can be a
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missionary?
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God can’t use quiet, introverted people to be missionaries . . . or can He?
by sabrina evans
“
I
ntroverts can make wonderful missionaries.” charismatic personality, someone who knew how
I felt myself give a sigh of relief when I heard to draw a big crowd and loved being in front of it.
those words. Why hadn’t this always been obvious The thought of that terrig197 ed me. I had always loved
to me? Listening to a missionary to the Philippines people, and had a burden for missions, but leaned
speak, I came to realize how many misperceptions I more towards the introverted side. I think I am at my
had— especially about the calling of a missionary. best in smaller groups or in one-on-one situations
Recently, I was speaking to university students and seldom like to be at the center of attention. I do
and I asked them what kinds of images came to their not know anyone who would describe my personality
mind when I said the word missionary. Of course, as “charismatic”; I am much more likely to get
all the traditional answers surfaced: hiking through something like “laid back.” Yet, I felt the call to go.
jungles, wearing hard-hats, carrying spears and During my g197 rst month on a new g197 eld in central
living in huts. I said, “Yes!” All of those things are Europe, the missionary I mentioned from the
certainly true, at least for some missionaries serving Philippines came into town for a short visit with our
in particular parts of the world. However, there team. He was speaking at a fellowship gathering
are other images that g197 t just as truthfully into this to encourage us and said, “Introverts can make
category. some of the best
Their faces betrayed a little surprise when I
“Introverts can
missionaries.” At this
proceeded to list university professor, artist, camp
director, pastor, football coach, farmer, coffee barista
make some
point, he had my
fullest attention.
and hostel owner. The truth is, I know missionaries
of the best
He then
who serve in all of those ways and very effectively. proceeded to talk
Certainly the calling to take the gospel into all the
missionaries.”
about the friendship
world is the same, but the method (or the daily element of
job description of how that is done) varies greatly evangelism and of sharing our faith. It is not always
depending on the setting and culture being served. important to talk to the greatest number of people, it
The same way the students had thought of is important to be sensitive to which relationships the
missionaries as living and working in only one Lord is leading you to and to develop those well. It
particular context, I also had thought of missionaries may require investing a lot of time at g197 rst into a few
as belonging to only one particular personality type. people. After all, the ultimate goal of a missionary is
Certainly, to enter into an unknown environment to train up national workers to lead in the formation
and talk to people you do not know about the gospel of church and evangelism ministries. The more I
would require an extremely extroverted person. I thought about this, the more I felt afg197 rmed in my
pictured this individual as having a magnetic and calling and knew that there was a place for me on
4 save our world
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