Working as a Mission Mentor

It’s been a while since I last posted a blog. No excuses really – except that shortly after Dale’s return from PNG we both hit the ground running. He began catching up in Heartcraft, and I started teaching piano lessons again and working more hours in mobilization. Now with the New Year in place, maybe I can do better!

I want to post more stories and pictures about Dale’s trip soon, but for now, I’ll talk a little about my job.

I work as a mission mobilizer. My official job title is “Mission Mentor.” In this position, I work with initial contacts who call or email PIONEERS, or who have expressed an interest to one of our recruitment representatives on their travels to colleges and conferences. I email, call and follow up with each individual to see if they want to or are ready to make a commitment to short or long-term missions. I also work with those interested in short-term trips (in the Venture department) after they have sent in an application, helping them find placement on one of our teams overseas and making sure we have the proper forms in hand before they leave for service.

 I have been trying to work about 25 hours per week. When I started the job as a mission mentor 18 months ago, I was completely overwhelmed. Here I was, a housewife/home school mom/piano teacher working in an office. I was learning computer programs, cold-calling people, keeping track of data, attending meetings and learning the ins and outs of the way an office functions.  I also felt like the old-lady-on campus because all the other females I worked with were under 30! My learning curve was huge.

A year and a half later, my confidence is building, and the job comes easier. (Am I slow, or what?)

The other day, though, I had a panic moment, maybe more of a panic day, when I began to realize all the work I needed to accomplish – calls to be made, emails to send, people that needed placement on the field, and administrative work for the Venture department that needed to be done.

I asked the boss, James, if I could speak with him for a minute.

“James, I can’t do all this work. I’m unable do this job well because there’s so much.”

And on my complaint went.

“Relax,” he said, “You can only do what you’re able to; we all have days like this.”

He just said that to a girl from a work-until-you-drop family. Okay, so I need to relax. Maybe I need to just take a deep breath, chat with the girls in the office and get a cup of peppermint tea...

I call and talk with many wonderful people in this job. I’ve talked with single women who want to go into Afghanistan, the Gaza strip or Africa. As I listen to them, I can hear the determination in their voice and the call of God on their life. I’m not sure I’d have been that brave. When I went to the jungles of PNG, I had a husband. These young women are willing to go alone. That’s impressive.

 I recently talked with a young man who said, “I want to go to the hard places where no one else wants to go.”

That’s what PIONEERS is all about – the unreached and difficult places around the globe.

Then I communicate with interesting folks, too.  An email from one guy said, “I want to go to France, Italy, Greece...or Costa Rica...anywhere that has a nice beach.”

A nice beach? Well, who wouldn’t want to go there!  Hmmm, maybe I should refer him to another organization. That sounds a little too cushy for us. Besides, it's not my job to find him a nice beach. I didn’t hear anything about God’s call on his life, a passion for an unreached people group or his desire to reach the lost for Christ. He is one I still need to follow up with.

These last few months have been super-busy for me with keeping up with all that’s in my life. My choice would be to not have to work so hard. (I guess we’d all choose that!) I love being home, cooking for my family and being a wife, mom, grand mom and piano teacher.  I’d also love more time for writing. There are so many God-stories I want to tell.

But for now, God has me where I’m supposed to be.  My job is to remain faithful. Someday, I will tell those stories. Little by little maybe you’ll read a few of them posted here.

In closing, what challenge are you facing? What tough place has God put you? Sometimes we find ourselves in a difficult season, yet I know He is still working out His purpose in my life, just as He is in yours. That’s why it’s important that we learn to trust in Him.

“The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it” (I Thes. 5:24 NIV).He is faithful in whatever season we find ourselves. I take a lot of joy in knowing that!

Next post will be about the remainder of Dale and David’s first week at Yehebi.  See you then...