I spent some time talking with other missionary friends to develop this post. It’s not all my words or my thoughts, it’s a collaboration to help inform those “back home” how we often feel and how they can help at times. Hope you enjoy this read!

Lonely. That is 1 word I would use to express life in missions and a word I know other missionaries would use often too. We’re still Americans, yet we’re living in a land opposite of America, whether that is spiritually, financially or the myriad of other differences. I just want to encourage you to pray for missionaries and encourage the ones you know. Don’t just pray for their physical needs, but their spiritual and emotional health too. They are emptying out so much, it takes a lot out of you to live in a foreign country, pray for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to fight the temptation of discouragement. There are MANY situations they face they can not share and even if they could share, it is exhausting to try to communicate the depth of what they’re facing and feeling.

We met someone once who enjoys spending his time and money to visit missionaries on the field and to help fill their cup so to speak. A missionary to missionaries. It is so needed.

We were blessed to receive an email from a friend in the States about a week ago, and you never know how far that encouragement can go for someone. Knowing this friend took the time to say I am praying and not just praying but I am going to send this note to let God encourage your hearts, it is priceless for someone in the trenches. Encouragement is a huge gift and one that does cost, it just costs in time and the emotion it takes to speak/write what’s on your heart to that missionary.

You may not know what to say, it doesn’t have to be eloquent or perfect, sometimes just hearing I’m thinking about you is encouragement. As I said lonely is a top word that comes up for missionaries so simply hearing from someone is us hearing we’re remembered even though we’re not there in person. Letting them know I’m praying for your marriage. The challenges a missionary couple faces are different than those in the States. I’m praying for your children by name right now, knowing someone is covering our children in prayer, because we feel spent and can question are we doing what is best for our kids? If they’re struggling, to hear someone else is covering them too is encouragement. I’m praying for that thing that is aching your heart right now that you don’t have the capacity to share, I just want you to know I’m praying. Knowing you’re remembered and still being prayed for goes a really, really long way.

God is more than enough!!!! We get to see that in a different light living in a foreign country and experiencing life in another culture. He never leaves us without. He gives us all we need and more, and He provides for us physically, spiritually and emotionally. I just wanted to remind you sometimes you may be that provision for someone.

I talked with some missionary friends and here’s a list we came up with that we felt we would want someone Stateside to know and have tangible ways to help.

-As I said, number one is simply letting us know you’re praying and how you’re praying.

-Ask questions! We love sharing what we can about our lives. No question is dumb to us. When you ask us questions we’re encouraged that someone does care not only about what we’re doing, but about where our heart beat lies-with the people we’re serving. They’re the reason God has us where we are at, so you asking questions about them, their country and how we’re doing in their country is impactful.

-Sometimes a video chat is helpful! Setting a time to talk can be a fun and exciting thing to look forward to, but also, be flexible. Serving in a foreign country is completely unpredictable, we may have had a hard day and feel spent or our internet could go out and not work at all or very well. Scheduling a time to talk is great, and being gracious if it doesn’t work out is also great!

-For some missionaries receiving mail or packages is a huge blessing! We personally cannot receive either without extreme corruption to be honest. If you send us anything it will be opened. For other missionaries, send cards, drawings from your kids/grandkids, photos and written stories of fun you have had, or small items that a missionary cannot get in their country.

-For missionaries who cannot receive pacakges/letters sending digital things. Check with the missionary before purchasing or sending anything to make sure it is accessible in their country. We had friends who said they were gifted a Disney Plus subscription which was really fun for them and they did not have the funding to do that on their own. We personally live in a country that most streaming websites are not accessible and internet is so intermittent it’s not really worth it. Other ideas would be Imusic/Itunes gift cards, gift cards for their e-readers (this was a big one for those who homeschool), or Amazon gift cards so the missionary can send gifts to friends and family in the States.

-Lastly, something other missionaries said was life giving and encouraging for them was to have people visit. Not only because it is special for someone to see their lives, but also because anyone who visits can bring in some goodies that we cannot attain in our country.

We all get discouraged at times, we all fight against discouragement, but as we struggle against it here in Burundi at times I wanted to share what I could from other missionaries too. The discouragement faced in a foreign country doing missionary work is different, it can feel much more isolating and feel like you have no one to talk to who truly understands. Some missionaries are living on a compound with other missionaries and the difficulties could be their relationship with those people, so even sharing with those by your side is challenging. Remember missionaries. Most missionaries I know do NOT want to be put on a spiritual pedestal-I personally hate that idea. We’re humans, just like you. We struggle, we argue, we complain, we serve imperfectly every day. We’re not super spiritual giants and we’re still a part of the body of Christ so we need you, the rest of the body still to help us serve!