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From Luke’s Journal February 2024 | Vol.29 No.1 | Missions and Sacrificial Service

What are the joys and challenges of life as a frontier missionary family in a restricted access nation?

Whilst these are things I previously read about in missionary biographies, it is quite another thing to experience them in person and to convey the reality of such experience. In particular, in the joys and challenges of frontier mission a question arises: What enables faithful endurance and resilience throughout the battle?

Seeking to reach a frontier people group involves crossing many boundaries and barriers. A ‘frontier people group’ has been defined as an ethnolinguistic group of people in a location that has less than 0.1% of its population being Christian.  Frontier people groups still encompass billions of people in almost thirty percent of the world’s people groups.¹ Without foreigners going in, a frontier people group may not ever see the rise and growth of the church within it. Yet our Sovereign Lord God’s plan is for history to culminate in people of every tribe, language, and people group worshipping Christ (Rev 5:9-10; Rev 7:9-10). How will this be fulfilled? I believe it will surely happen by the church moving across existing boundaries and borders to every part of the earth, penetrating the frontiers.

A frontier missionary family may face challenges in entering uncharted territory, no less than the challenges faced by any believer. In the words of the enduring hymn Amazing Grace, it may mean going “through many dangers, toils, and snares”.²

Certainly for my family it has meant going through many trials and errors! And what is the deadliest error of concern? The trap of faltering in following trustingly after the Master, after we have decided to follow Jesus! Lot’s wife followed God’s provided path but looked back and came to a salty end (Gen 19:17-26). How might we endure in faithfulness and resolve? We have myriad gems in God’s Word on how to endure in the battle for the Lord’s kingdom. The Bible gives us many examples of endurance or grit (how much and how long someone can sustain effort) and resilience (the ability to withstand and rebound back from adversity).  These are terms also described in psychology and workplace training literature.^3,4

“Searching the terms ‘endure’ or ‘endured’ in Strong’s concordance can certainly lead to finding descriptive Biblical precedents for endurance.” 

Searching the terms ‘endure’ or ‘endured’ in Strong’s concordance can certainly lead to finding descriptive Biblical precedents for endurance.  Examples include pacing oneself to enable endurance, as Jacob did in journeying (Gen 33:14), and sharing the burdens, as Moses did in his role as judge for the Israelites (Ex 18:22-23). For myself, however, it is reading through the whole Bible over and over that has unearthed and highlighted rich treasures for faithful endurance in frontier mission work. It is this that has enabled situational learning from Bible characters and writers and, of most importance, from Jesus our Lord Himself, in the battle for the kingdom of God against sin and Satan. Some of these will be able to be explored in the paragraphs that follow.

Perhaps we may not be used to seeing the world and our lives as a battle for the kingdom. Yet we see it in stark relief in the Biblical worldview, and a clear window into this is in the vivid scenes of Jesus. Having had His identity as God’s beloved Son affirmed at His baptism (Matthew 3), Jesus battles sin and Satan in repeated trials (Matthew 4), with an onslaught of temptation to doubt or dishonour His Father. He gets tested in terms of key human needs:

• Satisfaction (bread).
• Security (falls).
• Significance (dominion in the world).

And each time, in each situation, Jesus chooses the Word of God. He heeds the Word of God and triumphs over sin and Satan, seeking God’s kingdom in God’s way. On this backdrop, He then teaches His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6), with His prayer framed by seeking God’s kingdom and setting apart God’s name. Rather than the tarnishing of God’s name or image on the earth which has been corrupted by sin and Satan’s dominion, Jesus prays for a cosmic battle – that the kingdom of heaven will be brought to earth, into unconquered territory. And within this cause, He calls His followers to trust in His Father for bread (satisfaction), forgiveness for debts (security), and deliverance from the grip of the evil one, Satan, (significance in God’s way) since significance or power and glory belongs not to Satan but to God and His kingdom. Jesus had such a clear vision of the larger calling and mission which, in turn, gave impetus to the battle and the difficulties. And because Christ won the battle, His followers also win.

