Finance

Here's a graph from a missionary's website. You may be surprised to know that more than half of the funds go toward the missionary's salary. Being able to live in a foreign country is difficult and many missionaries live off of the support they get from people back home. For this particular missionary, only 6% of the monthly support fund goes straight to ministry. As you may have guessed, it takes a very long time to establish a strong ministry in a foreign country, especially because missionaries must first settle themselves in their new home and get to know the people. This missionary is going to the Middle East permanently as a professor at one of the colleges in the area. He plans to build strong relationships with the students before doing any direct preaching. (Here's a breakdown of the monthly support for those who can't see the graph very well: salary 52%, fees and administration 20%, ministry 6%, travel 1%, insurance 21%)

New Email

I guess I overlooked this email since my last update. This is another email from Sandy that provides a better example of censorship. This email was sent in wake of the tragic earthquake that hit the Sichuan province a week or two ago.

From: Song Save Address Block Sender This Is Spam
To: Song ssong@*********.org
CC:
Subject: China earthquake
Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 23:21:41 +0800

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to write and give you a little update on what's happening here. I'm sure most of you have heard the news of the earthquake in Sichuan province (the province just north of mine). My province was relatively unaffected in terms of tremors, but I just wanted to write and ask all of you to please pr. for the people of China. My school held a candlelight vigil tonight and the students and teachers donated money to help the earthquake victims. Although most of us were not personally affected, the mood here is definitely quite somber. As I shared
before, in Jan/Feb, we were hit with the worst snowstorm in 50 years, which wreaked chaos all over China for almost a month. Then came all the riots with Tibet and Tibetans living all over China. Then all the problems China has been having politically all around the world, including protesters trying to squelch the Olympic torch. Now the earthquake... I am by no means trying to start a political discussion about the Chinese government or how things are handled here. I just wanted to ask you to pr. that through all the hardship and tragedy this year, that G-d would open up many opportunities for Xtians to share the good news with the Chinese people. As I talked with many students tonight, the reality of death and the shortness of life was on the forefront of their minds.
We are only province away from the epicenter of the earthquake, and over a thousand students and teachers were buried alive in their schools, and the reality that this could have been us really hit home for these students. I plan on teaching a lesson next week on the value and meaning of life, so please pr. that G-d would open their hearts to understand that our lives are a gift given by our heavenly Father who cares for every one of them. I've attached a few pics of the vigil. Thanks for your pryers! (The 512 is 5/12 for May 12th- the date of the earthquake).

Sandy

Immune?

Maybe it's because I grew up around Christian missionaries that I'm immune to some of the habits that they employ. I get emails from time to time from a missionary I know that has been stationed in China for the past year and a half/two years. She went over there as an English teacher in order to form strong relationships with the students and then share the gospel with those that she thought were ready/willing. When she sends emails to those back home (like myself), she gives us updates on how things are going and her progress. As you may have guessed, the Chinese government doesn't allow for emails to contain religious words or phrases so Sandy (the missionary) has to abbreviate those words in order for the emails to get through without any trouble. This is a May update email that I think would help people understand how missionaries have to communicate in countries with censorship. The pr. stands for pray (as most of you have probably figured out)... this specific email doesn't have as many abbreviations as some of her past, but it's just a taste of real life censorship.

From: Song ssong@*********.org
To: Song ssong@*********.org
CC:
Subject: May update
Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 19:20:32 +0800

Hi everyone,

Sorry that it's been so long since my last update.
Time has completely escaped me these past two months. Believe it or not,
I'm already in packing mode... I am returning to Chicago on July 14th. Not
sure what the future holds long-term - I'm open to coming back out to China
someday, but for now, I am planning to settle back in the States for a
while.

I am in process of making goodbye gifts for my
students and for some local Chinese friends here. I've also started
shipping boxes home. It's amazing how much you can end up collecting in
two years! I'm leaving my city four days after I finish teaching, so I
have to try and pace myself so that I can enjoy my remaining time here rather
than running around like a crazy person the last few weeks. Any of you who
have experienced moving know how overwhelmed I am feeling right now.
:)

Anyway, as crazy as it is to think that two years
have passed already, it's definitely a very bittersweet time right now.
I'm SO looking forward to seeing all of you again on a more long-term
basis. However, it's incredibly sad for me to think that I may never see
some of my students ever again. Please pr. for me in these two months
here.

1. Please pr. for some specific students that
I've been sharing with- that they would come to know Him. I've been
studying the Word with some of them, but they have not yet professed
faith. Please pr. for Ring, Cynthia, Cynthia, Danielle, Charlie, Kyle,
Iris, Gorilla, and Pig (yes, that's actually their names).
ha-ha.

2. Please pr. that I be a Mary and not a
Martha in my remaining time. There's so much that I still need to do, and so
little time left. However, I don't want to sacrifice my time sitting as
His feet, and I also want to make the most of the time that I spend with
students and friends here. Please pr. that I would have wisdom to know how to
manage my time and who to spend time with in these last few
weeks.

3. Please pr. that I can find a job when I
return to Chicago. If you have any thoughts or ideas, I'm definitely all
ears! Thanks so much!!!!

Sandy

Unexpected Findings

Here's a video clip I came across as I was looking for a video that would help further my research:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3p9BVTXkmg

It compares native missionaries to American missionaries. It's one man's opinion and very limited, but it provides a new angle to the research topic at hand so I thought I would share it with you. Keep in mind that it is biased since this man is (or appears to be) a devoted Christian.

Purpose

Missions is a topic that has always interested me but never took the time to delve into. Now I want to step back (and not let personal beliefs interfere) and look at the situation as it is. I intend to research the social and political perspectives of American missionaries on missions in Asia. How are modern missionaries welcomed into a country? What difficulties do they face there (living conditions, monetary issues, communication)? What role/interference does the government of the receiver country take? My assumption was that most missions were funded through personal fundraising, but how much of it is funded by their church and does the U.S. government help at all (financially)? Some missionaries have to take on other jobs while they evangelize in that country, usually because of the government system (such as China and North Korea). My research should also delve into which government systems force missionaries to hide their real reason for being in that country and how much it interferes with the missionaries communication with the native Asians. What are the consequences if discovered? Does the society in the Asian countries permit missionaries to evangelize directing or indirectly (what sort of pressures do the native people put on missionaries and vice versa)? These are the questions that hopefully will be answered through research. Please comment if you have any input or would like to share any information or experiences with this topic.

DK