Missionary Work

pckts · Mar 21, 2017

I do not know anything about missionary work, other than my own presumptions from movies and my imagination, and I have no idea how to go about finding ways to do this as in who to trust and what is most effective and suitable for "my needs"

This is the only community I engage in, unfortunately two annoy with flat earth mostly, but most (all really) of my positive and informative interactions come from here.

So I will attempt to explain why I would like to go down this road of life plus "my needs" and hopefully if anyone would like to give advice or resources I would greatly appreciate.

I am finishing college soon, and I have no interest in getting a job at my local hospital and then using the money from the job and my free time to create a family and try to wait out the apocalypse by being a good church going christian who reads the bible every day and yells at the tv.

I feel like that life would be meaningless and a waste. I am studying "hospital administration", the job is essentially facilitating healthcare treatment between insurance companies(or any funder) and hospitals and the caregivers and the patients. It was the best I could do given my skillet for some kind of meaningful job, but all I will be doing is pushing a pencil and mouse so that people with depression and joint problems get anti-depressant or pain medication or unnecessary x-rays and more and more nonsense.

I think of missionary work as either preaching the Good News to convert or just inform,and or delivering medical care to those in desperate need. I know "hospital administration" is very removed from delivering emergency surgery or even examining someone's health, but I feel like it's something that "has to be done" and since I will have "a bachelors degree" in this field that kind of gets my foot in the door for healthcare, would I be useful in some capacity to missionary work?

I lack the education, understanding, and charisma/character/representative characteristics to represent God and attempt to deliver his message to others. I am loyal to God and have deep faith The Bible is his literal word, Christ is his word, and believe charity is a very and necessary important part in the end times, especially if you have the ability to. I will be guilty if I am not involved with charity work in my life, and I do not see how it would be possible to do charity work in a large capacity unless it was my actual job.

Here are my needs and problems:

1. I spent 8 years obtaining this education, and I need whatever I am doing to keep the degree useful and add to my resume. If the degree sits and isn't used for too long and I'm just handing out water and digging holes, no one will want to hire me when I am 40 and my education will be a waste. I am vain in this regard and my earthly desire to have a mid-class life and salary will only let me do missionary work that uses my bachelor degree to some capacity that will at least allow me to say I did something or anything related so I can have a retirement and life in the future when I want to stop the missionary work.

2. I know that some christian colleges require students to sign oath's that say they won't have premarital relations, drink alcohol, gamble, and engage in other demons and vices. I drink wine 4-5 times a weak to calm my probably ptsd nerves, and I really don't want anyone bothering me at all about my relationships. I'm not promiscuous by anyone's standards, but I'm not comfortable or mature enough to swear an oath to God I won't have sex before marriage. I try to not even lust a woman in my heart anymore because I agree with God it isn't healthy, but I am unwilling to feel pressured to get married so I can have sex.

For those reasons I'm not fit to preach or represent the Gospel, but I still would like to give whatever skill this college is educating me in and whatever fortitude I gained in the military to God's mission rather than handing out pain medication and scheduling knee surgeries. I think I am very good at reaching out to unbelievers and giving them different ways to think about things that challenge their lack of faith. I would like to have a job where I could engage people like this while actually providing a needed service, but I cannot swear or sign oaths that say I have never sinned or will never sin again.

Is it possible for me to do missionary work helping the poor and sick, and at the end of my work day no one cares If I drink 4 glasses of wine or have intimacy with someone I love? I will sleep outside on the ground for very little money, but I can't pretend I'm a perfect person for the mission and unbelievers.

bingbing · Mar 22, 2017

Too long article... later...

bingbing · Mar 22, 2017

What is the question again? You want to be an acrobat?

levi85 · Mar 22, 2017

You can read about Heidi Baker, she is a missionary. You know Missionary life is very sacrificial life, dedicated for God and the people whom you like to serve.

bingbing · Mar 22, 2017

ptsd???? wait! googling...

bingbing · Mar 22, 2017

Hi, levi85. Can she (Heidi Baker) interpret demon-possessed events too? Like Helen Killer? By the way, I just saw a picture of her just now in google... And my sister's signature is a lot better than hers... But of course, my sister is not blind, only deaf and dumb.

bingbing · Mar 22, 2017

Oh! Where are you Lynx? I mean... pckts.

bingbing · Mar 22, 2017

Lynx? Still there? Let me check...

bingbing · Mar 22, 2017

Lynx...

