By H. M. SPARROW, Superintendent of the East African Union Mission

During this war our world-wide work has been greatly handicapped and disorganized in many places, but it has not been conquered by the archenemy, Satan. No doubt, when the full story of mission advance has been told, there will be many experiences of interest concerning new com­panies that have been raised up. Now that the war is over, many fields will have to be restaffed and more workers sent out to the far ends of the earth. Knowing that the General Conference will be placing invitations to scores of young men and women in the near future in answering these calls, I feel impressed to make a few suggestions gleaned from thirty-five years of experience in the mission field to the new missionary appointees serving in various places of responsibility.

THE CALL—The General Conference may re­ceive an urgent appeal from a division, asking for an evangelist or a treasurer or a teacher or a mission director or a doctor. The Appointees Committee at headquarters looks the whole field over and then begins to search for a suitable cou­ple. First, they must have the missionary spirit to answer the call. They must be in good health, consecrated, and otherwise qualified. When such a couple has been found, the General Conference then makes the appointment. After all 'formalities of passports, health certificates, and permits have been obtained, the workers are now ready for their departure-from the homeland.

EQUIPMENT.—One of the important things a worker who is going to a foreign field must think about is equipment. He must have some­thing with which to work. The General Con­ference provides funds whereby a worker can pur­chase a few of the necessary articles. First of all, I would say bring -your personal belongings, such as photos, a few practical pictures, yoUr linens and bedding, cutlery and crockery. You will need them to make your home comfortable and your family contented no matter where you go. You may need a portable typewriter, a radio which can be used with a six-volt battery, a portable organ, or any other musical instrument you can play. If you are called to take up evangelistic work, a good projector with slides on various subjects—one that can be used on a car battery—will be most useful. A kerosene pressure lamp and a few practical tools are always very useful in a mission field. If you are going to the tropics, lightweight, cool clothing is practical. Many more things, such as a personal library, could be mentioned, but those already enumerated will serve as a basis.

PLACE OF LABOR.—Wherever possible the di­vision and the unions endeavor to place workers where they were originally called. However, cir­cumstances may change, and the appointment may have to be altered while the worker is en route. I know of one instance in which the appointment of a worker was changed several times, because of unavoidable circumstances existing in the field, and the appointee landed into something entirely different from that to which he was originally called. That worker did his best and made a real success of his work. On the other hand another worker came out to the mission field, and because he did not go into the line of work for which he had been called, he was unwilling to try to fit in the best he could, and after two years he re­quested to be returned home, at very great expense to the cause. If he had only taken advice and tried, he most likely would still have been in the mission field and doing good work.

One cannot always put down the excuse, "Re­turned home for health reasons," for early returns to the homeland. If the facts were known, it would be said that the appointee was unwilling to make the best of his temporary appointment. He must be prepared to do the best he can wherever he is sent.

TERM OF OFFICE.—Terms of service vary in dif­ferent divisions according to conditions. It may be you will not get to return to your homeland for a period of from two to seven years, or perhaps more. So go prepared for it. Furthermore, go prepared to return to your mission field after your furlough. Nothing is more disappointing to your fellow missionaries than to hear a worker say, "I am going home and will not return." On the other hand, nothing is more inspiring and strength­ening -to the work than to see a worker return to his field of labor after two, three, or four fur­loughs. We are always happy to have that type of worker in the field. When you accept a call, make up your mind to stay in your field, if health conditions permit and your work is satisfactory. God will abundantly bless such devotion to His cause.

SALARY.—Many times workers have set ideas concerning their rate of pay. While one does not accept a mission appointment for the, salary he will get, yet he has to be supported. It is quite true that in some fields the rate of pay is lower than in the homeland. You may be sure that the division and union where you will labor have a good 'reason for it, and their wage scale is set ac­cordingly. If others can live on the salary paid, make up your mind that you can. Do your best with what you receive, and manifest a spirit of co­operation.,

LOVE THE PEOPLE.—In a number of places in the Gospels we read that "Jesus had compassion on them," and "He loved them." The worker must learn to love his people. This is the secret of his success ! Primitive people will often give a name to a person which is characteristic of his nature. For instance, one missionary was called "Matand' abantu," which means, "He who loves the people." Of many an older missionary in the field, the na­tives still say, "Oh, how he loved us !" No greater compliment can be paid to any worker. You will not win them to the truth in any other way. Your work will be everlasting if you learn to love the people for whom you are laboring.

On one station there lived two families. The people passed by the one door and went to the second house. When asked why, their reply was, "We know who loves us," and they surely do. To love them does not mean you must eat with them at your table or have them sleep in your home, but it does mean sympathy, with acts of kindness and helpfulness in time of need.

LANGUAGE STUDY.—ThiS important subject can­not be overestimated. You cannot expect to reach a people successfully unless you know something about their lives and thought, and that can be learned only through the medium of their lan­guage. Someone may say, "That sounds all very easy for those of you who have mastered three or four native languages." But make up your mind to master one or more of them. It will place you in good stead with the people when they know you have learned to speak their language. You may only have a working knowledge of your second language. Oftentimes the other fellow has to labor to find out what you mean, but you rely upon the first language you mastered as being of great value in your influence among the people.

A HAPPY CHRISTIAN.—In the mission field the missionary must have a sense of humor. Primi­tive people are happy by nature and can always be won by a smile and a friendly attitude. The worker must be prepared to enjoy experiences of happiness and victory as well as many sad disap­pointments. Many times you will rejoice to see someone won to Christ for whom you haxe been working for years. Then again you may be bit­terly disappointed to see someone whom you least expected, give up being a Christian. This is the time one must live close to the Master and not complain. Never exhibit the spirit of a grumbler; it is too catching. If you are not a happy Chris­tian, the primitive people will not be attracted to Christianity. Their reasoning is, If a Christian cannot be happy, what can he offer us better than what we have? That is good logic ! Sympathy and courtesy, as well as happiness in your every­day life, go a long way toward your goal—to win men to Christ.

FIRST OBJECTIVE.—As a missionary you should always keep before your eyes your object in-going to the mission field—to prepare a people for the coming of Jesus ! If that is not your aim, it would be better for you not to answer the call. Every­thing you do and say must bend toward that goal. Your preaching and teaching, your medical and manual work, must aim toward that mark of high calling.

PREACH TO WIN.—Know your Bible and be able to give a simple reason to the unlearned man when you meet him, as well as the learned. He will ask you such questions as, "Who was Jesus? Where does He live? How can I know Him like you? When will He come back? Does He love the black people as He does the white?" He will ask many other simple questions, but give him a simple an­swer that even a child can understand. If you know the way personally, you can lead him, but if you don't, my brother, how can you show anyone else the way?

Preach to win! Make every sermon count and every Bible study convincing. Use simple, under­standable illustrations. That was the way Jesus worked. People will come to hear an earnest Christian who lives what he preaches.


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By H. M. SPARROW, Superintendent of the East African Union Mission

November 1946

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