Little Missionary

My mission involvement story begins with an unanswered question. In my mind's eye, I can see a five-year old me, with a spiral curl on each side of my head, standing by the piano at church, singing a song that declared I could be a little missionary. In that moment, I believed that promised reality. I asked someone how I could be a little missionary. "I have no idea," was the answer. I was perplexed. Why was I being told I could do something without any sort of knowledge of how to do it? True, there was Scripture and soul-winning knowledge all around me, but in my five-year-old mind, I had yet to make the connection.

I kind of put the thought of missions on hold until I was fourteen. My church youth group decided to go on a mission trip to Canada. I had so much fun raising money for it, but was unable to go because of sickness.

When I first went to college, I majored in missions and enjoyed spending time with other mission-minded students. I had to take a break from college, and when I went back, to a different college this time, I majored in communication because of my interest in writing. During my second summer as a student there, I went on a mission trip to Ukraine and enjoyed it very much. When the time came to plan my internship, I applied for a writing internship at a missions organization. I thought I was all set up to do it when I received a terse email telling me I had been rejected — with no explanation as to why. I was devastated.

When I graduated, I spent three years at a pregnancy resource center an hour away from home. Although it was a different experience from what I imagined mission work to be, that’s what I considered it to be.

Now, for about a year and a half, I have been an online mentor for a mission organization. I answer messages asking for help of different kinds and come alongside these mentees, listening to them and praying for them.

When I think back on younger me, I smile, because in many ways, I have become what I wanted to be back then, a “little missionary.” I don’t consider the work I do to be earth-shattering, but I know it makes a difference in the Kingdom and I have seen several answers to prayer through it. Now that I think about it, isn’t that what we’re all supposed to be, little missionaries, lifting up our Savior in humility and faithfulness?

Dear Father, thank you that we can all be little missionaries, lifting up your name rather than our own. Help us always remain small in our own eyes so that you may be lifted up through our lives as we walk in your strength. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Throughout This Day: Think of what it would look like for you to be a missionary right where you are today. Ask God to give you wisdom and a new vision for the lost and for his Kingdom. Consider becoming an online mentor for this ministry, if you have not yet done so.