FAQ’s About Missionary Life and Tanzania

I didn’t blog last week.

Our entire family came down with amoebic dysentery. I don’t really think you want the details. It isn’t pretty. Google it if you are overcome with curiosity. Let’s just say I am very, very thankful for modern medicine.

But that’s really not the purpose of this post.

I have decided to start a series of posts of Frequently Asked Questions that we get as missionaries. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and originally I thought this series would correspond well with our Home Assignment, which was to begin in March. Now it will begin in October, but I have all these ideas floating around in my head so I’m going to do it now anyway.

There are a few reasons for this:
1. We often receive the same questions from lots of people. We don’t mind answering those questions repeatedly, but there are probably many other people who are too shy to ask or never get around to it.
2. I’m discovering more and more prospective HOPAC teachers or others who are considering missions who are finding my blog, and hopefully this information will be helpful. I would love it if this blog helps to inspire someone to go into missions or teach at HOPAC.
3. Some of you readers don’t really know what we are doing here, and even those of you who get our letters might not remember–don’t worry, we understand.
4. There are a lot of misperceptions about missions, yet sometimes people don’t know the right kinds of questions to ask.

I also want to invite you to leave any questions you might have in the comments section. I will be happy to do my best to answer them. There may be certain questions I can’t answer in detail due to the fact that this blog is open to the world, but go ahead and ask anyway.

Note about comments: Usually the only people who leave comments are those who have their own blogs–because they know how much bloggers love feedback! But FYI, on this blog, anyone can leave a comment, even if you don’t have a Google account. Leave an ‘anonymous’ comment, but just sign your name at the end.

One last thought: You should know that missionaries love being asked questions. We love to share about our lives and ministry; we want you to understand; we don’t want to seem so different. But we get self-conscious because we often wonder if people really want to hear about our lives. So the next time a missionary comes to your church, don’t feel bad because you can’t remember what country they live in or their kids’ names–just ask again. Listen and be excited. You will make their day.

FAQ posts coming soon!