True faith is seen through sacrificial love
By “long term” we understand a commitment to serving from two to three years with the perspective of possibly serving longer after a furlough. Certain commitments or trips simply require a calling to longer service.
It’s generally known that during the first term of service much of a person’s energy must go to learning the language and culture. Their ultimate purpose for being there can sometimes only be accomplished in a limited manner for the first few months to a year. Not only language learning takes time, but also building contacts and trust with the local peoples.
Almost any training or career can be a good preparation for a position in one of our projects. In any of our countries you will need a great deal of flexibility, a certain amount of knowledge, and the ability to use your gifts to serve your target location. You need to be able to work with the people in their own cultural and religious context. The main goal must always be to “a hand up, not a hand-out,” and to be a witness of God’s love to all people.
Impressions from Katrin in Chad
After a short missions trip in Cameroon I knew one thing: that I never wanted to work in Cameroon’s neighboring country of Chad. It was obviously too dangerous. But I also knew that God was leading me back to Africa. It took a while, but eventually I was ready to make the step in that direction. I made a commitment to a long-term service in Chad. After just a short time there, I was suddenly responsible for all the medical work of a clinic for orphans and an orphanage. I’ve often asked myself why God gave me this job and felt overwhelmed. It seems others would be so much better suited for this work. Yet I got to experience how God worked with the little that I have, in order to help many orphans and families.