We would do well to learn from history, as capability and capacity builds on reflective learning. This is no less the case regarding capacity for faithful endurance. The Bible’s record of history from God’s view is filled with the stories of people and peoples engaged in the cosmic battle for God’s kingdom. There is also learning to be gained from our personal histories – of failings, of milestones, of the challenges of vulnerabilities and the joys of victories. Times in which we see God’s help and deliverance for our most dire situations and crossroads serve as memorial stones, our personal ‘Ebenezers’ or stones of help (1 Sam 7:12).

There is learning to be gained from missionaries in history who had marital difficulties. There is the learning to be gained from history which is littered with the fall of high profile figures in Christian ministry. There are so many cautionary tales, even just within our generation. The battlefield’s history is messy.

For a frontier missionary family, there are many different roles to fulfil in many arenas, as well as bio-psycho-socio-cultural-spiritual needs to be met in order for survival.  In each of these, I have found that God’s Word is life to the soul and sweeter than honey (Ps 119:103).

Demands may stretch supply or capacity, in any or all of the arenas. There are physiological needs, social needs, cultural-linguistic needs, and aspirational needs – having roles and work to do that are aligned with our driving purposes. There are so many simultaneous stories going on all at once, including in multiple email accounts and multiple internet-based communication channels. Resilience may be possible by reframing difficult situations so that they gain meaning and purpose, but sheer endurance is still necessary.

“Resilience may be possible by reframing difficult situations so that they gain meaning and purpose, but sheer endurance is still necessary.”

We cling to the promise that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Cor 10:13). We recognise that demands only outstrip supply when cruel masters and idols are at play. Endurance is needed, and yet also, there is freedom to rest in our Lord Jesus without having to do what He will not enable and provide for, affirming that His yoke is easy (Matthew 11:30) and choosing not to resent our Lord for the difficulties encountered. Difficulty and uncertainty do not intrinsically mean that a path is not God’s will – we are not promised a lack of troubles but the assurance that Christ has overcome the world (Jn 16:33). And so we push on wearing the armour of God, wielding the sword of the spirit and the shield of faith (Eph 6).

Home and family

When the demands of home and family threaten to overwhelm, I look to God who has promised that in fulfilling history and bringing about the city of God, He is the everlasting God (Is 40:28).

Home and family is a first area of need when sorting out the logistics of moving overseas, packing up the old lives and planting ourselves in fresh soil. There are many new dangers and risks, whether in managing a new climate, finding housing for protection from the elements, dealing with external and internal threats including vermin and flooding from burst plumbing and unreliable fixes, or establishing new means of transport – our children falling from bicycle seats could be fatal in a split-second!

“Not only is there a new diet, there is hair loss from hard water and discoloured teeth from new food habits. There is the loss of readily available electricity, drinkable water, and good toys for the kids.”

Not only is there a new diet, there is hair loss from hard water and discoloured teeth from new food habits. There is the loss of readily available electricity, drinkable water, and good toys for the kids. There are assaults on health from disease, and conflict under the strain of fatigue and countless new decisions to make together.

In these things, the promise of a new creation to look forward to (Rom 8) and the encouragement of seeing Jesus, who was reviled and yet entrusted Himself to the righteous judge (1 Pet 2:23), are precious. We must learn to keep short accounts, leave debt collection to the righteous judge, and indeed, ask our Father to forgive us as we forgive our debtors (Matt 6:12). We learn to waive demands that others repay us or make good on wrongs done against us. We must learn by hard experience what it means for marriage to be a picture of Christ who sacrificed His life for the church (Eph 5).

Living so counter-culturally requires us to feed on God’s Word constantly. We have long had a routine of reading Bible stories, singing memory verse songs, and praying together with our kids. But why should we consider these a priority with our kids, and not with each other as a married couple? I consider the most important thing established in our family since our time on the frontier mission field has been making time for Bible reading and prayer as a married couple a priority after our children have gone to bed. Unless we abide in the Vine, we can do nothing (Jn 15). And so our challenges at home are buoyed by joy in our God.

Neighbours at home

Living in proximity to neighbours who are locals has benefits for understanding a new culture, but how many cultural faux pas must be learned by experience, despite having received cultural orientation teaching? Neighbours who are locals draw us to engage with them earlier than might be the case for other locals with whom we develop friendships. When hosting people for a meal, we have learned to make sure we serve the guests and the head of their household first, not to serve dependents (children) first as might be a habit in a more individualistic or independent culture. Living in close proximity with neighbours, our domestic life is on show in more ways than one, with much less privacy that we are used to in our home country. Although it may confront us, we grow to be like those around us, so that we might win the likes of those around (1 Cor 9:19-22).

