Chapter 2

It's
Possible
Today!
Every missionary will face the question. Dr. Jon Oybdahl did:

The setting is still vivid in my mind. We stood at the view-

point elevation looking over the beautiful city of Honolulu. Gra-
ciously our guide had shown us around the island, and it was
now the end of the day. We had been together long enough to ask
honest questions. '"Why," he asked, '"are you bothering to go to
Thailand? You had a good church job in Northern California. You
were near your family. Why throw that away? What is the value
of going, anyway?"

If some of your friends and family haven't verbalized it, they have
thought it. Certainly you have in your own heart and mind asked it. If you
haven't, you need to. "Why would you choose to go as a missionary?" In
this chapter we want to say emphatically there are lots of good reasons to
go. Let's think about them together.

18 Why You Are Needed

 (~
" Think about It
,llt

Who has asked you questions about the reasons and value of
going on God's mission?
What have they said, and how have you responded?

The Need for Short-term Missionaries

We are defining "short-tenn" as any mission experience that lasts from
two weeks to one year. The number of short-tenn missionaries has ex-
ploded in recent years. The number of people in short-tenn missions is so
great, and the ways they are sent so diverse, that any numbers are "guess-
timates"; but some have estimated up to four million short-tenners of all
denominations may be going every year!

The Adventist Mission Explosion

Student missionaries, Adventist volunteers, and ADRA project work-
ers go in the greatest numbers, but numerous smaller sending agencies
and local churches are also getting involved in mission projects. More
short-termers go out each year than the total number of career Adventist
missionaries (about 900) now serving in cross-cultural situations in the
whole world. Short-tenn mission projects send hundreds of church mem-
bers overseas every year. And a few years ago Global Mission began to
mobilize thousands of local Global Pioneers in church planting projects.
To support this exciting trend, the General Conference established the
Office of Adventist Volunteers at the Secretariat and the North American
Division's Office of Volunteer Ministries.

It's Possible Today! 19

 Why This Trend?
What are the reasons for this tremendous upsurge in short-ternl mis-
sions? Let us consider briefly three of the main reasons.
Reason 1: Travel and communication are faster and cheaper than
ever before. Instead of taking weeks to journey to the mission field by
ship, today we can be there in 24 hours!
Reason 2: Short-termers can give service-yet not disrupt the regu-
lar flow of their lives.
Reason 3: Churches and mission agencies now encourage short-
term missions.

So What?!
What good do these short-termers do? Aren't these just vacation trips
for people who like to travel? What are the benefits to God's kingdom of
all this going and coming? Consider the Benefits of Mission notecard that
follows. What do you think?

Benefits of Being a Missionary

Benefit 1: Mission benefits the goer.
• A broadened perspective on the world with all its hurts and needs
• A chance to test themselves and their ability to serve and adapt
• Realization of the benefits that come from caring for the spiritual
and material needs of others
Benefit 2: Mission benefits the host people.
• They can see the caring and interest of the missionaries
• They gain new perspectives on their world and the world outside
• Spiritual and/or material aid is received
Benefit 3: Mission benefits the sender.
• Hands-on faith experience shared in the local church
• Greater dedication to mission and church
• Potential for future service at home and abroad greatly increased
• New vision for what the church can and should do
• Pool of experienced workers for more short-tenn/career service

20 Why You Are Needed

 An added important benefit is the benefit to a global church that is fur-
ther united through real-life friendships that generate international, inter-
cultural understanding and trust. The "communion of the saints" is made
real as otherwise distant and unknown brothers and sisters talk together,
pray together, eat together, worship together, and dream together-as they
understand each other and love one another.

The Need for Career or Longer-term Missionaries

Should everyone choose the short-tenn mission route to being a mis-
sionary? Of course not! Like everything else in life, there actually are
some weaknesses in short-tenn mission:
Since a short-tenn mission trip is often shorter than the necessary
time needed to prepare adequately for mission, too often prepara-
tion and training are reduced at the expense of good mission.
A short-tenn mission does not provide enough time to learn the
culture and the language of the host people.
Short-tenn missions are often driven by results expected by spon-
sors, but the time spent is too short to do justice to the mission.
It is obvious that the Lord will be calling some to serve for longer
tenns-even making mission their "career." These missionaries will have
the advantage of bonding with the people they have dedicated their life to
serve. They will understand the culture better. They will learn the language
of the people. The long-tenn missionary will, thus, be able to communi-
cate the gospel much more effectively.
Look back at the list of benefits of mission. Do they not all apply to
long-tenn mission, too? In many cases, the benefits will be stronger-
especially if the career missionary remembers to stay in contact with the
sending church!

It's Possible Today! 21

 Your Turn
1. From the list of benefits of missions which are the most important to
you as a short-term missionary? As a career missionary? Can you add
others to the list? What are they?
2. Do you think training is important for both long-term and short-term
missionaries? Why?
3. Career missionaries or longer-term missions do have some advantages
over the short-termers. What do you think are the biggest advantages?
If you choose to serve longer in mission, what reason would you give
for that choice?