Hungry · Mar 22, 2017

From my observations God wants people to "bloom where they are planted". Why travel when there are just as many opportunities to serve where you are. You can go to a crappy job you "think" has no purpose, and then donate a lot of the money to a missionary that God already called for that purpose. The church needs teachers who are unattached who have the freedom to commit. Helping with a youth group or something, might be perfect. The Body of Christ isn't as much a few people doing big things as many people doing little things. I'm a plumber, even though I wouldn't call it missionary work, I choose to be a light to those around me. Darkness is everywhere, even in an office at a hospital.

pckts · Mar 22, 2017

bingbing said:

Idk, who Lnyx is,

bingbing said:

And I don't know who you are, nor do I want to.

Ugly · Mar 22, 2017

Actually I see your number one problem is your attitude. You are very negative and condescending. The way you view things going on is a serious downer. And that's coming from someone with 25 years of depression. You sound a bit bitter. Perhaps spend less time focused on where your outward life is or is not and instead become more introspective and seek out the root if your attitude issues.

pckts · Mar 22, 2017

Hungry said:

From my observations God wants people to "bloom where they are planted". Why travel when there are just as many opportunities to serve where you are. You can go to a crappy job you "think" has no purpose, and then donate a lot of the money to a missionary that God already called for that purpose. The church needs teachers who are unattached who have the freedom to commit. Helping with a youth group or something, might be perfect. The Body of Christ isn't as much a few people doing big things as many people doing little things. I'm a plumber, even though I wouldn't call it missionary work, I choose to be a light to those around me. Darkness is everywhere, even in an office at a hospital.

I'm going to get involved locally since I'm stuck here the next two years. I understand I can do my hospital job (or anything) positively and make a difference that way.

blue_ladybug · Mar 22, 2017

What is wrong with you?

Lynx isn't pckts..

bingbing said:

imfinallyfree · Mar 27, 2017

You can find some rich like minded and be the administrative part of a organization,people start organizations all of the time especially rich bored people look at Bill Gates.

Research on how to start a organization do all of the paperwork then present it to people that can finance it.

imfinallyfree · Mar 27, 2017

Or even a internet based program that helps with only advice (sorry I didn't finish reading until after I posted).

You do sound like a very intelligent and sincere person and preaching the word may be perfect for you as there is a shortage of preachers that are intelligent and sincere most seem to recycle nonsense blindly believing it themselves.

Ritzbitz · Apr 5, 2017

pckts said:

I do not know anything about missionary work, other than my own presumptions from movies and my imagination, and I have no idea how to go about finding ways to do this as in who to trust and what is most effective and suitable for "my needs"

This is the only community I engage in, unfortunately two annoy with flat earth mostly, but most (all really) of my positive and informative interactions come from here.

So I will attempt to explain why I would like to go down this road of life plus "my needs" and hopefully if anyone would like to give advice or resources I would greatly appreciate.

I am finishing college soon, and I have no interest in getting a job at my local hospital and then using the money from the job and my free time to create a family and try to wait out the apocalypse by being a good church going christian who reads the bible every day and yells at the tv.

I feel like that life would be meaningless and a waste. I am studying "hospital administration", the job is essentially facilitating healthcare treatment between insurance companies(or any funder) and hospitals and the caregivers and the patients. It was the best I could do given my skillet for some kind of meaningful job, but all I will be doing is pushing a pencil and mouse so that people with depression and joint problems get anti-depressant or pain medication or unnecessary x-rays and more and more nonsense.

