This summer saw two foreign missionaries battle a deadly virus while serving the sick and needy in Africa. Sadly, a Spanish priest succumbed to the virus. It’s easy to forget that our brothers and sisters are working in humble and sometimes dangerous ways in faraway places so that others may know the love of Christ. The media attention given to these few missionaries can serve as a reminder to us all to do a better job of encouraging those who are spreading the gospel on foreign soil.
Romans 10:14-15 are important verses to keep in mind. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Missionaries are sent ones; sent to spread the name of Jesus to every corner of the earth. But, missionaries are human and they are vulnerable to the same discouragement and loneliness that affect us all. They need the support and encouragement of fellow Christians to help them stay focused and believing that God can truly use them for His mighty work in the world.
So how can you encourage a missionary? Here are a few simple, but effective ways.
Send Real Mail
Email correspondence with missionaries is a good idea, but their Internet could be spotty or expensive. And, at the end of the day, email just doesn’t carry the same weight of personal connection that you get when you send snail mail. Send a religious greeting card inside a package of surprises. They may enjoy getting canned pumpkin or cranberries to use at Thanksgiving or marshmallow crème for making Christmas fudge. Ask the missionaries what they miss from home and then send it to them with a kind note.
Prayer Card
When you send an encouraging religious greeting card, be sure to write inside the card telling them exactly how you are praying for them. Of course, PRAY for them. Everyone likes being remembered but when you are away from friends and family in your home country, being thought of means even more. Pray for the spiritual success of their work, for their family, for the people to whom they minister and for more workers to be sent into the harvest field. When they read your prayers – they will be strengthened.
Pay a Visit
This isn’t always possible, but it should be considered. Why not consider going to a foreign land to encourage your missionaries. Don’t expect them to be your tour guides, but bring along things that will bless them in your luggage. Devotional books and music or a special gift for a child’s birthday would all be blessings. Do a prayer walk all around their home and the places where they serve. This kind of trip will not only lift the spirits of the missionaries – it will be transforming for you and your family.
At The Printery House we carry several lines of cards that would be perfect for encouraging a missionary. We have a line of cards with printed prayers, a line with words of encouragement based on the fruit of the Spirit and a line with hopeful thoughts. We encourage you to use a religious greeting card soon to lift up a missionary worker and infuse strength into the spread of the gospel.