A few months back, I had the privilege of reminding my friend of the gospel that saves us. He’d found himself watching some YouTube videos about the rapture. These videos were making him fearful and leading him towards a works salvation. I responded to this by explaining to him how we are saved by the work of Christ, with faith that is itself a fruit of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-10). When I’m asked to report on my missionary experiences, those are the kinds of testimonies I’m more excited to reflect on. But in this article I’ll instead be reflecting on ten of the mistakes I’ve made as a missionary. These are stories that don’t make it into the newsletters.
1. I Didn’t Do Enough Research on the People I’m Reaching
Recently, I baked some oatmeal cookies for my wife. Preparing the dough I realised that I hadn’t first run through the recipe to confirm that I had the necessary ingredients. I’d had a basic knowledge of what was needed. Only as I went through the recipe I was surprised to learn that it required cinnamon, a large egg and vanilla extract. Thankfully my wife had bought all of those ingredients without me knowing. If she hadn’t, the experience would’ve been a complete disaster.
Learn as much as you can about missions and the people you’re reaching.
This baking experience is analogous to how much I knew about missions when I decided to become a missionary; and how much I knew about the Sakalava and Antakarana when I set my heart to reach them and started raising support. I had a general knowledge of missions and the people group sufficient to steer me towards missions. However, that knowledge proved insufficient both when raising support and when I arrived in Madagascar.
I didn’t know enough of Madagascar’s history, its geography, and the religious habits of the Malagasy. All of this became painfully apparent when speaking to potential supporters. Indeed, if it hadn’t been for God who lined things up for me, I don’t think I’d have ever become a missionary in Madagascar. I was too ignorant. And it showed. As someone famously said, “failure to prepare is preparing to fail”. Thus if you’re considering missions, learn as much as you can about missions and the people you’re reaching.
2. I Had a Poor View of the Local Church
I was mobilised to missions by a parachurch organisation, Africa Inland Missions (AIM). Initially, I applied in 2017. But I had to wait two more years as I finished my theological studies. So in 2019 I started applying to become a full-time missionary. When I joined AIM in 2017, I didn’t know much about the local church. Added to that, I hadn’t given much thought to the relationship between parachurch organisations and local churches. This led to me finishing my theological studies and simply looking for employment in a local church while I applied for the mission field. That’s actually how I ended up with my current sending church; they offered me an internship as I applied to become a missionary.
I should never have used the local church as the means to an end.
Six years later I have a much richer and more biblical understanding of the local church. I should never have used the church as a means to an end. My ends. But God was gracious. Even though I essentially joined a church because they were willing to pay me, I learnt so much and also found partners in the gospel and missions.
3. I Was Overly Critical When I Didn’t Need to Be
In 2021, AIM organised a leap program for missionaries who were close to leaving for the mission field. Because of some borders closing, I was not unable to travel to Madagascar and went for the training. But it didn’t meet my expectations. When they asked for feedback I wasn’t constructive but overly critical and very likely a discouragement to the trainers running the program.
4. I Thought Mere Theology Was Sufficient for the Task
There are different views as to the importance of theological training in the mission field. I am convinced it isn’t only necessary but critical. For missionaries can only teach what they know. If they aren’t theologically trained they’ll teach what they know. However, I made the mistake of thinking that theological training alone was sufficient for missions. In addition to theological training, potential missionaries need exposure to what a church is and to pastoral ministry.
Practical knowledge and pastoral wisdom tends to only come with experience.
The Bible Institute, where I did my theological degree, tries to mitigate against this by requiring students become active members of a local church. Even with this I learnt so much during my pastoral internship that I could never have learnt in the classroom. Practical knowledge and pastoral wisdom tends to only come with experience. My theology was important but could only take me so far. Becoming a missionary usually involves church planting, equipping other pastors and strengthening churches. A theological degree can provide knowledge about those things. However it’s abstract, incomplete even.
