By AJ, Missionary to Central Asia

Preparing for the mission field looks different for every missionary. Some are preparing to move to a different city, some a different country, but all with the same goal in mind. As a missionary preparing to move to a creative access country, my preparation has been several years in the making. From discipleship and training to the logistical aspects, the Lord uses each step to sanctify and equip His people to take the gospel to every corner of the world. 

The first part of my preparation started many years ago in the context of my local church. The discipleship I received from many wonderful men and women has shaped me into the missions-minded believer I am today. It was at a very young age through ministries of this local church that I believe the Lord started to make evident my role in participating in the Great Commission. Being a faithful member of a gospel-preaching local church is one of the most important parts of preparation for a missionary. After all, it is the local church who sends missionaries to the field with the goal to plant healthy, reproducing local churches. As my local church partners with BMA Global it will be this body of believers who primarily help to care for and support me while I am on the field.

Another large part of my preparation process has been training. As I am preparing to go to a people group who have never heard the true gospel before, I needed specific training. This training included Language and Culture Acquisition, Cross-cultural Church Planting, Theology of Suffering, Teamwork, Business for Missions, Bible Translation, Phonetics, Phonemics, and Linguistics. This was from a conglomeration of a ten-month training program designed for church planting among the unreached, a few missions courses at Central Baptist College, pre-field orientation by BMA Global, and several cross-cultural experiences along the way. 

I also received in-depth, faith-based security training. In addition to training for the mission field in this way, I also sought secular training. I earned my masters degree in  speech pathology and obtained a certification in teaching English as a second language. I taught English online and in person in several settings and worked for three years as a pediatric speech therapist. This secular training will come in handy when entering a creative access nation.  

As a BMA missionary, there is also a bit of financial preparation involved. I am required to raise 100% of my support for the field from churches and individuals committed to participating in the Great Commission by sending. In order to obtain this financial support, I have been privileged to visit many churches, individuals, and families in order to share about this mission to which the Lord has called me. There is much more to say on the theology of support raising, but let that be another article! 

Financial support is not the only type of support I have been gathering. I also have built a team of families from my church who act as a prayer and spiritual support team. This group keeps me accountable in many ways and spends extra time in prayer for me and my ministry. This will be invaluable for my time on the field! It is through the prayers of this team, alongside many others who are fervently on their knees, that will help to sustain me on the field. 

Last but not least is the logistical preparation. This includes the many details that come with moving overseas. Applying for a visa, choosing a language school, packing suitcases, choosing housing, and much more. All of this while navigating with a language barrier, ten-hour time difference, and local currencies. Thankfully, my teammates have been so helpful during this process. I am also learning to build a “RAFT” in these last few weeks at home. This is something many missionaries do, or should be encouraged to do, before leaving. RAFT (an acronym from David C. Pollock) stands for the following: 

R- Reconciliation- prioritizing reconciliation, forgiveness, and the restoring of relationships here at home before going overseas. Moving away does not heal relationships, and these issues often go with you. 

A-Affirmation- letting people know your appreciation and thankfulness for them. People in your family, in your church, in your workplace, etc.  

F- Farewell- saying goodbye to people, places, and things you will miss. Often planning specific outings and meetings with people before you leave. 

T- Think Destination- researching your new country, processing how things will be similar and different, and looking it up on Google Maps! While it is sobering saying so many goodbyes, it is okay to also feel excited about the new destination. 

Overall, there are a lot of things to do to prepare for the mission field. This preparation process for any given missionary may look a lot shorter or a lot longer than mine, but we all have one thing in common–the need to rely on and trust fully in the Lord every step of the way. Prayers for missionaries preparing to head to the field are essential,  especially prayers that we would continually trust in the sovereignty of God. 

“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in His holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you” (Psalm 33:20-22).