A Missionary Story:
Five Months Later After Cleaning Out Her Purse

I love this story. I love it because a missionary story like this speaks to one of the core values of our ministry - missionaries caring for each other. It is a missionary story that is encouraging on several levels. See if you can find encouragement in the midst of the traumatic event described below.

I recently received an e-mail from a friend and member care specialist at a mission agency where I facilitated a conference last summer. He forwarded on to me an e-mail describing an encouraging missionary story he received from a worker in eastern Europe who attended the conference I facilitated.

Hi Rob,

By now you have heard all about Andrea being attacked, mugged, whatever you call it, last Sunday.  I just wanted to tell you an interesting fact and hope that you can forward it on to John Certalic. 

When we were at our conference in July, John gave us these little cards about “emptying your emotional suitcase” and I thought it was interesting and filed it away in my wallet…for the next 5 months where it sat…forgotten.

Then last Friday I was cleaning out my purse and came across the card.  I didn’t want to keep carrying it around with me so I threw it on my desk…where it sat…until Monday morning when I was preparing to go over and debrief with Andrea about her experience.  I noticed it sitting there and I thought, huh!  That would be a good thing to do with Andrea as I’m sure she has not had a chance to even identify all the emotions she is experiencing. 

So as I talked with Andrea I asked her “what are you mad about?”…then I waited…it seemed to be about 3 minutes before she responded but she was just getting to realize that she was angry.  After a while I asked “What are you sad about?” and waited again a long time before she answered.  I went on with the other questions too, scared and glad.  It was interesting to sit there in silence and watch the emotion play across her face as she came in touch with it.  All I did was ask a question and listen to the answer.  She did the hard work. 

Thank you John for giving us those cards and demonstrating their use.  God really used it for HIS glory in a difficult situation.

Colleen

It is encouraging to know a missionary took the time to listen to a colleague going through a difficult time. It is encouraging to know that Colleen was willing to wait in silence for her co-worker to process a question that get’s to the core of our emotional response to a traumatic event. It’s uncomfortable for the listener but profitable for the speaker.

We don’t know the outcome, but it must have been positive for the missionary who listened to let someone back at headquarters know, and for her to want me to know what happened. It’s also encouraging to know my busy friend Rob in the member care department cared enough to forward this e-mail on to me. And it’s personally encouraging knowing that the work we do to better equip missionaries makes a difference - even five months after teaching a new skill.

And that’s why I love this story.

Read more encouraging missionary stories:

Missionary Stories - What's Not to Love About Them?

Transition - Living Both Here and There at the Same Time

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