The Practical Missions Podcast
Pod #105 How Being on the Field Rewrites Your Identity
I loved it. I loved the nation. I loved the people. I loved the place. They became my heart people.
Today on the Pod, my guest shares with me what it has been like to serve in a remote area of Africa. From a cushy life in the West to sleeping on the ground in a mud hut in Africa. Nothing has been easy, but everything was worth it.
Timeline
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:00 From first bible to a surrendered life
- 04:08 Finding a people and moving
- 5:40 Comfort shock and Lyme disease
- 10:43 Healthier rhythms for longevity
- 16:20 Boundaries that keep you healthy
- 19:06 Outsider forever and yet known
- 24:37 Returning home a different person
- 31:58 Dealing with real needs everywhere
- 36:58 Syncretism and the need for Gospel clarity
- 39:51 Spiritual health and real community
- 42:26 Building staying power
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
For me, I am very well known there in the community. I am their white person. I am their missionary. I am theirs. They have adopted me. They have given me a name. They have given me a clan. They’ve given me a family. So I am really theirs. And everywhere I go, I am known, and people will shout my name. And so there is that sense of belonging. I definitely have that sense of belonging. And I think for me, that is enough. It is sufficient.
Pod #105 How Being on the Field Rewrites Your Identity
I loved it. I loved the nation. I loved the people. I loved the place. They became my heart people.
Today on the Pod, my guest shares with me what it has been like to serve in a remote area of Africa. From a cushy life in the West to sleeping on the ground in a mud hut in Africa. Nothing has been easy, but everything was worth it.
For me, I am very well known there in the community. I am their white person. I am their missionary. I am theirs. They have adopted me. They have given me a name. They have given me a clan. They’ve given me a family. So I am really theirs. And everywhere I go, I am known, and people will shout my name. And so there is that sense of belonging. I definitely have that sense of belonging. And I think for me, that is enough. It is sufficient.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Timeline
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:00 From first bible to a surrendered life
- 04:08 Finding a people and moving
- 5:40 Comfort shock and Lyme disease
- 10:43 Healthier rhythms for longevity
- 16:20 Boundaries that keep you healthy
- 19:06 Outsider forever and yet known
- 24:37 Returning home a different person
- 31:58 Dealing with real needs everywhere
- 36:58 Syncretism and the need for Gospel clarity
- 39:51 Spiritual health and real community
- 42:26 Building staying power
— Related Pods —
Pod #49 How NOT to turn Your Ministry into a Project
I talk to a man who loves his family, loves the ministry, and loves God. It’s clear he has not lost sight of the reason we serve on the field. We talk about family, hospitality, team life, discipling locals, dealing with local needs, and much more.
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