5. I Entered the Missions Field Single
Being single has its blessings. You can make snap decisions without thinking about the consequences for your family—such as praying about it for less than a minute and then contacting AIM to tell them you want to become a missionary. If you’re single, you don’t make decisions for other people. You needn’t consider others. They don’t hold you back. This is the beauty of being single. Only, arriving in Madagascar back in 2022 I quickly regretted going as a single man.
I was hit with intense loneliness.
Before long in the missions field I was hit with intense loneliness. I soon longed for marriage more than I’d ever done in my entire life. Sunday afternoons became daunting. I dreaded them because I knew that after hours with the people of my local church I would have to return to my empty home. There were no companions for me there. No people. Just the four walls, ceiling and my books. Sure I had teammates as well as a growing group of friends. But language was a significant barrier to deepening those relationships. Furthermore, at the end of the day they’d go back to their families. Christmas Day was perhaps the worst. Because after a wonderful service and time of worship together, I again went back to an empty home.
6. I Didn’t Communicate With the Team There Before Arriving
When I left for the mission field, I knew that Ambarozavavy already had a group of missionaries working there. As a result, I presumed that we’d work in close proximity with a clear structure and strategy for collaboration. However, when I arrived I learned that different missionaries were focusing on quite different ministries.
I presumed that we’d work in close proximity.
We only met as a team once a month to feedback and pray. On occasion we met during the week for a prayer meeting. But afterwards everyone went their own way. Don’t get me wrong, my team was great. But knowing how they did ministry before I arrived could’ve done a lot to combat the feelings of isolation. I didn’t know where I belonged and had to figure a lot out on my own, including the local language. Meeting the team and knowing how they function in advance could’ve prepared me better for what to expect.
7. I Chose a Small House
My first house in Madagascar had two rooms: a bedroom upstairs and another downstairs. It was all made with bricks—a luxury in this community. But I didn’t give much thought to its practicality, in the long run. The house was available and affordable therefore I deemed it good. However, after a month or so I regretted that decision as the hot season dawned. My house was oppressively hot. I couldn’t work during the day, leaving me tired after working late and needing to catch up on sleep during the day. Talk about a sleeping missionary. Now that I know how hot the village gets, I consider those things when choosing a house.
8. I Agreed to a Translator Before Checking Their Knowledge of English
My first sermon in the mission field was in a church in Mahajagna. At that time, I hadn’t yet learned enough of the local language to preach in it. My leaders told me the pastor knows English; so I would preach and he could translate into English as we went. Come Sunday morning, I preached from Romans 1:18-31. And as I preached I suspected that he wasn’t translating everything correctly, but I soldiered on. After the sermon a friend who knows English and the local language thanked me for the sermon as it was good but added that most of it was lost in translation. Since then I haven’t preached using a translator unless I’m confident that they understand English well enough to translate everything I’m saying.
9. I Use Language Lessons for Sermon Prep
Recently, I reflected on why I haven’t done much Bible reading with my local language helper. The more I reflected the more I realised that our time had been taken over by sermon preparation. I was using language time to go through my sermon with my language teacher. Of course, this helped me learn new and necessary Sakalava vocabulary. Only, at the same time, it meant my language lessons had become something less than preparation for missionary work there. In hindsight, I should have asked my language helper to meet with me to go through the sermon translation separately. That way my grasp of Sakalava would have improved quicker than it has.
10. I Did Ministry During Home Assignment
Ever since I studied theology, I’ve desired to do ministry back in Soshanguve, my home town. There’s a great need there and my own training has prepared me to partner with churches to offer informal theological training and oppose the rampant prosperity gospel. In his mercy, God led me to missions. Thus I’m presently involved with the informal theological training of local pastors and church planters among the unreached people of Madagascar.
My heart and energies were divided.
However, in 2023 I left the mission field to get married. While in my hometown I followed my desire for the people of Soshanguve and engaged in extensive ministry as well as some training. Though much is needed there, it meant I didn’t get the rest that I desperately needed. It also meant that when the time came to return to Madagascar, my heart was divided. Neither of those things served me among the Sakalava.
