This blog post was written by Andrew. He came on a joint short-term team with Christ Central Southern CA and Christ Central SF.

What Does It Take?

What does it take to be a long-term overseas missionary? What qualifications does one need?

1. An open and receptive heart to discern God’s calling: Not every believer is called to be a long-term overseas missionary. However all believers are called to do missions in whatever context God has placed them in. For some, that context is cross-cultural and overseas. Too often we close our hearts off to the idea of overseas missions because we think it’s “too crazy,” or “not for me.” Sometimes we close our hearts off out of fear: “What if God calls me?” As believers we have ultimately surrendered our lives to Christ: “Not our will, but Your will be done.” We have decided to live not according to our worldly desires, but for the glory of God. If so, we have a responsibility to foster an open and receptive heart to discern God’s calling in our lives, and not close ourselves off out of what we think is best for our lives.
2. A desire to serve the under-served, especially in a cross-cultural context: Each of the MTW missionaries I have met all have a heart to serve the under-served. The medical ministry serves the outcasts of society, those who have been abused, cast aside, and forgotten. The village ministry serves the children in the village by offering free supplemental English classes, a pathway to a college education, and Bible education. The city ministry serves to equip and encourage the Christian church minority in the midst of a society that is overwhelmingly Buddhist. The MTW team is filled with members from all over the world and of different ethnicity, united in their desire and calling to serve the under-served in Cambodia.
3. A step of faith: I am reminded of Matthew 14, when Jesus walks on water and tells Peter to come. Peter obeys in faith and steps out of the boat onto the water. But, when he sees the strong winds, he becomes afraid and starts to sink. He cries out to Jesus for help and immediately, Jesus reaches out and takes hold of him. Long-term overseas missions may seem intimidating or even downright impossible like walking on water. Like Peter, there will be times when fear and doubt overtake us, especially in the face of hardships. But in those moments, our Savior is right there to rescue us. We are not expected to be a “super-Christian” that walks on water without fear or doubts. Nor are we expected to take on this task alone. What is expected of us is to take a step of faith, like Peter, knowing that our God is greater than the sum of all our fears and doubts, and that same God is with us, wherever we may go.