THE OLD SCOUT MOTTO
By Elisabeth Fletcher*
Y OU’LL hear all kinds of comments. Some people will put you on a ped estal and when you walk by they’ll murmur admiringly, “ Isn’t that wonder ful? Just think how consecrated!” And down inside you’ll cringe and want to apologize to the Lord because you know you’re nowhere near as consecrated as you should be. And you’ll add a little prayer that the Lord will be ruthless in driving out any pride that may try to creep in. Then there’ll be the others. “Well, he looks normal enough,” they’ll imply with puzzled, sometimes even patroniz ing glances in your direction, “ but really! To give up a perfectly good fu ture to go off into some jungle . . .” And you’ll find yourself wanting to give them a wee punch in the nose and re mind them that after all, missionaries do eat approximately three meals a day and sleep on beds and wear ordinary clothes and try to keep mentally bal anced ! But regardless of the comments pro or con, you who have decided to respond to the need of the mission field today are one of the most fortunate people in the world. Not only have you assurance that the Lord has redeemed your own soul, but if you have been truly called as a foreign missionary, you will know the thrill of planning a wonderful fu ture to be spent in taking the gospel to the needy ones of other lands. It’s the best kind of vocational security, and it’s a challenge that is hard to beat. It’s also a tremendous responsibility. And your very first responsibility is to fulfill the Old Scout motto: “ Be pre pared.” A few people may look at you as though your very decision to be a mis sionary suddenly made you something o f an other-world character. But of course that isn’t the case. Missionaries are still people, and you won’t become a Hudson Taylor by magic when you ob tain your passport. This, of course, you’ve heard many times before. If you’re like most young missionaries-to- be, you’re already doing your best to prepare yourself spiritually, scholas tically, emotionally, and physically for the big job ahead. It is just as possible to be a failure on the mission field as anywhere else, and you know your * Missionary of Latin America Mission, Inc., Costa Rica, S.A. Page Sixteen
words and gestures. When we ourselves reach a foreign country, we find the situation reversed, and it is a delight to find people gracious to the “ dumb” for eigner. You may find untold opportuni ties for helping the stranger over his first hurdles—and winning him for Christ. Then, too, it is important to realize that the easiest time to win a foreign student to the Lord is when he is study ing in a North American country which he understands is “ Christian.” If every student who took his professional edu cation in the States returned to his na tive country a born-again Christian, the effect for the evangelization of the world would be tremendous. But usually the student comes back relatively un aware of true Christianity—and from then on he is a constant drag on the missionary’s testimony in that commu nity. You as a future missionary should make a definite effort to cultivate friendships with foreign students for the good of the cause of missions the world over, if for no other reason! At times it may be possible for you to have fellowship with people of the very nationality you hope to reach some day on the mission field, especially if you are going to Latin America, the Orient, or Europe. Take every opportu nity to work with them, tell them your plans, get them to teach you about their customs and perhaps even their lan guage. Show them that you have a gen uine love and concern for their welfare. You’ll end up with valuable contacts for mission work, insight into the culture of the people, and a far more realistic basis for praying and planning! A second important aspect in your preparation, aside from the formal edu cation which we take for granted, is the deliberate cultivation of side-line talents which will help you on the mission field. If you can play a musical instrument, for instance, you’ll find endless oppor tunities to use that talent. Good pianists are always needed. It’s even more help ful to be able to play a violin, trumpet, accordion or other portable instrument, since a piano won’t always be available. But please don’t be content to merely “ play at” your instrument. Realizing that you will have little time to prac tice and perfect your technique once you arrive on the field, try to aim at a high standard now and play to the true glory T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
preparation will have a lot to do with your success or failure as a missionary. “ All right,” you say, “how about some practical advice on how to prepare for mission work?” Already you are aware of the educational requirements. You’ve also read articles and tracts sug gesting that you learn to be tactful and patient, develop a rich sense of humor, love your fellow men and know how to work with them. You’ve been told of the absolutely vital importance of good Bible study habits, definite dealings with the Lord in prayer, the day-by-day practice of witnessing to others. If you arrive on the field “ prepared” in all these ways, and remain true to your calling year after year, no one will com plain about your preparation! But here are a few more suggestions, probably in the category of fine points, for you who wish to make the best use of these preparatory years. To some de gree, they may help ease that feeling of “marking time” which so often plagues young people who are eager to get the gospel out and hate to spend long years in school “ doing nothing.” First of all, one important aspect is showing tolerance, love and understand ing for the “ foreign mission field” in your midst. How about the stranger who speaks poor English? Too often he gets treated as though he were com pletely ignorant (when usually quite the opposite is true) and our way of trying to make him understand us is shouting instead of speaking slowly, distinctly, and with a careful choice of
Seminary of Latin America Mission, San Jose, Costa Rica
Made with FlippingBook Online document