Introduction

How Did I Get Here?

The rain gushes down from the sky, quenching the parched ground’s thirst. Normally, the African rain is a sigh of relief, but not today. The swollen stream rises to overflow the banks, and our truck is stuck in the middle. For twenty minutes that seem like twenty hours, I try to dislodge the truck.

Back and forth.

Forward. Reverse.

Forward. Reverse.

Each time, the only result is Whuuuuuuuur!—the sound of tires spinning in the soft mud.

My wife Pam, sits next to me, while Jeremy, four years old, and Emily, still a baby, are in the back seat silently watching. The rain is falling as fast as the sun’s retreat, and the river is rapidly rising. Our hopes are sinking in the mud. If something doesn’t happen soon, the truck will be washed away.

Where will we walk to? Our home is miles away, and the rain is fierce. Will we even be able to get out of the car and fight our way up the bank? I inwardly ponder.

Panicked, I lean my head on the truck’s steering wheel and utter the words that I fear the most, I don’t know what to do.

• • •

There is a moment that each person has when they leave one culture and enter another. When my daughter left to study in France, she said this moment was the first dinner with her host family. It’s the moment when you take in your reality and think, How did I get here? and What did I just get myself into?

The following stories are from an ordinary missionary family. Walk with me as I pull back the curtain and reveal our real life struggles and victories. My hope is that you identify with these real issues in your own life, as you connect with the characters. Ultimately, my desire is that you find how your own story fits in the larger narrative of world missions.

1

Called to Missions?

The sound of hot coffee trickles in the background, as I get ready to go to my college class. The news blares on the TV, but I am not paying attention. Suddenly, I realize they are talking about Africa and I snap alert.

Three thousand people a day are dying in Ethiopia, the anchor explains, as video footage of desolation and despair flashes across the screen.

I am floored. I know that the drought in Ethiopia during the 1980s is bad, but I have no idea the extent of the suffering. Attending Virginia Tech to study Civil Engineering, I quickly calculate that the magnitude of this loss is comparable to the entire population of my large university being wiped out in a week. This sinks into my soul, and it is hard to shake.

Turning to God with a mixture of guilt and bewilderment, I ask, Why am I so fortunate to be at a comfortable school learning and growing while others around the world are simply struggling to survive? This does not seem fair, God.

I talk to my pastor, and we find some guidance from Luke 12:48. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Instead of feeling guilty about the blessings that God has given me (such as an opportunity for education), Jesus’ words remind me that this education is not for me alone. This is entrusted to me to use for God’s glory.

I didn’t always ask questions like this. For my first year of college, I was actually oblivious to the working of God around the world. In my sophomore year, though, I found some Christian groups on campus (or did they find me?), and I would never be the same. It was a breath of fresh air from the other activities I had participated in during my freshman year. Hungry to learn, I eagerly listened as they discussed God’s heart for the world. For the first time, it seemed, I was hearing God’s heart for mission from Genesis all the way through Revelation.

Just as important, I began to notice others living this out before me. For example, there was Oscar, a student who set up a hot dog stand in the lobby of the dorm on Sunday and Monday nights. Hordes of addicted football fans would take a break from the TV long enough to devour dozens of hot dogs. Oscar (a nickname given him based on his favorite hot dog brand, Oscar Meyer) had one simple and advertised motive. He was raising money for World Vision to aid in the suffering of those in Ethiopia.

In these Christian groups, they talked about taking summer trips to places like Haiti. Unlike the college students traveling to Daytona Beach, I felt like this trip was purposeful and meaningful. Praying for God to direct me, a Christian friend offered me the opportunity to help with a sanitation system in Haiti. Tim’s enthusiasm was so contagious, so compelling, and so life-giving that I found myself unable to resist.

The short trip lasted about a week, but the effects were life changing. Sleeping on the concrete floor at the orphanage, we awoke to the sound of kids running around us, curious to know us. Daily we surveyed the grounds, gathering data that would be used for a desperately needed design for a sanitary system. On a couple occasions, I met with missionaries