I think of missionary work as either preaching the Good News to convert or just inform,and or delivering medical care to those in desperate need. I know "hospital administration" is very removed from delivering emergency surgery or even examining someone's health, but I feel like it's something that "has to be done" and since I will have "a bachelors degree" in this field that kind of gets my foot in the door for healthcare, would I be useful in some capacity to missionary work?

I lack the education, understanding, and charisma/character/representative characteristics to represent God and attempt to deliver his message to others. I am loyal to God and have deep faith The Bible is his literal word, Christ is his word, and believe charity is a very and necessary important part in the end times, especially if you have the ability to. I will be guilty if I am not involved with charity work in my life, and I do not see how it would be possible to do charity work in a large capacity unless it was my actual job.

Here are my needs and problems:

1. I spent 8 years obtaining this education, and I need whatever I am doing to keep the degree useful and add to my resume. If the degree sits and isn't used for too long and I'm just handing out water and digging holes, no one will want to hire me when I am 40 and my education will be a waste. I am vain in this regard and my earthly desire to have a mid-class life and salary will only let me do missionary work that uses my bachelor degree to some capacity that will at least allow me to say I did something or anything related so I can have a retirement and life in the future when I want to stop the missionary work.

2. I know that some christian colleges require students to sign oath's that say they won't have premarital relations, drink alcohol, gamble, and engage in other demons and vices. I drink wine 4-5 times a weak to calm my probably ptsd nerves, and I really don't want anyone bothering me at all about my relationships. I'm not promiscuous by anyone's standards, but I'm not comfortable or mature enough to swear an oath to God I won't have sex before marriage. I try to not even lust a woman in my heart anymore because I agree with God it isn't healthy, but I am unwilling to feel pressured to get married so I can have sex.

For those reasons I'm not fit to preach or represent the Gospel, but I still would like to give whatever skill this college is educating me in and whatever fortitude I gained in the military to God's mission rather than handing out pain medication and scheduling knee surgeries. I think I am very good at reaching out to unbelievers and giving them different ways to think about things that challenge their lack of faith. I would like to have a job where I could engage people like this while actually providing a needed service, but I cannot swear or sign oaths that say I have never sinned or will never sin again.

Is it possible for me to do missionary work helping the poor and sick, and at the end of my work day no one cares If I drink 4 glasses of wine or have intimacy with someone I love? I will sleep outside on the ground for very little money, but I can't pretend I'm a perfect person for the mission and unbelievers.

I did a year long mission program it basically does 4-5 months training and 6 months in the actual feild. It gives you a perspective on of this would be something you could see yourself doing long term if not it's totally life changing though God taught me so much of who he is. I did it through world horizons UK gap year program.

Ritzbitz · Apr 5, 2017

World Horizons UK

cinder · Apr 5, 2017

pckts said:

Best thing you can do for yourself right now is get yourself some healing and make a decision on if you are all in for this missionary thing or not. Because if you do it half hearted, you stand a very good chance of burnout and bitterness rather than ending up with any sense of blessing and right now you sound half hearted.

For your own sake, please don't consider moving overseas long term until you are completely over any hint of PTSDlike symptoms. Living overseas is a high stress endeavor, it's hard and it's costly, and you will always feel out of place and things will never work the way you think they should or the way you expect. Even after you have adapted, some days stuff will get to you.

Other things I feel the need to say are that, missions work is not for you to feel good about yourself. It's nice that you want to feel like your life has purpose and is working towards some great purpose; but missionary life doesn't make every day fulfilling and amazing. Most days are plodding through all the mundane difficulties of life, plus some of the added ones that come along with being an international person (visas; keeping up with friends, family, and supporters; long plane trips, passports and other paperwork that are more complicated when you live overseas, etc.).

