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Staff Reports
Reports of recent Trips and Work by Godspeed Missionary Care
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Staff Missionary Reports
Reports and Experiences of the Godspeed Staff
"God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart..."
1 Samuel 16:7
Budapest, December
The streets of the older section of Budapest where I was
visiting last week are cobblestone, and though there are
sidewalks alongside, intersections can be rough. As I walked the
five blocks from my lodging to meet with a missionary team, I
saw a young man in a wheelchair, his lower extremities withered
and malformed. He was working hard to stay on track while trying
to keep control of the large dog he had on a leash. I marveled
at his persistence and thought of what it must be like for him
to navigate in this environment that will soon be even more
challenging as winter sets in. My mind began to imagine what
might have happened to him to leave him in this position, my
impulse was to want to help him in some way. His dog insisted
on a zone of protection around the wheelchair, though, so I
moved on...
...to deal with situations where the impairments were not so
visible. Conflicts unresolved, words unspoken, the insidious
effects of the stress of living in a foreign land, the debris
of a chaotic childhood covertly affecting adult emotions, the
decreased sunlight of a northern winter triggering depression
that masquerades as personal discouragement. This is the domain
where Godspeed serves, circumstance and situation that may not
be visible but can demoralize, impair, and even remove a
missionary from their appointed field of work just as
effectively as could major physical illness or disability. A
particularly common condition that we encounter among
missionaries is that of depression, sometimes of the
"clinical" variety that may involve a medical component or
require medical intervention. I could describe the typical
symptoms and signs, but (with her permission) will let you hear
excerpts from a missionary letter as a missionary writes to
her family and friends:
"In less than two weeks we will be in the States for our
furlough...many of you will ask me, "How are you?" That's the
customary American greeting. The traditional reply is, "Fine,
thank you."
This time the usual answer will not suffice. The truth is that
I am not fine. Last year I alluded to a significant health
problem; we thought that by now it would be a closed chapter
in our lives. We were wrong. This is a book with multiple
chapters. It is an illness that is greatly misunderstood among
Christians and is practically taboo for missionaries, the
"mature believers". Clinical depression is very real. It is a
medical condition with a wide range of symptoms. Its cause is
not certain; its cure is not simple, and at times it has been
debilitating.
Among the biggest issues for me are mental and physical
slowness, indecisiveness, fatigue and anxiety. I remember
telling [a team of doctors] that I would not give up but that
I might give out. Initially I was advised to tell as few people
as possible; I was too fragile for well-intended questions and
advice. Now I find myself longing for prayer. I'm not so sure
it is wise to keep secret a serious illness.
About three weeks ago the Lord gave me a new perspective on
this. Rather than focusing on wellness, I am to focus on what
He has for me to learn about Him and about myself. Oh! I am
learning so much! I have so very much to learn about pride,
humility, and self-centeredness. So pray for me to become more
like Jesus, to be refined and purified. Wellness is secondary.
This morning I told my husband I needed to be taken care of,
that it would be nice to be where my mother and his mother
would take care of me. The truth is that I need tender care
from you as well, my family in Christ. I have an excellent
Christian psychiatrist and the Lord Himself is my Great
Physician I could not be more blessed."
As I look back over this year, I am so very grateful to God
for His allowing us an opportunity to see Him at work in the
lives of His missionaries serving throughout the world. And we
are grateful to you as well, as God has used your gifts, your
prayers, your encouragement, and your caring to make those
opportunities a reality. Much has been accomplished during
2003:
- transition of our ministry base from Maryland to
Columbia, South Carolina
- visits to Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, and France to
minister to families and teams serving in those regions
- conferences and consultations for churches and mission
organizations in New York, Alabama, Maryland, North
Carolina, Indiana, and Kentucky
- individual consultations with missionaries living or
visiting near our South Carolina home base, who have served
in Brazil, Russia, Taiwan, Bulgaria, Peru, Indonesia,
Pakistan, and still other countries of the world
And we look forward to 2004:
- In January, the ten year anniversary of the
founding of Godspeed Missionary Care
- Further opportunities to meet with missionaries returning
from the field and others preparing for field service
during a conference in Indiana in January
- Our first visit to Haiti where we have been asked
to meet with a team during its annual field retreat in
April
- Working alongside other missionary care personnel in
Columbia to develop training programs in missionary care
for other health professionals
- The completion of two books I have been requested to
write, one for missionaries to help them better prepare
medically for mission service, and one for psychiatrists
to encourage and prepare them to become more involved in
mission service
- And throughout the year, consultations with missionaries
who visit us in South Carolina, as well as on-site work
with missionary teams in Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, France,
and South Africa.
As I returned to my Hungarian hotel in the dark of the evening,
I again saw the young man and his dog, heading back toward his
own home. His visible problems were significant, but he was
pressing on. Our missionaries press on as well,
undergoing the attacks of the enemy, the burden of cross-cultural
adaptation and separation from family, the isolation that can
come from illness and anxiety occurring where help and
understanding may not be readily available. We are blessed to
be witnesses of God's plan to strengthen, to heal, and to draw
them closer still to Him. And we are blessed that you care,
too...may His love and His presence be very visible in your
homes and lives this holiday season.
Godspeed,
Barney, for Karen and the Godspeed team
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