THE CHALLENGES IN MISSIONS WORK

Ps Lau Tak Siong –AO Leadership Trainer

 

  

There are many challenges in missions work ministry, but let me preface it by saying that it is always a privilege to serve the Lord Jesus. In my 40 years of ministry it is encouraging to see the good fruit after many years of labour in different third world countries of Asia. Some of the challenges of missions work include:

1. The challenge of leaving your family

At the early onset of my ministry I made up my mind that my family would be my priority and I knew that God would give me wisdom to prioritize my time and travelling schedule so I would not neglect them. My children are all grown up now and I am blessed to be a grandfather so I can be away for longer periods but I still try to spend quality time with my family. It is a blessing too that my wife is strong (both spiritually and mentally) and fully understands my call to the mission fields. She is my greatest supporter and encourager, even following me sometimes to help me with the training too.

2. The challenge of ministering in rural areas

Decades ago when I first ventured into remote villages, communication was very poor. To keep communication with our loved ones, we had to go to a post office, book a call and after a 2 hour wait you can only talk to your family for a few minutes. At times, it was a challenge not to be in contact for the whole duration of the ministry. Now, even with advanced technology, there are still many poor remote villages where we go to that have limited or even no Internet access. Furthermore, one has to be willing to bear with the lack of basic amenities, be it the extreme heat without a fan, or a toilet that is just a hole in the ground, no running water or a bed that has the smell of the sweat of the previous person who slept on it. But that's sometimes the best the host can provide, and we are thankful that the discomfort is just for a short duration.

Sometimes we have to keep going back for further training in these remote areas as the local pastors in their own country are not keen to go to these poor remote places. Most people prefer to have ministries in the bigger cities where all the amenities are there. Coupled with this discomfort, the long bus or train rides (sometimes 20 hours or more) is definitely not appealing.

3. The challenge of serving others without "ownership"

Unlike pastoring a church where one can see the growth of the church in terms of the number of people or the maturity of the sheep, in the work of missions, it is unlikely that we see the participants "growing". We train them, build them up and encourage them so they can return home to their respective ministries and churches to serve. This is a challenge to keep on serving without having something tangible to hold on to, but we are serving Him, without seeking glory for ourselves.

4. The challenge of not always seeing good fruit

Although the trained leaders are not accountable to us, it is certainly a joy to see many that we have trained and ministered bearing good fruit. I am filled with inner satisfaction when a brother or sister would come up to me and say, "You trained me twenty years ago and through your strong encouragement, I have persevered in the ministry and did not give up. I now have pioneered four churches!" Inevitably, however, there are some leaders whom we have trained who have not been fruitful but have backslidden in their walk or have fallen into scandals of sexual immorality of financial impropriety. We can only do our part, and leave the rest to God.

5. The Challenge of finding teaching partners

Networking with other pastors, leaders and bible teachers is necessary and biblical. We can see in the book of Acts that Apostle Paul teamed up with Barnabas, Silas, Priscilla and Aquila, etc. Unfortunately, most pastors are very busy with their own churches and ministries, and understandably cannot be easily released. Furthermore, the places we go to are not the most comfortable of places; therefore to get teachers to come along to help can be a challenge.

6. The challenge of fundraising

Unlike other ministries where a fee is charged for each participant, in this particular ministry, we have to pay for the full cost of training and even pay for their transport cost from the inner villages as most of the participants are very poor. Thus this involves a lot of cost. (However, in recent years, we have been challenging some leaders to try to raise a part of the cost of training). Seeking funds for the ministry can be difficult as most churches have their own missions focus and will usually support what lies within their vision. Furthermore there are many ministries and mission agencies that are also seeking support from churches. Asking for donations is always a humbling challenge.

 Let me just conclude by saying that the above are just some of the challenges that we face from year to year. However, we are very thankful that God's grace is sufficient for us at all times for all that we need: 2Cor 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." We are indeed thankful for friends who prayed for us and partners who supported us financially. Together, we can be a blessing and win Asia for Christ.