Job Description, Please

As we get ready to leave (9 days!), I was trying to think of answers to the most common questions we will receive.  I was, in one sense, trying to justify my existence as a missionary in Kinshasa.

I stumped myself.  I couldn’t justify it.  My daily life, at least as I was trying to ponder things I did and goals I have, is ordinary.  I cook, do laundry, home school, and try to keep and manage a household.  And the things I could list that make my daily life different from my American counter parts, such as having house help or prying larvae out of my children’s faces, aren’t actually specific to mission or ministry.

So, I concluded that I clearly am doing something wrong.  I am following the call to be a wife and mother and live in a place I wouldn’t choose to call home on my own, and I am completely content and joyful in that.  But I have no awesome stories of leading people to Christ.  I don’t lead a Bible study.  Let me be honest with you: I do not have any Congolese friends outside of MAF or missionary connections.  

As I realized that my missionary role here was clearly nothing to write home about, I got a little down.  Matthew does amazing work.  I listen to my friends who talk about their relationships with the people they’re ministering to or how how their ministry is going.  Why wasn’t I involved in something more? 

I realized a lack of time was an issue.  Where was my excess time going?

Then I noticed that my time outside of my home and family was spent on people.  We were under the weather last weekend and early last week and I realized that not having guests suddenly freed me to be able to focus on getting healthy.  Which we did.

And just in time: Thursday I took a new missionary wife grocery shopping to show her the ropes.  An hour after getting home, our family was in the pool in the compound where another MAF family lives.

Friday night we hosted that new missionary and her family, including four kids for dinner.

Saturday morning we had brunch at our house with a family (three small kids) that had just arrived back in town after a summer in North America.

And an hour later were spending time with another family (three kids) at their house for the afternoon.

And each Sunday we host an afternoon fellowship time with a potluck, hymns, and a Psalm.  Today we had nine adults and seven small kids.  Plus a guest arrived to stay in our guest room until Wednesday: an MAF pilot from our program in the east.

Tomorrow we host a family of four for dinner.

I’m not bragging, or trying to one up anyone at how awesome we are.  I think that I’ve decided for right now, God is using me and my available resources right where He needs.  

I have had the privilege of helping new missionaries ease their way into Congo life.  I have been at the receiving end of encouragement and good medical advice and treatment (one of the families is a couple of doctors, another where one is a nurse).  I am happy to host and have been blessed with an amazing space to do so.

In the end, I concluded that my ministry is unique in that I can offer Western hospitality to people who might need it.  Maybe that’s not “good enough” for Missionary of the Year and maybe I’m “supposed” to do something directly with Congolese people, but right now, I work and rest where I see God has placed me.  And I’m good with that.