The Other Side of Missions

"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep..." Romans 13:15

Hello, dear faithful praying friends,

I am always encouraged by the letters I get from family, friends (and even complete strangers) who have read our latest prayer letters, send us a line in the mail, and tell us that they are praying for us!  What a tremendous encouragement that is to us on the field!

For my husband, writing those prayer letters is tricky.  It is always a balancing act to know the right words of encouragement and burden to share with everyone.  What to say, what to leave out, our entire lives of two months, written in an interesting and understandable format that must fit on one page, with headers, and pictures, and...well, you get the point.

Sometimes, though, what doesn't make it into the prayer letters, is the part that we as missionaries wish we could share the most.

We all like to read about the success stories:  people saved, churches started, nationals taking over leadership, and missionaries moving on to the next work that God has placed on their hearts.

What about the stories, with the less-than-happy endings?

For five years now we have been visiting with an elderly friend here in Amiens.  Nearly every week we have been in her home, and more recently her nursing home room, drinking her coffee and eating her cookies and sharing love and God's Word with her.

There have been good days, when her mind was clear and we would laugh and reminisce over her life with her husband and her family.  There were days when she was crying from pain from aching joints, nights of sleeplessness, or worry over a family member or friend.  There were days when her face would light up in a huge smile just seeing us there.  Other times her eyes would mist over as she confided about her solitude and loneliness (even though we know people checked up on her regularly.)

And then, she was gone.

It happened earlier this month.  We had stopped by her room at the nursing home, the day after she passed away.  We knocked on her door and no one answered, but that was not unusual.  Some days were so bad for her that she didn't get out of bed, and couldn't hear us.  We went back the following week, and the same thing happened, only to find out yesterday that her funeral had been held just the day before our last visit.  I had to call the nursing home and finally found someone who would let us know what had happened.

"I'm sorry to tell you this over the phone, but Madame Lemarchand died earlier this month..."

There was no closure, no final goodbye, no sharing our condolences with her family and friends.  There wasn't even a courtesy phone call from the nursing home, even though we were on the "to call" list.  Just silence, and, hearts aching, we try to put the past five years of visits and calls and cards and flowers, into our ministry box and shut the lid.

Today is Tuesday morning, her morning, our weekly visit time, and my eyes are just misting over at the thought.

There are always regrets at times like this, aren't there?  Could we have done more?  Probably.  Should we have done more?  Always.

Was it enough?

Was it worth it?

Yes.

Ministry in missions is more than can ever be tallied in a monthly report.  It's always more costly than our monthly budget, and the profits are always worth more than any amount any church or individual could ever give.  In times like this, when all of the efforts are expended and the page on this opportunity is turned, I am always confronted with the question:

Did it make a difference, in the end? Or was it all in vain?

Only God can comfort in times like these:

"Then the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  Matthew 25:40

 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

"But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Hebrews 13:16 

As you read the next prayer letter from your missionary, especially those letters in which there seems not to be much "going on" in their report, please remember that not everything makes it in those letters, and not every "result" can be quantified in human terms.  Only one day, when we are standing in heaven and God's records are opened, will all be revealed.

Until then, let's keep on encouraging others, and staying faithful, and busy doing all that we can to reach those around us.  I'm sure that God will be honored in those efforts, even when they do not always have the "happy endings" that we would hope for.

I'm so thankful for all of you who hold the ropes with us, and have for many years, in the ministry here in France!  Days like today are hard, but they do not last forever, and there are many more people around us that still need us to show God's love to them today...