I have often heard it said that a call to ministry is a call to prepare. I had just graduated from Veritas Baptist College when the Lord began to deal with my wife and I about serving full-time on the mission field. We both had many questions in every aspect of this calling:
- What is full-time ministry in a foreign culture and context really like?
- How do you raise a family in another country?
- How do you even begin planting a church?
- What is the language learning process like?
The list goes on, but my wife and I began to pray that the Lord would help us to find the answers to these pressing questions.
I had previously been on a few mission trips with missionaries from Vision Baptist Missions and decided to reach out to them to see what had helped them prepare for ministry on the mission field. This is where I was introduced to the wonderful opportunity to take an extended internship overseas under the direction of a veteran missionary that could help provide us with some much-needed hands-on experience. This is how the Lord opened the wonderful opportunity for us to spend three months overseas in South Africa working under a team of veteran missionaries who had decades of experience on the foreign mission field. This was a Godsend for us! Having just arrived back from our internship, my wife and I can honestly say we both feel so much more confident and equipped to do the work the Lord has called us to do. Spending an extended time overseas benefited us greatly in both the preparation that it provided and the challenges we faced.
After surrendering my life to be in full-time ministry, I had always pictured myself working in an environment where I was most comfortable. This isn’t to say this is wrong, but it just wasn’t what the Lord had in store for me. I had always loved the idea of missions and took the opportunity to go overseas whenever the chance arose, but to imagine myself living there was a little overwhelming. This is why it was incredibly helpful to go and minister overseas for three months. The idea of taking time to go and complete hands-on training before launching out yourself is not a foreign concept to the rest of the world. Many degrees and career paths will require someone that has completed his studies to then put those skills into practice under the direction of someone that is already doing the job.
When it comes to ministry, no matter what that may look like, there are many benefits in taking time to learn underneath someone who is already working in that ministry. We find this principle in the Scriptures, and it was even the method our Lord used during His earthly ministry (Mark 3:14, 2 Timothy 2:2). While it might seem a waste of precious time and resources to prepare even longer after receiving Bible training, I believe it has been critical for us in establishing a strong foundation by which to begin a healthy and life-long ministry in the future.
While working underneath veteran missionaries, my wife and I were able to ask questions about every aspect of ministry overseas. We saw first-hand what the life of a full-time missionary is really like, and others that are already doing the work we are called to poured themselves into us. We also were required to read selected books on the topic of missions and discuss these with the missionaries which helped bring up important lessons we needed to learn. It also allowed us the opportunity to train in the language learning process as we took part in language school while there. We certainly did not become experts in the language, but we were exposed to what it is like to learn a foreign language on the field. An extended period overseas was also a great chance to be exposed to culture shock and learn how to cope with it and overcome it. Taking the time to go on this internship helped prepare us for the mission field in a way in which we feel confident and ready to do the work God has called us to do.
Life overseas is certain to have its challenges as you face a place with different cultural beliefs, languages, and, overall, a different way of doing things than you are used to. Having the opportunity to know what it is like to experience this and then be helped in adapting is extremely beneficial. The challenges that come alongside ministry overseas are equally matched by the joy that we receive in seeing the fruit of a healthy and Gospel-centered ministry. Learning from veteran missionaries how to deal with and overcome these challenges has better equipped us for ministry overseas in every context.
My wife and I both have returned with a renewed passion for missions and an excitement about what God has called us to do. While it certainly won’t be easy no matter how much training you receive, I believe that anyone desiring to work on the mission field will be much better equipped in this wonderful calling by completing an extended amount of time overseas.
Josh and his wife, Morgan, live in Knoxville, TN. They are expecting twins in October 2023. They are currently finishing their internship with Vision Baptist Missions and will begin deputation summer 2024 for Mozambique.