You seem to present a pretty long list of demands and conditions for your missionary service. Must use your degree, must give you the ability to have a middle class life and salary, must enhance your post-missionary career prospects, must let you keep drinking as much as you want, must not require accountability especially in the area of sexual behavior, sounds like must not require obedience in the area of sexual behavior or even too serious a standard of holiness. So what exactly did you mean when you said you were loyal to God? Now on the flip side of that, there is a lot of pressure in missionary circles to have it always together and to have certain attitudes and it is super important to be aware of your limits and your needs and take care of yourself first. Most missionaries get self care as another item on their to do list, but their practice of it will often been second guessed and judged as less spiritual. Don't give in to the pressure to sacrifice your health and well being for the sake of ministry. Also don't think that missionaries are any kind of super saints. Interpersonal conflict is the number one reason for missionaries leaving the field; all those strong personalities trying to work together often clash; and often clash in ways that aren't very Christian.

Beyond all that, well, I'd just say if you're serious about doing ministry overseas, you have to be willing to be limited somewhat by local standards and prejudices. Those will be part of what determines acceptable vs unacceptable behavior for someone who seeks to present Christ to another culture. If you aren't willing to practice what Paul talks about, when it comes to altering your behavior so as not to offend or damage the conscience of a weaker believer be very very wary about putting yourself in the missionary position where people will look at your life and seek your counsel on how to be a good Christian.

pckts · Apr 6, 2017

cinder said:

Best thing you can do for yourself right now is get yourself some healing and make a decision on if you are all in for this missionary thing or not. Because if you do it half hearted, you stand a very good chance of burnout and bitterness rather than ending up with any sense of blessing and right now you sound half hearted.

For your own sake, please don't consider moving overseas long term until you are completely over any hint of PTSDlike symptoms. Living overseas is a high stress endeavor, it's hard and it's costly, and you will always feel out of place and things will never work the way you think they should or the way you expect. Even after you have adapted, some days stuff will get to you.

Other things I feel the need to say are that, missions work is not for you to feel good about yourself. It's nice that you want to feel like your life has purpose and is working towards some great purpose; but missionary life doesn't make every day fulfilling and amazing. Most days are plodding through all the mundane difficulties of life, plus some of the added ones that come along with being an international person (visas; keeping up with friends, family, and supporters; long plane trips, passports and other paperwork that are more complicated when you live overseas, etc.).

You seem to present a pretty long list of demands and conditions for your missionary service. Must use your degree, must give you the ability to have a middle class life and salary, must enhance your post-missionary career prospects, must let you keep drinking as much as you want, must not require accountability especially in the area of sexual behavior, sounds like must not require obedience in the area of sexual behavior or even too serious a standard of holiness. So what exactly did you mean when you said you were loyal to God? Now on the flip side of that, there is a lot of pressure in missionary circles to have it always together and to have certain attitudes and it is super important to be aware of your limits and your needs and take care of yourself first. Most missionaries get self care as another item on their to do list, but their practice of it will often been second guessed and judged as less spiritual. Don't give in to the pressure to sacrifice your health and well being for the sake of ministry. Also don't think that missionaries are any kind of super saints. Interpersonal conflict is the number one reason for missionaries leaving the field; all those strong personalities trying to work together often clash; and often clash in ways that aren't very Christian.

Beyond all that, well, I'd just say if you're serious about doing ministry overseas, you have to be willing to be limited somewhat by local standards and prejudices. Those will be part of what determines acceptable vs unacceptable behavior for someone who seeks to present Christ to another culture. If you aren't willing to practice what Paul talks about, when it comes to altering your behavior so as not to offend or damage the conscience of a weaker believer be very very wary about putting yourself in the missionary position where people will look at your life and seek your counsel on how to be a good Christian.

Don't worry, I will probably not be doing this. I just asked the community because I had no idea what the demand or requirements were like.

Here is what I meant by my sexual behavior and accountability

In 2017 I will not wait for marriage to have sex. That's what I meant by accountability. I drink to relax and sleep, this is hard for people with sheltered lives to understand.

Missionary Work

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