going global

I don't know why I refrain from saying we're missionaries.  In fact, that is what we are. 

mis·sion·ar·y

/ˈmiSHəˌnerē/

Noun A person sent on a religious mission, esp. one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country.

Adjective Of, relating to, or characteristic of a missionary or a religious mission: "missionary work". In the days of my youth (wow, that sounds really archaic) a missionary was someone who lived in Africa, came back to the U.S. every four years for furlough and most likely sent their kids away to boarding school.  They went through at least two years of language school.  They had to pass physical tests to make sure they were in good health.  They had to get all kinds of vaccines.  They received hand-rolled bandages and used stamps from missionary societies in the U.S. in order to save money.  We have done none of the above.  So, are we missionaries?  I think so.  This country is definitely foreign to us. Lately I've been reading some blogs and finding some missionaries sent by other groups who are similarly going to English-speaking countries such as Ireland.  I love hearing the similarities in emotions that we share.  Like us, they speak the same language as the people they serve, but there is no doubt they are in a foreign country.  Like us, they miss their friends and families in the U.S.  Their goal is to work themselves out of job as they train up local Irish leaders in the church to continue the work of the gospel.  Two couples' blogs I follow are www.meganbowker.com and www.stephenandalisa.net   Both are in or about to be in Ireland.  They are sent out by Kontakt missions.  Yesterday I visited the Sydney, Australia Sovereign Grace Church blog just to see the kinds of ministries they are involved in.  Again, even though the pastor speaks English, he is British, not Australian.  He lives among a people he was not born into.  He's a missionary.  The gospel has been going global for 2000 years.  How thankful I am today that God is still raising up men and women to go and take the good news throughout the world.  Some of the countries who once sent missionaries are now in the greatest need of receiving them due to the massive spiritual decline over centuries.  I hear this is happening in America to some degree.    According to George Barna: "With its 195 million unchurched people, America has become the new mission field. America has more unchurched people than the entire populations of all but 11 of the world's 194 nations."* According to Lost in America, by Tom Clegg and Warren Bird, 2001: "The unchurched population in the United States is so extensive that, were it a nation, it would be the fifth-largest on the planet. . . . Researchers and analysts describe North America as the world's third-largest mission field."  I pray the churches in the U.S. will continue to cling to the gospel with all their might, preserving a remnant for the Lord.