What happens when you adopt a missionary for a year? Two years ago, in an effort to become more acquainted with missionaries, Moira BWF selected five ladies involved in missionary work around the world (four from Baptist Missions). Why was that? We asked Jennifer Quinn from the Moira church:
Our aim was to get to know our missionaries better. Who is SHE? What makes HER `tick`? How does SHE spend HER day? What are HER struggles? How is SHE fitting in to HER present role in life? We wanted each adopted missionary to know she was important as a person and that we were supporting her ‘emotionally’ and’ spiritually’.
After initial communications, a list of 20 (down to earth) varied questions were dispatched to each adoptee. When is your birthday? In your field of service, how do you relax? What books/music do you enjoy? What is your favourite colour/ perfume? What food do you miss; shoe/dress size etc, etc.
At our next BWF meeting a résumé of each missionary was presented and our BWF members signed up to small support groups. Over the next year, these groups met to pray for the missionary they had chosen. Prayer requests were maintained within each group and, sometimes, the groups met in homes, or during/after our monthly BWF meeting.
The result? The ladies in each group got to know each other better! They were in regular touch with their ‘adopted’ missionary and so started to see them as a real person and prayer became so much more informative and natural. There was a buzz and excitement about `their` missionary. Often the missionary shared personal information that they felt they couldn’t share with prayer partners or sometimes even with their own family back at home. Our ladies felt a real connection and a responsibility to their adopted worker.
From time to time, there was great excitement when our ladies were able to take ‘their’ missionary out for a meal and meet up ‘face to face’. Our chosen workers really appreciated having other women who cared for them and not just for the ‘work’ they were involved in. Several of the husbands wrote to say that we would never fully understand how encouraged their wives had been over the past year through these relationships.
Each month, from our BWF offering, a small amount of money was also given to each group so they could ‘spoil’ their adopted missionary. Using the answers to the questionnaire (and ongoing insightful communication), our BWF ladies had lots of fun selecting inexpensive pamper gifts for their new found friend. Gifts of furry slippers; negligees (never!); Irish Mint chocolate; perfume, etc., went winging their way around the world.
The next year the whole process was begun again. However, some of our ladies felt such a bond with their new buddy across the world, they have kept up the contact, as well as adopting another new missionary.
What happened when Moira BWF adopted missionaries? It has given us new insights into missionary living and has revolutionized both how we perceive and support missionaries and - obviously - our praying for them!
Article by Jennifer Quinn (Moira Baptist)
What about your church; BWF; YF; Sunday School adopting a missionary in 2010? For more information, contact Gordon Darragh or Joanne Dunstan at 02892619267
Comment – Gail Curry Women’s Director
What a great idea! How encouraged would our missionaries feel and what bonds would be established if more of our women’s groups adopted this initiative.