Ask a Missionary - Catch The Fire

A:
Avoid sales pressure as well as
presumption.
My experience over the last decade as a faith-supported missionary
is that I’ve had lots of fears and confusion regarding financial
support. But it all boils down to two questions. When I answer
yes to both of them, everything is OK. When I don’t answer yes, I
consistently run into problems. Here are the questions:
1. Do I trust that God will take care of me and not “hang me
out to dry”?
2. Am I asking God for provision each day (“Give us this day
our daily bread”) and accepting each day’s provision with
heartfelt thankfulness?
Some type of formal training in raising support is a good idea.
Scriptural teaching on support raising is crucial, as is learning from
the experiences of others. Training is important, since missionaries
all too easily fall to one extreme or the other—humanistic sales
strategies or presumptuous faith.
Answer from Nate Wilson, a mission mobilizer with Caleb Project.
A:
Never doubt God’s involvement and
provision.
When I was preparing to serve short-term, I estimated the
amount of money I needed per month to stay for eight months. As I
put money into my savings account, I thought I had enough money
for this short-term trip. So when people asked me about the finances
I would need, I told them that my savings would cover the trip.
Just before leaving, however, I had several unexpected expenses,
including new eyeglasses. Then, when I arrived in Equatorial
Guinea, my expenses were higher than I had expected, and I quickly
realized I had enough funds to last only about four months. I also
realized that I needed to extend my time in Equatorial Guinea for an
additional seven months to accomplish the work I was there to do.
FUNDING: Figuring It Out | 125