Sending company and receiving company expatriates in the destination country

Difficulties arise in collaborative decision-making among expatriates regarding differing perspectives on safety and security, for which we must seek unity in humility, following the pattern of Jesus (Phil 2). When expats undertake tasks in absence of an appointed and accepted leader, such as rehearsing and performing a song item, there is potential for conflict. Humility is necessary to resolve conflict in such situations (Jas 4:6).

Church fellowship

There are language barriers that exclude our children from participation, cultural differences regarding polychronic (multiple things at once) versus monochronic (one thing at a time) approaches to attending music rehearsals on time, as well as differences of ideas about the purpose of music. Among expats with whom language differences are not a problem, there is limited choice regarding who to form friendships with. Some expats drop out of attending fellowship as a result of language, culture, or theological differences – but Hebrews 10:25 spurs us to continue prioritising fellowship even as we work through these issues.

Work, adjusting to locals and expats in a new workplace, and frontier ministry

There is a huge amount of stress with uncertainties involved in gaining entry, visas, interviews and professional registration. Then follows the bridging of cultures, particularly entering a culture in which honour-shame plays a big role. Coming from a conviction that reflective learning is a key to growing expertise, it is not easy moving into a culture where inviting reflective learning may cause great dishonour. When sin’s effects pose challenges for how lovable people are, we affirm that rather than humanity being primarily worthy, Jesus is the worthy one – the Lamb who will receive what He redeemed with His blood (Revelation 5:9-10). Challenges have been offset by the joy of doors opening to frontier ministry, which we believe is from the Lord and in answer to prayers (see 1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 2:12; Col 4:3).

The work of communication with people back in the home country

If it were not exhausting enough to manage all the stories, dramas, and relationships at our destination country, there is the challenge of keeping up communication with people back home. Along with this, there are uplifting and helpful relationships with people from home, and the joy of supportive people journeying with us. Yet there is a load of work in communicating vision for frontier mission, especially as churches may like to look for key performance indicators and return on investment in different ways. Still, we hold to the importance of pushing on in faith as our ultimate goal, yearning to see God’s church arise among frontier peoples whilst knowing that many heroes in Hebrews 11 did not see the fruit of the covenant promises. Particularly before we left, we have experienced betrayals by those who deliberately wished to discredit our vision or strategy or character, avoiding having to unmask their lack of belief that frontier mission is of God.

“Still, we hold to the importance of pushing on in faith as our ultimate goal, yearning to see God’s church arise among frontier peoples…”

What gives resilience for these kinds of challenges? There is help in looking at inspiring figures such as Joseph, Nehemiah and Daniel in the Bible – men who pushed through adversity and unfair attack. Joseph could see God’s sovereign plan for good (Gen 50:20) in what was meant by some for evil.

There is help in the psalms, including from David who experienced much injustice from his enemies, yet continued to trust in God for justice and help.

Ultimately, of course, there is Jesus, who endured such hostility from sinners yet faithfully pressed on (Heb 12:1-3), a model of leaving justice to His Father (Rom 12:19-20). It is through Christ that we can do and endure, all things (Phil 4:13). We trust not in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead (2 Cor 1:9). In the setting of situations such as surviving betrayal, these are not trite words but life-giving necessities for us to hold onto, to avoid bitterness and anger and to avoid giving the devil a foothold (Eph 4:27).

There are simply too many situations to do justice to describing the challenges and joys of frontier mission in a restricted-access nation. There are too many Scripture passages that have been precious for our family in building resilience and faithful endurance to explore them all here. Yet all Scripture points to the Lord Jesus, and He is ultimately the one to whom we look as we journey through the challenges and joys.

We fix our eyes on Jesus, who endured challenges and hostilities for the joy set before Him (Heb 12:2), desiring not the kingdoms of the world in the way Satan offered them, but having faith that the kingdoms of this world would indeed become the kingdoms of God and His Christ (Ps 2; Rev 11:15). We will endure if we see every challenge in light of the joy of believing in God’s greater purpose.

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