Real Missionaries: Inspiring Gritty Cameos in 15 Nations
Once, on returning from missionary service and some hard times, I had a real desire to read some good, faith-filled modern missionary biographies. So with my Christmas money in hand, I was off to visit a couple of large Christian bookstores to make the big selection. To my shock, there was not really a big selection to make. Modern missionary biographies of the last years are as relatively rare. Yes, there is Jackie Pullinger and the Buntains plus, of course, all the revamp of old classics like William Carey and Hudson Taylor in their glossy new editions ut where are all the other missionary stories of the last century that tell us about real missionary life, warts and all?
Through the disappointment in finding only a few contemporary biographies, God began to sow seeds in my heart to write this book. From the start, I knew it was not to be just about me. I’d also heard so many great experiences from fellow missionaries across many lands that just had to be included. So the book Real Missionaries was born. Its focus is on the real human side of missionary life – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I have used the title Real Missionaries to first show how God uses ordinary Christians in world mission. We are real people who openly share some of our struggles, disappointments, delays, and triumphs. May you laugh, cry, and rejoice with us, at the same time receiving important insights into cross-cultural ministry. May you also marvel as we do, what the Lord can do, in the midst of some pretty difficult situations.
Even if you are not planning on going to the mission field personally, after reading Real Missionaries, you will have a better understanding of missionaries and be better equipped to support them.
These days, people assume that if you are a missionary, one of the side benefits is all the international travel spots you get to see. This is not always true although you do spend a lot of time inside many different airports. The apostle Paul did a lot of his writing confined in prisons, and I have done much of mine in airport lounges.
However, with now thirty years of missionary experience, I have also had the privilege to meet and work with some of the greatest living heroes on the planet today. These Christians have fantastic stories, and their life journeys are a tremendous testimony to the faithfulness and greatness of our Lord. The people I refer to are not the famous pastors of hundreds of thousands or the well-known televangelists. But they are certainly great stars, shining in their own right, and living fascinating and often difficult lives at the ‘ends of the earth.’
In this book, I would like to share with you some of my favorite testimonies and the lives of some of the outstanding heroes I have met over the years. Often, their lives were such an encouragement to me and the spark of inspiration I needed to reach the next level. I am even inspired again to new heights on writing about their lives! So relax, enjoy, be inspired and lifted with me.
