Six Resources a Missionary Must Manage: Investing in Eternal Benefits

By Kristi Johnson

I am not an expert in stocks, bonds, and money markets, but I do know a little about investing in the lives of people for eternal benefits.

During the time my husband and I served as missionaries with IM, more than 450 individuals, churches, or associations supported our ministry, giving over $2.6 million for ministry. That’s a LOT of investing! While I experienced the joy of receiving their investment, I also understood the responsibility of making sure those resources were wisely managed.

Here are six things I learned:

1. Relationships missionaries build are valuable resources.

Having a teammate on the field who pushes you toward success and cheers for you when you need it most is a rare commodity. Many times, I struggled with feeling inadequate or thought I’d totally failed at teaching a Bible study. Fellow missionary Lea Edgmon didn’t let me stay in those valleys. She always had an encouraging word to remind me she was on my side. Those late-night texts often kept me going when I wanted to give up.

When God allows a similar relationship to form between a missionary and a national believer, it can be even more beautiful. Friendships created in day-to-day life make the most valuable bonds.

Pray for relationships built on our mission fields, for missionaries to find lasting and sustainable friendships that will give God the ultimate glory.

2. Time is not a renewable resource.

The 24 hours in a missionary’s day are a non-renewable resource. Once spent, they can never be used again. Missionaries must prioritize every precious minute they are given.

Many missionaries work in places where survival itself takes much energy. I think of Eddy and Amanda Simmons in a remote area of Kenya. Their solar-powered oven takes all day to roast a chicken or prepare a stew. They probably use their meal preparation time very differently than Joni Hubbard in fast-paced Tokyo, Japan. She can run to the grocery store, buy daily groceries, and cook them in her modern kitchen. But traffic jams or following the Japanese custom of stopping to speak to a neighbor as she returns home may eat up Joni’s time. While both the Simmons and Joni have the same number of minutes per day, the way they manage those minutes can be a challenge.

Pray for missionaries to use their time wisely as they live out their faith in challenging daily life situations.

3. Influencing others to missions is a great catalyst for shaping the future.

What a blessing to learn about missionaries’ lives as they post on social media about their daily tasks, their favorite foods, and their ministry activities. We know Matt Price in France loves being with international students and often shows meals they eat together. Miriam Bishop in Japan is great at giving us a sneak peek into her family’s daily life and responsibilities. Both Matt and Miriam (and many others) host short-term groups like ETEAM and CMP. They’re personally taking part in raising up future generations of “Matts” and “Miriams” who will one day fill our mission fields. Their influence on social media and in real-life situations is changing the future of missions one post, one meal, and one “like” at a time.

Pray for missionaries who host short-term groups. Ask God to use their efforts to lead more people to the mission field.

4. Diversification sometimes means risk.

Diversification involves risk, and moving into a new culture is risky. “Will I know which bus to take?” “What if my clothes don’t look like everyone else’s?” “How will I ever learn the language?”
It’s also risky when missionaries diversify their efforts, seeking to create ministries with various types of people. Some will accept the gospel easily, and some will reject it. Each seed planted needs managing, and each gospel “touch” is an investment in people who need to know Christ.

Pray for missionaries as they take risks to plant gospel seeds in the people they encounter each day.

5. Modeling leadership to a new church plant can be hard work.

“The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest.” (Deepika Padukone)

From that cool, February morning when the Alpedrete Church in Spain first gathered in a gospel-preaching church until today, missionaries have invested in leaders. We faced difficult moments, and the work was hard. Sometimes leaders stumbled, and some even chose to leave the ministry. But each time a new leader steps into the pulpit, prepares the music ministry, or teaches a devotion, the sweetness of the fruit of that hard work is tasted.

Pray missionaries will embrace the difficult work of developing competent leaders to continue the ministry long after they are gone from the field.

6. The Earth is the Lord’s, along with everything in it.

While money isn’t the only resource missionaries must manage, it’s an important one. Every year, our IM missionaries make strategic plans, including budgeting transportation costs, ministry funds, evangelistic materials, and more. They factor in fluctuating exchange rates, cost of living increases, and the realization some of their support will likely dwindle or drop off. These are stressful moments for missionaries, especially when faced with a deficit account that may require them to leave their on-field investment to return to the States for extra fundraising.
Missionaries are charged with investing the money placed in their hands—remember, it’s not THEIRS, but the Lord’s—and using it for His glory.

Pray for missionaries as they stretch their dollars (and other currencies) to cover vital ministry expenses.

The eternal benefits of ministry far outweigh the temporal ones of retirement accounts or 401(k) plans. We will only see them when we reach Heaven and are greeted by those who watched as missionaries around the world stewarded their relationships, time, influence, risks, leadership skills, and money. That “great cloud of witnesses” will be even greater because of missionary investments.

About the Writer: Kristi Johnson serves as the development communications manager at IM, Inc., where she loves getting to help missionaries tell their stories in creative ways. Learn more: www.iminc.org.