Comments on: To be or not to be: Missional http://bikemovement.org/blog/2007/05/16/to-be-or-not-to-be-missional cultivating a relevant community through conversation Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:47:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Rex Gill http://bikemovement.org/blog/2007/05/16/to-be-or-not-to-be-missional#comment-6734 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:08:28 +0000 http://bikemovement.org/blog/2007/05/16/to-be-or-not-to-be-missional#comment-6734 3f1s3o24io3318dw 3f1s3o24io3318dw

]]> by: Christine Purves http://bikemovement.org/blog/2007/05/16/to-be-or-not-to-be-missional#comment-4342 Sun, 20 May 2007 20:53:40 +0000 http://bikemovement.org/blog/2007/05/16/to-be-or-not-to-be-missional#comment-4342 Topic: living as a "missionary" for 9 years in Botswana. Thought No. 1 - Husband, Jack, and I were asked to come and work in apartheid burdened South Africa by the people of South Africa. The South African Council of Churches had become acquainted with Jack Purves when he went at his own expense to volunteer at those offices in any way he could help with their fight against the apartheid government. The upshot of Jack's several weeks of volunteering (writing pamphlets, for example) was that the SACC asked him to bring his wife and work as bursar (treasurer) at INANDA. This was the best school for black women in South Africa, located near Durbin. (the history of this invitation will await Addie's request to hear it, if that ever happens) The UCC church owned and ran INANDA. We applied to the USA's UCC church for help with funds to be able to accept the invitation. The UCC of USA offered to subsidize us at a minimum salary. Since we would be going under the church, we would be called "missionaries." We needed a visa to be able to take the job. After some time, the South African government refused the visa, since they found out about Jack's volunteer anti-apartheid writings at the SACC. The SACC countered with a proposal that we go to Botswana instead to work at the only high school in the northwest quarter of that country. We agreed and were accepted into a UCC orientation program in Canada, which would last a full month. At any time a candidate among the 25 or so being considered as missionaries around the globe was judged unsuitable for a mission job, that person would be dismissed from the program. Thought No. 2 Persons in charge of this 4 week orientation included citizens of Chile and of China. In Chile, the US government was known fairly recently to have helped assasinate a democratically elected leader. We were given information about more than one country in which the US government had interfered in elections, even to getting rid of undesirable (communist-leaning in the USA's opinion) candidates. We needed the humility occasioned by such knowledge. In China, we needed education about Christians living in a country in which the government was Communist. Memorable are these two pieces of advice: (a) Don't try to be anything but an American in a foreign country. For example, dont' try to emulate everything done by a Chinese citizen. "All the Chinese need is one more Chinese" was the tongue-in-cheek advice. (b) Don't ever think you came to a country to "bring Jesus." That is arrogant. Be yourself in your concept of living the way taught by Jesus. Then if a new acquaintance asks you something about your way of life, introduce this new friend to your old friend, Jesus. THEN STEP BACK AND LET THEM WORK IT OUT. In other words, realize there is a living Holy Spirit who can assist in answering without you immediately pushing your individual point of view. For example, more than once I was simply asked, after some action or behavior on my part, "Oh, are you a Christian?" That opened the door for conversation. Okay, Addie, first installment completed in response to your thoughtful entry of May 16. Topic: living as a “missionary” for 9 years in Botswana.
Thought No. 1 - Husband, Jack, and I were asked to come and work in apartheid burdened South Africa by the people of South Africa.
The South African Council of Churches had become acquainted with Jack Purves when he went at his own expense to volunteer at those offices in any way he could help with their fight against the apartheid government.
The upshot of Jack’s several weeks of volunteering (writing pamphlets, for example) was that the SACC asked him to bring his wife and work as bursar (treasurer) at INANDA. This was the best school for black women in South Africa, located near Durbin. (the history of this invitation will await Addie’s request to hear it, if that ever happens)
The UCC church owned and ran INANDA. We applied to the USA’s UCC church for help with funds to be able to accept the invitation. The UCC of USA offered to subsidize us at a minimum salary. Since we would be going under the church, we would be called “missionaries.” We needed a visa to be able to take the job. After some time, the South African government refused the visa, since they found out about Jack’s volunteer anti-apartheid writings at the SACC. The SACC countered with a proposal that we go to Botswana instead to work at the only high school in the northwest quarter of that country. We agreed and were accepted into a UCC orientation program in Canada, which would last a full month. At any time a candidate among the 25 or so being considered as missionaries around the globe was judged unsuitable for a mission job, that person would be dismissed from the program.
Thought No. 2
Persons in charge of this 4 week orientation included citizens of Chile and of China. In Chile, the US government was known fairly recently to have helped assasinate a democratically elected leader.
We were given information about more than one country in which the US government had interfered in elections, even to getting rid of undesirable (communist-leaning in the USA’s opinion) candidates. We needed the humility occasioned by such knowledge.
In China, we needed education about Christians living in a country in which the government was Communist.
Memorable are these two pieces of advice: (a) Don’t try to be anything but an American in a foreign country. For example, dont’ try to emulate everything done by a Chinese citizen. “All the Chinese need is one more Chinese” was the tongue-in-cheek advice.
(b) Don’t ever think you came to a country to “bring Jesus.” That is arrogant. Be yourself in your concept of living the way taught by Jesus. Then if a new acquaintance asks you something about your way of life, introduce this new friend to your old friend, Jesus. THEN STEP BACK AND LET THEM WORK IT OUT. In other words, realize there is a living Holy Spirit who can assist in answering without you immediately pushing your individual point of view. For example, more than once I was simply asked, after some action or behavior on my part, “Oh, are you a Christian?”
That opened the door for conversation.

Okay, Addie, first installment completed in response to your thoughtful entry of May 16.

]]> by: Christine Purves http://bikemovement.org/blog/2007/05/16/to-be-or-not-to-be-missional#comment-4337 Fri, 18 May 2007 18:07:19 +0000 http://bikemovement.org/blog/2007/05/16/to-be-or-not-to-be-missional#comment-4337 Well spoken, Addie. I really want to respond with some of my own thoughts, but not with a quick comment. I will get to you later and thanks for the sharing. Love, Grandma Well spoken, Addie. I really want to respond with some of my own thoughts, but not with a quick comment. I will get to you later and thanks for the sharing. Love, Grandma

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